The squeeze on dairy profitability has been getting tighter, and the length of this downturn is exhausting both the financial and emotional state of many farms. “What can I do?” is a common question.
Doing more with less. For dairy producers facing tough market conditions, this adage rings more true now than ever. You are constantly looking for ways to be sustainable while keeping both your herd and bottom line healthy.
High-forage diets can help dairies reduce feed costs and promote milk component yield. Typically dairy rations include a high level of corn silage. When properly balanced, corn silage can be a high-quality and affordable feedstuff.
Hay that has been cut and then rained on can lose quality in four ways.
These include: 1) leaching of soluble carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, 2) increased and prolonged plant respiration, 3) leaf shattering, and 4) microbial breakdown of plant tissue.
Fiber continues to be a key nutrient in the dairy rations of high-producing cows. Forages are the main source of fiber that may be raised on the dairy farm. But quality can vary greatly from crop to crop and year to year.
Heading into 2017 dairy farmers should preprare to feed some of their best forage in years. From forage analysis, fiber levels across the country look to be down and hay, haylage and corn silage all should have improved energy compared to 2015’s harvest.
