Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and

Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

This past year, North America experienced the worst drought in more than half a century.

In the US the Mississippi River approached record lows, as far as 20 feet below normal (and it is still

dropping!). Throughout the Midwest, meager corn harvests began on the some of the earliest dates ever

recorded. Corn and soybean farms produced far smaller yields, which is affecting livestock production and impacting

food prices worldwide.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

Adverse weather conditions like drought present the dairy producer with some major challenges:

The largest problem is having enough forage available to feed all animal groups.

The second significant problem is forage quality.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

The third issue (and in many peoples minds the most important issue) is the economics of the situation: Forage quantities are limited, to buy more forages

is expensive and often prohibitive (that’s if you can find some!).

Grains, proteins and by-products are at all time high $/Tonne

The palatability of the items being evaluated and their suitability for use in the feeding system should also be considered.

Feeding the Dairy Herd in an Environment of High Feed Costs and Low/ Poor Quality Forage Inventories.

In addition to the aforementioned items, there are other risk factors that occur during a drought that can

have a substantial impact on animal performance.

Nitrates, mycotoxins, molds, prussic acid, and other poisons can jeopardize both production and health of

animals.

What to do???1. Plant annualsAdditional forages may be grown to help supplement forage supplies. Oats, peas, triticale, wheat, rye grass, provide an option for additional forage. These forages could either be used in diets of lactating cows or as forage sources for heifers or dry cows to increase the supply of higher quality forages for the lactating herd. Of course, some moisture will be needed for germination and growth of these crops.

What to do???2. Source forages from outside sources (possibly too

late)Drought conditions result in reduced pasture, hay and silage yields which can greatly reduce the typical supply of forage for a dairy farm. Being proactive on sourcing additional forage can be beneficial as availability of forages may be reduced and prices will continue to rise as demand increases.I recommended my clients buy any needed forages at the end of summer before prices got way out of hand (they will be CRAZY before 1st cut).

What to do???3. Purchase drought-stressed corn to harvest for

silage (again probably too late)Even though drought-stressed corn may not result in feed values equal to corn silage grown during a normal year, it can still be a good source of feed. Increased opportunities for purchasing drought-stressed corn for silage are likely in areas where corn is commonly grown for grain. However, the moisture of these crops must be monitored closely to be sure the crop will ensile and ferment correctly, and nitrate testing needs to be done.

What to do???4. Use non-forage fiber sources in dairy diets ($$$)Consider reformulating diets to include non-forage fiber sources and reduce the inclusion of forages in the diets of dairy cows. Although some eNDF is necessary in a dairy cow’s diet, non-fiber feed sources, such as soybean hulls, corn gluten feed, cottonseed hulls and wheat can help to meet the animal’s fiber requirements while still maintaining production and health. Less expensive effective fiber such as straw or low quality hay may be added.

What to do???

What to do???5. Focus on proper forage harvest techniques (too

late). Proper management and techniques at harvest will reduce losses and wasted forage. Even though proper management at harvest is always important, forage shortages further increase the importance of properly preserving as much forage as possible. Paying attention to forage moisture levels, use of inoculants and proper packing of silages help to insure that the harvested forage will be properly preserved.

What to do???6. Store forages properly.

Harvested forages only will be available to be fed if they are stored properly throughout the year. Feed losses can quickly increase feed cost. Use the following feed management practices to help minimize these losses:

Properly cover silagePack bunkers and piles wellLimit access by raccoons and other wildlife

What to do???

What to do???

Manage the face of bunkers, bags, and upright silos

Prevent losses when storing concentrates and/or commodities.

Check scales on the grinder mixer and/or TMR mixer to make sure they are working properly

Routinely measure DM content of ensiled forages.

What to do???7. Reduce waste feed Pay special attention to how much feed is being wasted at various points on the farm.

Reduce the amount of feed refusals from cows or utilize the refusals in the diets of other animals, when appropriate, can help to minimize wastage.

Keep the area around commodity storage clean and tidy can also help to prevent shrink and feed waste.

What to do???8. Test foragesRunning analysis on forages is necessary to know the quality of the forages and to properly balance rations.Without having the forage tested, it is impossible to know the nutritional value of the feed. Other nutritional concerns, such as nitrates, also are a greater risk in drought years. Be sure to have the feeds tested at a certified laboratory.

What to do???9. Inventory the feeds currently available on the farm

Determine the amounts and quality of the forage sources currently available on the farm to determine if and how much additional forage may be needed.

Remember that carry-over of corn silage is necessary to allow time for next year’s crop to ferment (minimum of 3 months of additional corn silage should be available).

What to do???10.Sort forages by their quality. Energy is the most difficult nutrient to provide to lactating dairy cows. Thus, they need to consume the higher-energy forages available. Within the milking herd, the highest-quality forages should be fed to the early-lactation cows, high-producing group, and/or fresh cows. This may mean feeding more than one ration to your herd.

What to do???11. Share the inventory of available forages with your

nutritionist!12. Develop a plan for using available forages. Consider where

they are best suited based on their quality.13. Revisit the potential for precision feeding

Make sure your nutritionist is using an amino acid balancing program (CNCP, AMTS and others); balancing for amino acids can be a sound economic decision. Consider using a TMR tracking product.

What to do???14.Group Cattle to Improve Feeding Decisions15. Early to mid lactation cattle: These are the current money ‐

makers in the herd. They require large amounts of good quality feed to maintain production.

16. Late lactation cattle: These cattle are on the back end of their productive lactation and most of their feed intake will be used to maintain body condition.

3. Cattle close to calving: Should receive a ration similar to early lactation cattle to maintain body condition, to help prevent calving difficulties, and to promote milk

production after calving.

What to do???

4. Heifers: A maintenance ration is usually sufficient, but it is important to remember they are the future milk makers in the herd.

If cattle are sorted and feed rations are mixed to fulfill the requirements of the respective groups, then feed costs can potentially be minimized based on a certain

milk production level.

What to do???15.Keep rumen health a top priority

A healthy rumen environment, regardless of ration changes, is critical for consistent performance.

Focus on rumen pH and maintaining a neutral environment to allow rumen microbes to thrive.

All of my herds are on 180-220 g/h/day sodium bicarb and 50 g of MgOx for rumen health.

What to do???16. Cull cows and heifers.Reducing the numbers of animals that need to be fed will help to stretch forage inventories and purchases. Ensure that the animals being retained and fed on the farm are healthy and profitable for the operation. Cows with longer days in milk and short bred, problem breeders, and/or those with milk production below the level needed to cover at least feed costs may need to be culled or dried off early.

What to do???17.Constantly review balanced rations for the milking

dairy herd. The dry weather pattern has greatly changed the quality of forages available to feed the milking herd. In addition, commodity prices are fluctuating widely. Working closely with your nutritionist is very important to capitalize on any available feed savings. To deal with these rapidly fluctuating feed costs, dairy farmers will need to balance and evaluate feeding programs more frequently than in previous years.

What to do???18.Consider replacing some corn and soybean meal

with lower-priced commodities in diets. Dairy cows and heifers need nutrients, not ingredients, to support body maintenance, milk production, and growth. Replacing some of the corn, soybean meal, or other high-priced commodities in the diet can reduce feed costs. Commodities and by-products increase in price alongside increased prices seen for corn and soybean meal.

What to do???18. Consider replacing some corn and soybean meal

with lower-priced commodities in diets.

FeedVal(FREE!)http://www.uwex.edu/ces/dairynutrition/spreadsheets.cfm Sesame http://www.sesamesoft.com can be used to calculate the feeding or nutritional value of these feeds and relative price.