Too often farmers think the spring flush is over by the end of May. This is often not the case and especially not this year with the fluctuating weather across the country, according to Provimi ruminant nutritionist Dr Sion Richards.

"Grass growth following first cut silage is likely to have the qualities of spring grass this year," says Dr Richards. "Farmers should look to seize this opportunity to make more of the high protein in the grass.

"Don't let protein-rich grass creates problems. If the protein is 'trapped' in the rumen it can contribute to better yields, health and fertility."

To achieve this, the protein in spring grass must be 'slowed down' in the rumen. "One way is to use a sugar mineral complex - which binds to the protein in the rumen and boosts the energy supply, leaving more protein available for milk production and less protein to leave the rumen as ammonia that has to be converted to urea.

"In trials using the sugar mineral complex Amino Pro-Tek we found that yields increased, blood and milk ureas fell and cows had better health and fertility," adds Dr Richards.

A recent trial carried out at the Seale Hayne dairy unit compared the performance of two groups of Holstein cows - both on forage based diets but one with Amino Pro-Tek added to the concentrate ration. This later group showed an increase in milk yield of almost 5% with rises in the weight of fat and protein, while milk urea dropped by 15%.

"Farmers can reap the benefits of Amino Pro-Tek by adding 100g per cow per day to the concentrate ration. This costs around 8p per cow per day, justified by the increase in milk yield alone. An extra 1.8litres of milk delivers at least a 3:1 return on investment based on current milk prices. And the health and fertility benefits are an added bonus that will pay dividends longer term," adds Dr Richards.