Innovation and product improvement represent a continuous process of both small and large steps in the feed industry. ForFarmers continuously implements improvements in feed that are not always obvious, but that provide for ever better results on farm level, for instance in the area of feed efficiency and animal health.

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Some examples of successful innovations and developments in 2015:

Ruminant sector

The result realised at a dairy farm is based on four pillars that influence each other. The most important developments per pillar: 

• Efficient and healthy milk production:
  An improved methodology to estimate the feed value for maize and grass silage in Feed2Milk. Feed2Milk is ForFarmers feed approach for dairy cattle. A significant part of the ration for ruminants consists of grass and maize. The quality of the said coarse feed may fluctuate strongly, depending on weather conditions and the farmer's management. To compose an optimal ration, a proper estimate of the feed value of the coarse feed is important. In 2015 ForFarmers further improved the methodology for this. For the farmer this resulted in a better estimate of the feed value and consequently a higher milk production, better feed efficiency, and healthier animals. Feed2Milk has now been implemented in the four countries where ForFarmers is active.
• Health and lifespan:
  The "Transitieaanpak" - the transitional approach - , aimed at the period right before or after the birth of a calf, was developed further and implemented in all four countries in 2015. With this approach – a combination of products and advice – the calving proceeds easier and cow and calf are off to a healthy start.

• Calf rearing:
  The new VITA approach for the rearing of calves was introduced in the United Kingdom in 2015 and is now available in all four countries. VITA results in lower mortality and a higher life production. For veal calves a new rosé rearing feed was developed that provides for better growth.
  For organic calf rearing, a new calf starter pellet was introduced that has had a positive effect on feed intake and the health of calves.
• Coarse feed production and quality:
  With the "Ruwvoer+"-concept ForFarmers offers farmers support in optimising the coarse feed process: soil, fertilisation, crop, and ration (calculation). The improved methodology to estimate the feed value for maize and grass in Feed2Milk is also used in Ruwvoer+. This approach results in more coarse feed of a better quality and lower feed costs.

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• Milk€fficient: a programme developed by ForFarmers that combines the aforementioned result-determining factors for a dairy farm. It makes transparent how the dairy farmer can improve his return. In this respect different scenarios can be compared. Milk€fficient was marketed in the Netherlands in 2015 and will shortly also be introduced in the other countries where ForFarmers is active.
• To make best use of nutrients that are released in the soil during the growing season ForFarmers has examined the effect of a specific method of maize sowing. This appears to lead to a significantly better utilisation of the nutrients available in the soil and results in 10% more yield with an unchanged use of fertiliser. Other advantages of this sowing method are faster mulching, less weed development and a more intensive rooting of the tillage layer.

Swine sector

• VIDA piglet feed: this feed concept meets the requirements of present-day and future piglet farming as far as growth and health of the piglets are concerned.
• A new piglet breeding concept for the organic swine sector, under the name ‘Vital’, with a positive effect on (bowel) health and feed intake.
• A new “prelacto” feed for sows that accelerates the birth process and consequently strongly improves the vitality of piglets.
• Delta Score: a unique monitoring method that links information about the technical performance of fattening pigs to health parameters and carcass data of the slaughterhouse and combines this with data from blood examination. This provides the swine farmer with an insight into the strengths and weaknesses of his business and forms the basis for an integrated feed and management approach in line with the health status of the farm.
• A feed concept for fattening pigs that helps to reduce the infection pressure of the bacteria Lawsonia intracellularis (PIA).
• The fermentation concept was developed further in cooperation with Van Asten Group and Weda Holland. In November 2015, this concept won the public award of the Herman Wijffels Innovation Award 2015 in the Netherlands. ForFarmers markets this concept together with the aforementioned partners under the name Ferment+. The innovative concept enables swine farmers to produce high-quality swine feed rich in lactic acid on their own farms. With this feed the health and quality of piglets and fattening pigs improve visibly. It also results in an improvement of feed efficiency.
• A special TMR concept for organic sow farms. The sows are fed a type of paste in which grass, cut maize, grains, and soy by-products have been processed. This has a positive effect on the health of piglets and stimulates their natural behaviour as they can start eating this before they farrow.

Poultry sector

Broilers

• Forza Pré Start is a feed that was geared exactly to the specific nutritional need of broilers during their first days of life. Thus this new product provides for healthy growth, fewer deaths and a more uniform end weight. Forza Pré Start has already been used very successfully in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

• Under the influence of social developments, the demand for slower-growing broilers strongly increased in 2015. ForFarmers has already been involved in this discussion for many years and is actively conducting research in this area. Specially developed WelFair feed takes the specific features of these animals and the way that they are kept into account.
• Together with Wageningen University & Research Centre ForFarmers examines whether living insects, in this case larvae of the black soldier fly, form a suitable source of protein for broilers. The larvae are cultivated using residual flows from the food industry that would otherwise end up in the bio-digester. The larvae can replace up to 75% of a protein source like soy. An important outcome of the research is the highly positive influence on the natural behaviour of the broilers. This method is not ready for practice yet but does offer good prospects for a further sustainability of poultry farming.

Layers

• Work was carried out on commercial optimisation of laying hen feed in order that the feed costs for the laying poultry farmer remain at an acceptable level whilst retaining animal health and production result.
• Anticipating demands from the market for soy-free feed and feed with 100% European ingredients (which implies little soy) ForFarmers developed a special feed that complies with these requirements. In this respect the challenge is to realise at least the same technical result with an acceptable financial and environmental effect. Environmentally there may, for instance, be a question of reduced phosphate efficiency.
• In 2018, a ban on beak trimming will come into effect throughout Europe. This ban takes effect in Germany in 2016 and thus also applies to all poultry farmers who export eggs to Germany. ForFarmers is examining how the effects thereof can be absorbed through adjusted feed and management measures. Experience is currently being gained at ten pilot companies. Mid-2016 ForFarmers expects to introduce a special feed approach for these animals.
• For organic layer poultry farming a new "Vital" product range has been developed that provides additional support for the health of the laying hens due to a specific raw material choice.

Horse sector

• A coarse feed analysis package has been introduced for horse owners. Pavo customers can have their coarse feed analysed at a reduced rate. From this they are advised on the most appropriate feed concentrate to be fed in addition to the analysed coarse feed. They also get advice, for instance about pasture management. Coarse feed analysis is still highly unusual in the horse sector. Pavo intends to change this with this analysis package as a horse obtains approximately 80% of its nutrients from coarse feed.
• Grains and grain co-products traditionally form the basis for horse feed. Recent research shows that in particular horses that are less active have difficulty digesting rations with a high share of sugar and starch originating from grains. Pavo has examined the use of alternative raw materials with little or no sugar and starch and to this end it cultivated 200 hectares of Timotee in the past year. This will replace a portion of the grains in the Pavo mueslis for recreational horses. In the coming years Pavo expects to introduce even more new raw materials that will, in particular, be used in feed for the recreational and light sport sector.
• In 2015 Pavo introduced a web shop, an important next step in the delivery of Pavo products to customers in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The launch of the web shop gives ForFarmers the possibility of offering the full Pavo product range via an online shop, with home delivery.

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