The Latest News from Nobis Agri Science

Because feed costs can represent 50 percent of the total cost to produce milk, dairy farmers are trying to reduce feed costs. However, with the wrong feed choices, farmers could save 10 cents a day while losing 50 cents of income. Several “Golden Rules” are listed below; do not break these rules.

Increasing ingredient costs have wreaked havoc across the dairy industry, leading to elevated ration costs not seen in many years. Feed costs per pound of dry matter (DM) are rising as much as 20% or more as corn and soybean meal prices climb, minimizing farmers’ profit margins.

Undigested starch is useless to the dairy cow. Especially when corn prices are high, one goal should be to minimize starch losses in manure. The first step usually taken to reduce starch loss is to evaluate corn grain particle size and most likely, to grind it finer. But, for greater success, more changes may need to be made.

Optimal output requires optimal input when it comes to milk production and feeding dairy cows. Well-balanced rations are often what separate the top-producing herds from the rest.

COVID-19 has had an impact on nearly every aspect of day-to-day life, and the dairy industry is no exception. Where and how consumers shop, eat, work, and live has shifted amid an acceleration of technology adoption among companies and consumers. For example, a 2020 McKinsey survey found that, compared with prepandemic levels, there was a 163 percent increase in US dairy consumers who report shopping for dairy “mostly online”.

The average cost to produce milk has climbed substantially so far this year. In our conversations, we have been hard-pressed to find anything — services or products — that are cheaper this year than they were at this time in 2020. Based on our straw poll of producers, average wages are up 10% to 15% on U.S. dairy farms compared to levels a year-ago. The costs of parts has jumped by 20% or more and fuel prices are still trending higher, after already climbing by more than 35%. While the Federal Reserve debates inflation, it’s clear it has already arrived at dairy farms. And I haven’t yet mentioned feed costs. In the first four months of 2021, corn prices rose by 32% year-over-year and soybean prices jumped by 48% versus 2020 levels. Based on my estimates, total feed costs were more than $2 per hundredweight (cwt.) higher January through April than in the same period in 2020.

Heat stress costs the dairy industry over $897 million annually in losses attributed to decreased performance, increased mortality, and decreased reproduction (St. Pierre et al., 2003). It is caused by a number of factors, including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. Cattle experience heat stress when they cannot physically cope with their environmental conditions. Producers know heat stress can have severe impacts on cattle, but what exactly happens to a cow experiencing heat stress?

The 29thTri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference was held virtually April 19-21, 2021. The conference is organized by leadership of Extension and the Department of Animal Sciences at: Michigan State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, and allied industry personnel.

The feed costs for dry cows and heifers can influence the cash flow as much as the lactating cow. This is particularly true if forage inventories are lacking. The feed costs per nonlactating animal can be very close to what the market is reflecting. This is due to feeding both purchased forage and grain. Examining feeding strategies for all animal groups is warranted considering the continued high feed costs in 2021.

Feed costs make up nearly 50 percent of your total cost of milk production, and that is assuming your cows are getting the correct nutrition at the right time. Not mixing TMRs correctly or not delivering them on time will cost you milk which will bump up feed cost per unit of milk.

There is a common business adage that “what gets measured gets managed.” Every day, you’re digging into data to identify optimal solutions for the herd. One data point we’re focused on each spring is what to do about decreases in milk component percentages as the days get longer and hotter.

If there was a way to review your dairy’s results last summer in the areas of pregnancy rates, milk production, feed intakes and lying time, then make proactive changes to your heat abatement program before the dog days of summer arrive, would you do it? The good news is that this very action is possible. By assessing your herd’s pregnancy rates, milk production and feed intake changes, and lying time, for example, you get a good feel for whether your herd is experiencing heat stress. And, if so, about how much.