Feed & Nutrition

The first edition of the International Silage Conference (ISC) in 1972 – called “Silage Seminar” – was held in Edinburgh and was open exclusively to British researchers. The conference has since evolved and is now held every three years and hosted by various countries throughout the world.

Dairy cattle nutrition can be viewed from a variety of different approaches. Remember back in the day when cows scattered pastures and grazed primarily on grass? These cows loved roaming the land and eating lush green forages.

Utilizing small grains in the crop rotation has gained in popularity in recent years. This strategy has benefited the environment, animal performance and the profitability of dairy operations. However, any practice has pros and cons. Double cropping that produces feed, versus a cover crop, does come with challenges.

Cover crops are “hot topics” in crop systems. Beef producers have used cover crops for fall, winter and spring pasture sources. Dairy producers need to consider adding this system on their dairy farms.

No dairy is immune to the negative effects of mycotoxins on animal health and performance. In tests of the 2017 U.S. corn crop across 23 states, 91 percent of grain, silage and corn byproduct samples contained mycotoxins.