Feed is expensive. The good news is: Successfully implementing feed management protocols can help to lower your feed cost. Feed management encompasses many aspects on a dairy, some of which can’t be controlled like weather, markets and supply chain. Still, a dairy can control and influence how feed is managed, stored, mixed and delivered while on-farm.
There are many aspects of reducing feed costs that come directly from a dairy’s execution of protocols. Use the checklist of items below to see what additional feed management strategies your dairy can implement to lower feed cost.
Evaluate ingredient shrink monthly
One area that can easily be overlooked and can have a vast effect on your feed costs is shrink. Shrink measures opportunity loss on the farm based on how the ingredients are handled and stored. Wind, rain, birds, rodents, spills, equipment tracks and molds/spoilage can all increase a farm’s shrink.
Look at shrink through both a formulation and cost evaluation perspective. For example, 5% shrink on soybean meal not only means losing 5% of the physical ingredient between purchase and what the cow eats, but also means adding 5% on top of the price paid for the ingredient.
When evaluating shrink, consider:
- Am I using the right equipment to measure out ingredients?
- Am I overloading the bucket or moving too quickly while transporting feedstuffs?
- Do I have the right storage systems matched with the right feedstuff?
Consistently test the dry matter of forage and wet ingredients (especially when weather changes)
Dairy cow rations are formulated on a dry matter (DM) basis. Knowing the correct DM (100 minus percent moisture) of ensiled forages and wet grains and feeds fed in the total mixed ration (TMR) is key to mixing and feeding a balanced ration.
A moisture tester can be used to test all ensiled forages and wet feeds to ensure the right amount of DM is delivered to cows. If you underestimate or overestimate the feed’s DM content, you risk feeding too much or not enough to meet milk production targets.
Visible changes in DM content are observable through changes in the size or volume of the ration mixed, larger than normal amount of feed remaining the next day (usually means feeds have increased in DM) or no feed remaining the next day (usually means feeds have decreased in DM content or increased in moisture).
Your ration’s end moisture amount after mixing is also important to consider. Moisture greater than 50% can positively affect intake and prevent sorting, noting that too wet (moisture greater than 70%) can lead to the mix heating and a lower intake.
Review bunks and adjust daily
Increase or decrease the amount of feed you mix based on daily changes in feed intake. Cows don’t eat the same amount of feed every day. Weather and temperature greatly affect daily feed intakes. Consider reformulating a ration if feed intakes consistently differ by 5% (about 4.5 pounds) as fed from the amount you balanced for.
Also be sure to review cow numbers for each ration before feeding or adjust cow numbers in your ration software. This will allow you to feed the correct amount per cow.
Manage refusals and calculate weighbacks at feedbunk clean-out daily
If you don’t account for refusals, your cows may run out of feed, and this could affect milk production. If you overestimate, then you are paying for feed that isn’t consumed. Refusals or weighbacks also play an important role in supplying feed for the subdominant cows. Adequate refusal amounts give these cows the chance to eat after the dominant cows have had their turn at the bunk.
The goal is to have 2% to 5% weighbacks each day. Additionally, fresh and pre-fresh cow pens, target higher refusal levels such as 5% to 10%, as the consequences of running short on feed in these groups outweighs the economic cost of weighbacks.
Schedule feed push-ups to maximize intake and audit with a camera
Feed availability is the biggest factor when it comes to pushing up feed. You can’t push up feed that isn’t there. Cows need feed in front of them 24-7 – the time between cleaning out the previous day’s refusal and laying down fresh feed should not exceed 30 minutes.
It is recommended to push up feed every 30 minutes for two hours after feeding and then every hour after. A valuable tool for auditing feed availability and feed push-up is using a time-lapse camera. This is something your nutritionist may be able to help with and should be reviewed every three months.
Following mixer wagon best practices
Feed ingredients should be added appropriately depending on the type of mixer wagon – auger or vertical.
Auger mixers should follow an order of grains and other concentrates, ensiled forages, then dry forages.
Vertical mixers should follow an order of dry or long forages, grains, concentrates, and then ensiled forages.
After adding the last feed ingredient, evaluating the mixing time needed for optimal particle length is key. You can over- or under-mix the ration, resulting in too long or too short physical fiber particles, which can lead to rumen upsets, low cud chewing or sorting.
Additionally, calibrate mixer scales once every three months. Also ensure all other equipment associated with feeding is given scheduled maintenance, to avoid downtime or a missed feeding.
Ultimately, finding ways to lower feed cost is also something your nutritionist or consultant can optimize with consistent ration evaluations and TMR audits. They can help you gain valuable insight on the multiple areas that contribute to feed cost. And better yet, they can make it specific to your farm’s goals.
