FEED & NUTRITION

Converting to automated milking requires nutritional adjustments on several fronts, including what cows are fed, how feed is delivered and even where it’s consumed. Three dairy producers shared the systems they find to be successful during the 2017 Lely North America FMS Conference held in Fair Oaks, Indiana.

Balancing rations for dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) prepartum is a valuable nutrition strategy in pursuit of reducing costly metabolic challenges like hypocalcemia, metritis and ketosis during the transition period.

Water adds zero energy to a high-producing cow’s diet, yet it is a critical nutrient for survival and capturing said energy and nutritional value from the dairy cattle diet.

As an industry, we’ve made significant strides in improving feed efficiency. However, when we dig deeper, we have some work to do. Protein is one of the most expensive parts of the ration and there remain vast opportunities to improve protein efficiency.

Starch digestibility has been a popular subject among nutritionists and dairy producers fueled by some companies claiming higher digestibility from softer-textured kernels compared to harder kernels from higher test-weight hybrids.

Crops in the field have naturally occurring microorganisms growing on them, which can affect the ensiling process. These common questions can help you prepare for a more successful harvest.