Feed & Nutrition

Do extra vitamins help? Today there are fewer cows producing more milk. Cows have become more efficient.

Feeding straw to dry dairy cows has become a popular strategy to decrease dietary energy content and increase the bulk fill of the ration. The key reasons for doing this are to maintain pre-calving dry matter intake and to keep the rumen expanded to avoid a displaced abomasum post-calving.

If we’re going to manage the dairy cow for optimum productivity and health, we cannot ignore the rumen. It is the center of all functions inside the cow. But keeping this vital organ working at peak efficiency is a delicate balancing act.

The link between nutrition and reproduction has become more evident and supported through research in recent years. Through controlled research trials and on-farm experiences, we’ve known for some time that cows not eating well or eating an unbalanced diet won’t get pregnant as fast as those provided a sound ration.

Selection of corn hybrids for silage production is confusing at best. It used to be so much easier. We simply chose the hybrid with the highest grain-yield for both grain and silage. However, we now know that other important factors affect farm profitability.

A fundamental rule regarding diet formulation is that one never knows the true value of anything. Although we have reasonably accurate estimates of the average requirements for most nutrients, we have less certainty regarding nutrient requirements of a specific herd or animal under specific circumstances.