Are You Managing Your Feeding Program?

Dairy Pipeline: November 2008

Bob James, Extension Dairy Scientist, Dairy Nutrition
(540) 231-4770, jamesre@vt.edu

This year has been a wild ride for the dairy business — any business for that matter! During the past year we have experienced milk prices exceeding $25/cwt, corn over $8/bushel, soybeans above $13, diesel fuel over $4/gallon and the list goes on. There’s a saying: “When you are up to your neck in alligators it’s difficult to remember that your original intention was to drain the swamp!” This certainly applies to what we have faced recently. Now, in mid-October, corn has dropped below $4/bushel and gas is below $3.00 gallon. All too often we accept the hand we are dealt when there’s substantial opportunity to stack the cards in our favor with a little extra effort. When feed costs are >$6/cow/day there are great opportunities to save money and increase income. Here are some fundamental principles to use in managing your feeding program:

• Strive for good forage quality. We have heard this all too often and many times weather intervenes to spoil the best of intentions. However, it’s important to test the forage to know what you are working with. Consider an NDF digestibility to determine milk production potential. Heavily used forages such as corn silage should be tested at least monthly. Consider using NIR tests to save some money.
• Make wise buying decisions on supplemental feeds. Keep abreast of markets by talking to feed supplies and reading market reports. Some examples of reliable sources of brief, concise information include: The Blimling Report, Weekly Market Update from the American Jersey Cattle Association and DTN Morning Snapshot. In addition, develop good relationships with your feed suppliers and listen carefully to their advice.
• Manage your feeder. If a hired employee does the feeding how do you know that they are mixing the desired ration? Nine dairies in Virginia have participated in an intensive feed management study to reduce phosphorus overfeeding by installing and using feed management software to monitor how closely the feeder comes to loading ingredients, mixing and delivering TMR’s. If this technology is not an option consider monitoring herd performance more closely by doing the following:
  • Record daily milk shipped per cow by recording pickup weights and cows going into the tank each day. Graph this to monitor milk flow.
  • Access fat% and protein % from your coop or handler at least several times per week to determine how stable component tests are or in which direction they are headed. Make adjustments.
• Take care of fresh cows. Their environment must be optimal and their diets the best and most consistent on the farm. Loss of peak milk dooms the cow to reduced lactation yield. Facility updates for close up and fresh cows will pay big dividends.
  

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