Feed intake - Articles - Page 4

Create the five-star dining experience cows crave

Cows need the complete package when it comes to a great dining experience that will maximize feed intake to maximize milk components. Ration uniformity and feed availability are key factors in creating that perfect feeding environment.

June 30, 2023

Jenn Coyne

There are five factors that influence a superb dining experience for cattle, including ration uniformity, feed availability, diet composition, cow comfort and other cow-related factors.

Research Review: From the Journal of Dairy Science: Longevity and feed intake control

June 27, 2023

Pedro Nogueira

Two summaries from the recent articles in the Journal of Dairy Science that look at cow longevity and hunger response.

Tree hay as an alternative forage

When feed shortages exist, leaves, twigs and bark of certain tree species can be a nutritious alternative.

May 18, 2023

John O'Meara

With drought conditions common in many parts of the country in recent years, cattle producers often find themselves scrambling for forage. One underutilized forage, tree hay, is gaining traction as an emergency feed for ranchers trying to feed cattle economically.

Gestion des mangeoires : Fournir un accès illimité à des aliments uniformément mélangés

Une opportunité de réduire le coût marginal de l’alimentation peut être trouvée dans des rations parfaitement formulées avec des fourrages stables ajustés pour la matière sèche et des refus à 1 %.

April 28, 2023

Keith A. Bryan, David Ledgerwood, and Kimberley Morrill

L’art de la nutrition laitière a beaucoup évolué au fil des ans. L’époque où les nutritionnistes laitiers se contentaient d’équilibrer les rations est révolue.

Internal parasites wreak havoc on more than growth rates

Growth, milk production, immune function and reproduction can all be compromised with internal parasites. An effective deworming program is critical for an efficient operation.

April 26, 2023

Grant Crawford

Cattle producers invest their time and resources in the best vaccination protocols and nutritional programs. However, these efforts are not fully utilized without an effective deworming strategy. Why?

Physiological and metabolic changes caused by heat stress

Heat stress in summer can lead to problems even in fall and winter.

March 23, 2023

Catherine Delorme-Tetreault and Marc-Antoine Guesthier

Heat stress and its effects can begin at relatively low temperatures combined with high humidity. The effects can be long-lasting and wreak havoc on production, reproduction.

Reducing feed cost checklist

Lower feed costs by evaluating ingredient shrink, testing forages and ingredients, reviewing bunks, managing refusals, calculating weighbacks and auditing feed pushups with a camera.

February 21, 2023

Amelie Mainville

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.

The sweet secret to surviving the new SNF-BF quota ratios

Increasing butterfat in the herd through sugar supplementation can increase fibre intake while decreasing feed sorting.

February 7, 2023

Sydney Moore

As a new solids-nonfat-to-butterfat ratio is introduced, look to molasses and other sugar supplements to attain the desired ration efficiently.

The role of essential oils in cattle feeding and nutrition programs

With ionophore products facing increased scrutiny from the consuming public, essential oils are getting a hard look from many beef cattle producers and researchers to gauge their nutritional effectiveness.

January 19, 2023

Stephen B. Blezinger

Since we’ve been managing cattle for meat and profitability, the industry constantly searches for new and different tools that can help us accomplish three primary objectives – improve reproduction, health and growth – the primary drivers of improved profitability.