Feed & Nutrition

A 2,000-cow dairy near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has elevated the accuracy of feed storage, mixing and delivery with an innovative feed center featuring an automated kitchen and on-site grain storage that saves them time and money.

Dr. Adam Geiger, research nutritionist for dairy and colostrum with Zinpro, tells Progressive Dairy why the current season and environmental conditions make it imperative for dairies to test water sources. He also explains how to do it.

This month, we’ll talk about the new alphabet of fiber: a, pe, om and ICP. Don’t worry, you haven’t wandered into an academic spelling bee. But seriously, have you recently submitted a forage sample to a laboratory?

Over the past couple of decades, advances in forage genetics, forage agronomics, forage harvesting and ensiling have enabled dairy farms to feed progressively more forages as a percentage of their total lactation ration. Feeding higher amounts of high-quality forage has resulted in improved rumen health, improved cow health and higher milk components. Another benefit of feeding higher levels of high-quality, homegrown forages is that it often translates to lower purchased feed costs and improved income over feed cost.

The harvest has come and gone, taking much of the opportunity to prevent shrink in your feed storage, but these winter shrink tips from three nutritionists across the U.S. can help your operation save money and protect your herd’s health no matter what kind of weather winter throws your way.

Each day, the cows at Second-Look Holsteins are served up a hefty helping of corn silage, and they have yet to miss the haylage that used to be a part of their meal.