At the middle of any nicely managed diet packages lies these three parts:
- Forages
- Feeds discovered within the ration
- Feedbunk administration
According to Donna Amaral-Philips, a dairy Extension agent for the University of Kentucky, producers must prioritize the three “F’s” with the intention to construct an environment friendly diet program for his or her animals.
Forages
“High-quality forages are extra digestible and lead to extra power obtainable to help greater milk manufacturing,” Amaral-Philips says. “In addition, much less grain must be fed to fulfill her power wants. Remember that power is the toughest nutrient to get into your cows. With feed prices growing, harvesting and storing top quality forages might be extraordinarily important, as at all times, however particularly this yr with greater feed and fertilizer prices.”
If you feed small grains corresponding to oats, barley, wheat, rye or triticale, Amaral-Philips recommends harvesting on the boot stage of maturity earlier than the seed head seems to assist protect high quality. Additionally, forages must be examined for his or her nutrient values so the suitable quantity and composition of grain combine could be fed not solely to the milking herd, however to heifers and dry cows as nicely.
When it involves harvesting silage, there are a number of issues to bear in mind.
“Silages must be ensiled at 30-38% dry matter (or 62-70% moisture) and inoculants could also be useful relying on the crop,” Amaral-Philips says. “Small grain silages might be within the decrease finish of the vary whereas corn silage might be between 35 to 38% dry matter. Grasses and alfalfa silages profit essentially the most from using inoculants.”
Feeds Found within the Ration
Forages are essentially the most economical supply of vitamins and the extra home-grown forages included in diets, the extra economical rations doubtlessly can turn into, Amaral-Philips notes.
“Cows want vitamins, not elements,” she says. “Remember that varied feeds present cows vitamins wanted to help milk manufacturing, replica, progress of first calf heifers and well being. Thus, some value financial savings could also be obtainable with various elements for individuals who didn’t guide feed at a longtime grain value this previous yr. The secret’s to discover a mixture that helps the well being and biggest revenue over feed prices. Thus, efficiency and value financial savings are essential as a bundle, not individually.”
Feedbunk Management
One typically neglected side of a diet program is the significance of feedbunk administration. However, this administration side has a significant impression on milk manufacturing, replica and total well being of the cows within the milking herd, Amaral-Philip notes.
“The precedence ought to at all times entail giving cows the chance to eat each time they need, particularly these contemporary and early lactation cows,” she says. “For each pound of whole combined ration or mixture of forage and grain equal to that present in a TMR that cows eat, typically sufficient power is equipped to help a pound of milk. Attention to all the particulars can simply be neglected and brought with no consideration.”
Factors to bear in mind embrace:
- Feed (not refusals) is on the market on the morning feeding and feed quantities are adjusted to account for adjustments in group sizes and consumption of cows.
- Feed is evenly distributed all through the complete size of the feedbunk.
- Cows can simply attain the feed.
- TMR mixers are mixing feed in order that the feed is uniformly combined and delivered all through the feedbunk.
- Cows have contemporary feed upon return from milking.
- The feedbunk is cleaned out day by day and there may be sufficient feed fed so the bunk must be cleaned.
