NIS
Nutritionally Improved Straw - Digestible Fibre Feed For Ruminants
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Digestible Fibre To Manage Rumen Function
Nutritionally Improved Straw (NIS) is a digestible fibre feed ingredient that can be fed to dairy, beef, and youngstock to balance high energy diets, in both housed and grazed systems.
Manufactured in the UK with 100% British cereal straw
Ideal for inclusion in diets for both grazing and housed animals
Helps to maintain healthy rumen function
Balances rations requiring supplementary fibre, resulting in higher performance
Can be fed in a blend, compound pellet, or straight
High quality, free flowing pellets – easy to store and handle
Available all year round – consistent quality
Specification
NIS has been tried, tested, and trusted by farmers for over 30 years. It’s consistent formulation means there’s no surprises when you’re analysing and recalculating your diets.
Sustainability
We only use British straw to manufacture NIS and our plant runs on 100% green energy.
Compared to commonly imported alternative fibres, NIS has a very low carbon footprint (155kg CO2e/t) while offering additional benefits in palatability, energy and digestibility.
NIS Supports High Performance Herds
NIS is a very digestible ‘slow pool’ lignified forage fibre with a high intake potential. As NIS is alkali, it is more effective at buffering most diets that require fibre, without excessive costs or waste.
Reduces Acidosis Risk
High performing dairy cattle diets can be low in fibre, causing subclinical acidosis which reduces milk production. The addition of NIS to the diet raises the fibre content without reducing yield.
Boosts Butterfat Levels
High protein and energy in spring grass with low DM causes a reduction in butterfat in grazed dairy herds. Supplemental feeding with NIS can help to boost butterfat levels.
Buffers High Starch Diets
Starch from grains is the cheapest form of energy, but risks acidosis if not buffered by adequate fibre. Adding NIS to the diet increases fibre and as a palatable pellet it reduces sorting.
NIS for Dairy
In dairy diets, NIS can be fed in a variety of ways to suit the farm and herd system, including as part of a Total Mixed Ration, in compound feed, on top of silage/zero grazed grass, as a part of a blend with other pellets, and with free access to a self-feed hopper (low cost systems).
NIS for Beef
In beef diets, NIS can be used to improve feed conversion efficiency and help maintain healthy rumen function with the addition of fibre in both grass-based and high starch diets. NIS can be easily mixed within a TMR or blended into a compound feed.
NIS for Youngstock
In grass-based diets, NIS improves the utilisation of protein, allows increased levels of starch, and improves growth rates of youngstock. NIS can be fed straight, or available with free access to a self-feed hopper (low cost systems).
Forage fibre is twice as effective as non-forage fibre. Including NIS in the diet increases the quantity of effective digestible fibre without reducing DMI. Animals will not over-eat NIS, and with free access they will limit their intake to the amount they need to maintain the correct fibre balance.
The NDF in NIS is 50% more digestible than untreated straw and the alkaline buffer effect from the pelleting treatment is equivalent to 1.5% sodium bicarbonate. NIS helps to slow fermentation, reducing acid peaks in the rumen and further reducing the risk of acidosis.
The lignified cell walls in straw are softened during the manufacture of NIS, and the pelleting process further breaks these cells, making the digestible energy inside them available to the rumen.
Despite a shorter particle size NIS is highly effective at buffering the rumen, with sufficient ‘scratch factor’. NIS is palatable, which reduces sorting and increases potential dry matter intake. Easy to include into a TMR, no chopping or further processing is required before use.
Pricing and Delivery
NIS is supplied in bulk loads direct to farm. Contact us for a quote.
Request a quote
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Why Choose Sundown Agri
Sundown Products has been manufacturing and supplying high quality livestock feed and bedding, since 1976
Through ongoing research and development we continually improve our products to meet the needs of farmers and livestock owners.
Only British straw is used in our livestock feed and bedding products, and we continually work to reduce our carbon footprint.
We’re family-owned and run, with a small but dedicated team who care about your business, and your animals.