Over the years, dairy producers have experienced many different market scenarios. Low commodity prices, high input costs, breakevens and every scenario in between. Regardless of the situation, producers have had to adapt their production practices to the current state of the market. Since market prices and costs are cyclical, constantly adjusting production goals and variable costs to maximize return on investment (ROI) in the market is critical.
In today’s economic environment of high commodity prices and extreme input costs, producers must look for ways to get the most from their herd. To take advantage of higher milk prices, one strategy is to consider a high-cow-nutrition group and a body condition management group. The high-cow group is fed a nutrient-dense diet to support cows in peak lactation and maximize milk production. Late-lactation cows that are high producers and are not gaining weight should also stay in the high group. The body condition management group is designed for low producers that have a higher risk to gain excess weight before the next lactation.
When developing a high-group ration, producers should consider the following five steps to maximize their return over feed cost.
Step 1: Analyze cow comfort
To successfully feed high-group cows, the most important step is to analyze the cows and their surrounding environment. Cows are like an open book. How they physically look and act will tell a lot about how they can utilize nutrients, maintain body condition and produce milk. Nutrition specialists can give knowledgeable recommendations to producers by walking pens and checking how the environment is affecting the nutrition strategies implemented to produce milk at maximum performance.
Do the cows appear comfortable? Do they have clean water? Is the air quality adequate? How does the manure look? Asking these questions will provide a baseline. If the cows seem uncomfortable, or you are uncomfortable while walking through the barn for a short period of time, then it is important to recommend small, affordable modifications such as ensuring fans and waterers are clean or that sprinklers and freestall curtains are working properly. These low-cost modifications will not only improve cow comfort but have the potential to pay off in a big way, especially in a time of high commodity prices.
Step 2: Least cost optimization for energy
After analyzing cow comfort, producers should work with their nutritionist to develop a ration that has the proper balance of energy, protein, fatty acids and fiber. Much like humans, a balanced diet is key for body condition maintenance and optimal performance.
Energy is the most expensive component of a cow diet. Therefore, it is important to perform a least-cost optimization for energy. This means producers will want to provide the minimum amount of energy while still supporting optimal gut health. Providing too much energy is not a cost-effective approach and can lead to increased body condition and undesired gut inflammation.
Step 3: Balance for amino acids
After the ration is optimized for energy, amino acid balancing should be performed by determining the precise blend of amino acids that are required, can be absorbed and are fully utilized by the cow. We measure this by using two strategies:
- Correlate the amount and type of energy with amino acids consumed.
- Feed the correct ratio between the most deficient amino acids.
This practice is particularly important when input costs are extremely high, as over-formulating protein is not cost effective. Additionally, a precise blend of protein in the diet decreases the amount of nitrogen produced and released into the environment by the cow. So producers will not only save money and optimize cow performance but will also reduce the environmental impacts of their operation.
Step 4: Fatty acid profile
Balancing for fatty acids is the newest topic to increase milk components production because accuracy is imperative for optimal performance and economic efficiency. There are three types of fatty acids that make up the recommended blend of total fat in the diet: palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. Palmitic acid, also known as palm fats, helps increase milk components, mostly milkfat. Stearic acid is incorporated into the diet to boost energy for milk, but levels should stay below 100 grams per day to avoid lower fiber digestibility, which can potentially lead to lower productivity. Oleic acid is used to manage body energy status, which helps with the overall body condition of a cow. One study showed that feeding a fatty acid blend of 60% palm fats and 30% oleic acid increased nutrient digestibility, energy balance and milk energy output.
Step 5: Determine if there is enough fiber
Forages are an essential part of a cow's diet. It can be tempting to decrease fiber and push energy, protein and fat to increase milk yield. However, this can have adverse effects on digestion and can decrease productivity. Ruminants require the correct level and type of fiber to maintain a healthy rumen for optimal fermentation and performance. The Penn State shaker test and a test for undigestible fiber (uNDF240) are two important tools. An ideal diet should have 2%-8% left on the top screen, 30%-50% in the middle screen and 30%-50% in the bottom tray on an as-fed basis and enough uNDF240at around 6% to keep the rumen healthy, but not too much as that could reduce feed intake. One study showed that cows fed low uNDF240(5.8%) and high physically effective fiber of 5% in the top screen had similar performance as cows fed high UNDF240(7.1%) with low effective fiber at 1.6% in the top screen.References omitted but are available upon request. Click here to email an editor.
