Managing feed on your dairy involves much more than just feeding your cows. It requires a coordinated effort to ensure they receive a consistent, accurate and properly mixed ration. While this can feel like a juggling act, feed management software improves your feed program, animal performance and your farm’s profitability.
Small mistakes add up
You’ve worked with your nutritionist to develop the "perfect ration." While you expect the feed you harvest and purchase to reach the cows at the formulated amounts, slight variances in day-to-day operations can have a significant impact over time.
For example, a feeder may only be off by 50 to 100 pounds per mix, but by the end of the week, this slight variation throws off your inventory and ration, impacting cow health, milk production and your bottom line. Understanding which ingredients are off and by how much is key, as varying commodity prices can greatly impact your input costs.
Feed management software records these variances and mixing errors, allowing you and your team to refine feeding practices and identify opportunities for improvement. One 1,100-cow farm saved $10,000 a month on corn alone by tracking feed usage, going from five loads of ground corn to four.
Feed management tools ensure accurate ration mixing and delivery by:
- Revealing mixing mistakes and helping maintain accurate feed inventories
- Tracking sequence details to help assess ingredient selection during mixing, volume and order
- Flagging when an ingredient is added too quickly after another. This may indicate overfeeding of an ingredient instead of returning it to the commodity bay, a nearly invisible way feed loss adds up.
- Reporting what time rations are dropped each day and how much each pen receives
Dig into the details
Feed management software is more than just a digital feed sheet. By utilizing reporting tools, you gain valuable insights to make more informed decisions that impact herd health, production efficiency and your profitability.
As you dig into your feed data, build a foundation with dry matter intake (DMI) and ingredient usage reports. This will help you understand what your cows are eating and the volume of ingredients used. Implementing a data-driven approach to feed management enables you to fine-tune rations, verify usage and optimize DMI.
Feed management software also lets you easily compare and analyze feed with milk production to understand your income over feed costs. Ask yourself: How much am I getting from the feed, and how much is it costing me? In some cases, it may not make sense from a production value standpoint to feed cows the most expensive ration. Sometimes, feeding a less costly ration offers more potential profit. Feed management software helps you and your nutritionist determine the best approach for your herd and goals.
Some feed management programs also integrate with other on-farm tools for additional value. Programs integrated with herd management software keep information such as pen count changes up to date for more accurate ration mixing and delivery, providing cost-saving opportunities.
Additionally, integrations with inventory management tools help you gain insight into which feed is coming into storage facilities, when it is leaving and how it is being used on your farm. This gives you a clear picture of your feed levels at any given moment, increasing transparency and allowing your team to manage inventories more proactively.
Evaluate your feed data with ease and convenience
Feed management software with cloud-based compatibility can provide flexibility and accessibility from anywhere. Whether you’re in the barn, the office or on the go, you can easily update information, ensuring the most recent, accurate data populates, including changes in pen counts and rations.
Some feed management programs allow you to grant and assign permissions. This can help keep key employees and consultants connected and on the same page. Access can be adjusted based on the individual and their role, keeping information safe.
Customization features let you build reports and dashboards that your farm finds the most valuable. Once built, key reports can be quickly referenced to keep a daily pulse on performance and metrics to meet your management goals.
You can also generate automated reports to receive daily updates on things like feeder performance and inventory levels, providing them to everyone who needs the information. Some dairies send inventory reports with run-out dates to the feed mill, streamlining ingredient delivery. Others send feeder error reports directly to team members, sharing a report card-like summary on how they did and where improvement can be made.
Feeding your cows is an integral part of your dairy. Managing this vital operation can be daunting, but the process can be streamlined with the right data management software and an informed team. Use your data to save money and ensure your cows are fed accurately.
