Utilizing the strategies described in this article relative to your farm operation will lead you to healthy calves, productive cows and a happier wallet during incentive days, right from the start.
Super-charge your cows by super-charging your feed
The goal during incentive days is to maximize milk production, maintain high butterfat and components, and maximize protein digestion efficiency during summer months. Now is the key time to work with your advisers to observe your cows’ feeding behaviour.
Doing so under various conditions and times of the day will allow you to identify risk factors that are limiting your herd’s production potential, such as sorting, poor feed access or competition. Implementing solutions now to improve conditions can relatively quickly boost your milk production.
M.L. Rhoads of the University of Arizona described how heat stress would lead to decreased fibre digestion and decreased protein recycling. Work with your nutrition adviser to ensure dietary fibre and protein requirements are being met.
During warm weather, fresh feed batches should be prepared twice daily and delivered frequently to maximize dry matter intake, minimize sorting and reduce spoilage. Trevor DeVries of the University of Guelph has demonstrated how fresh feed delivery is the key stimulant driving dry matter intake.
Properly timing fresh feed delivery can lower competitive pressure in your barn, improve udder health and reduce sorting. A 2-kilogram-per-cow-per- day production increase through a 1.4-kilogram-per-cow-per-day increase in dry matter intake boost was seen when increasing from once-a-day feeding to twice-a-day feeding.
Get the most out of this year’s forage crop by taking a good representative sample and having it analyzed to re-balance the ration. Closely monitor your herd for signs of acidosis – decreased chewing time and perching (cows standing to elevate their upper body) are the first indications of dietary imbalances.
Drops in butterfat could follow without proper action. Water should be tested regularly for pH bacterial levels, and keep water bowls cleaned to avoid unidentified solids.
You can also gear your cows’ diet towards maximizing revenue per kilogram of milk shipped. The goal is to maximize your butterfat shipments in comparison to solids-not-fat content (SNF). To calculate your SNF ratio, add your total protein and solids shipments, and divide this sum by your butterfat.
Keep in mind that the value of lost SNF funds due to SNF butterfat ratios greater than 2.35 can no longer be redeemed in future months, starting August 2014.
Maximize production by keeping your cows comfortable
Nissim Silanikove, research scientist at the Agricultural Research Organization of Israel, has demonstrated in his research last year how heat stress can lead to decreased production and long-term fertility issues in dairy cattle.
Cows have limited ability to release heat, and thus are susceptible to quickly reach their heat stress threshold of 19.4ºC from combinations of humidity and heat.
The University of Arizona reported a 2.2-kilogram-per-cow-per-day production decrease when average thermal heat index in the environment was 20ºC – equivalent to a loss of 198 kilograms per cow during a 90-day period. Cows dealing with heat stress may not cycle, may display weak signs of estrus and have a higher risk of early embryonic loss.
One of the most effective cooling systems is using water through evaporative cooling. These systems are typically installed in holding areas, in the parlour, upon exit after milking or at the feedbunk.
Using cooling systems during periods of heat stress and ensuring there is adequate bedding, lying time and feed access, you give your animals the optimal environment to achieve maximum productivity.
Ship your milk; feed your calves milk replacer
You can also increase milk supply during incentive days by timing more calvings during the summer. Secure a strong start to your cows’ lactation by implementing a transition program, monitoring body condition and providing cooling systems for your dry cows during warm weather to maintain proper mammary gland development, improve immunity and optimize the health of newborn calves.
Milk replacer is yet another opportunity to boost your milk shipments. Consider a program in which calves receive 8 litres per day of whole milk for a 56-day feeding program and a gradual weaning program.
By substituting milk for a high-quality milk replacer, you could ship 391 litres more milk, earning $304.98 (based on a $0.78 per litre standard milk price), giving you a surplus or net revenue of $119.58 average per calf based on feeding an optimal quality milk replacer.
Research from Dr. Michael Van Amburgh of Cornell University and A.F. Kertz of Andhil LLC, St. Louis, Missouri, has proven how calfhood impacts cowhood and how producers can reap the rewards of milk replacer year-round.
Every kcal of energy utilized above maintenance requirements resulted in 230 kilograms additional milk in the first lactation in research by Dr. Kimberly Morhill, Northern New York (NNY) dairy specialist. This makes it key that the plane of nutrition you feed contains the ingredients to meet this potential.
Meeting calves’ growth potential with milk replacer is reliable and convenient to achieve. Dairy calves at the Grober Young Animal Development Centre in 2013 attained an average daily gain of 1.04 kilograms per day on a 9-litre-per-day, 15 percent milk dry matter, 56-day milk feeding program.
These results have the potential for an additional milk production of 258 kilograms per cow in the first 305-day lactation over meeting maintenance growth.
By meeting calves’ genetic potential for growth and development through a high-quality milk replacer, the right feeding rates and a strong weaning program, you can improve calf health, accelerate mammary development and structural growth to breeding weight, and meet their genetic potential – resulting in higher milk production in first and second lactation – all which will help you meet incentive days in the future.
Buying in new animals
Consider purchasing fresh heifers or cows to fill your incentive days immediately. Here are factors to consider when purchasing new animals:
- Increased competition between animals could have a negative effect to each animal’s feed intake and rest time, depending on barn design. Ensure you have adequate space for new animals to prevent suppressing herd production as well as limiting the production of new arrivals.
- Purchase high-quality cows whose value in your herd goes beyond filling incentive days. Purchase cows with strong conformation and genetic merit.
The greater the conformation GLPI/TPI of the cow, the greater the return on investment you will see from lifetime milk production and from generating high-producing, strong offspring for future incentive days.
- Manage the risks of adding animals to your herd by purchasing animals from someone you trust, thoroughly testing animals and enacting a strict biosecurity plan upon arrival of the animal, materials and people – all of which can transfer disease to your herd. PD
References omitted due to space but are available upon request. Click here to email an editor.
Ashley Hall
Customer Support Representative
Grober Nutrition Inc.
