Feed & Nutrition

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.

“People haven’t seen things this bad since 1964.”

That is what University of Wisconsin – Madison Extension Crops and Soils Agent Kevin Jarek said, Sept. 25, at the “Meeting Tomorrow’s Feeding Challenges Today” seminar held in Kimberly, Wisconsin.