Variation can happen anywhere, but it’s most likely to occur in your feeding program. That’s important because no other cost center has more of an impact on your margins. When variation enters your feeding and nutrition program the impact on your business can be significant. Consistency comes when you can keep tight control on how you harvest forages and store feedstuffs, how you mix and deliver those feedstuffs to your herd, and the impact those feedstuffs have on the rumen.
Start in the Field
Harvest forages quickly to create consistencies in nutrient quality, digestibility, and dry matter. Once harvested, store forages so each batch is similar regardless of the storage method.
When it comes to purchased commodities, you can manage storage to reduce shrink, but supply inconsistencies can still create considerable variability. One load of an ingredient can be significantly different than the next due to any number of variables in the way which it was produced at the manufacturing facility. Work with a reputable supplier dedicated to producing consistent product. Sometimes consistency comes with a higher price tag, but it can be worth the investment if cows are more content.
Get it to the Cow
If protocols are unclear or not followed, inconsistency can creep in through the mixing and delivery process.
Make sure your feeding team is well-trained on protocols and those directions are being followed. Assess dry matter content daily regardless of how consistent your forages might be. Even small variations in dry matter can have a significant impact on the amount of feed mixed and delivered, causing either over or under delivery of feed.
When it comes to delivery, start by keeping the mixer maintained so rations from every batch are mixed consistently and properly. Then make sure protocols are followed closely so feeds are delivered at the same time every day. And once they have been delivered, make sure feed gets pushed up on a regular basis throughout the day so feed is available at all times.
Don’t forget to document pen changes in the feeding software as soon as they happen. Feeding too much feed might have more impact than wasted feed but feeding not enough of a ration can cause empty bunks and cows to go off feed for a considerable amount of time.
Manage the Rumen
Limit variability once the ration is consumed. Consistency in the rumen is key and certain products can enhance rumen consistency:
- Feed sodium buffers at the proper level. Feeding a pound of sodium-based buffers can lessen the daily production pressures faced by today’s high-producing cows. This helps maintain a proper rumen pH, achieve an elevated positive dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) and mitigate the variability associated with sorting.
- Refined Functional Carbohydrates™ (RFCs™) can help animals cope with environmental challenges that could be impacting the cow. This includes controlling the impact of mycotoxins on gut health.
- Pathogens like Salmonella, coli, and clostridia can have a significant impact on cow health. While these pathogens are generally present in any environment, it’s important to reduce pathogen loads whenever possible. Pay attention to commodities delivered to your feeding center. While you may get a load of whole cottonseed that looks good, you don’t know what that truck and trailer was used to haul prior to the load that ended up on your dairy. Those situations create significant opportunities for pathogen contamination. Using a bacillus-based feed ingredient can help reduce incidence of pathogens, including clostridia, in your nutrition system.
Cows crave consistency, and they like to be managed the same way, every day. When something happens to change that schedule, bad things happen. Focus on the basics of proper harvest and storage, follow mixing and feed protocols, and get the rumen and gut ready for high levels of nutrition to avoid some of the variation pitfalls dairy producers face.
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