Training Your Feed Team: The Four Pillars to Feeder Success

In the world of dairy farming, the delicate balance of a cow’s routine can make or break her health and performance. As creatures of habit, cows rely on consistency, especially when it comes to their diet. The importance of nutrition in ensuring both the well-being of these animals and the profitability of a farm cannot be overstated. However, amid all the factors that influence success, there’s one that stands above the rest – the human factor. In the dairy industry, well-trained employees and effective communication form the foundation of success, ensuring that cows receive an accurate and consistent ration day in and day out. We’ve all witnessed meticulously crafted rations fall short of their potential due to subpar mixing, delivery, and feed bunk management. The backbone to bridging the gap between the theoretical ideal and the practical reality of a cow’s diet lies in a team of trained, engaged, and diligent individuals. This article delves into four vital pillars that are key to successful nutrition programs – safety, accuracy, consistency, and communication. These pillars are important to maintain healthier and more productive cows and the sustained profitability of the entire operation.

1.) Safety

Amid the bustling activity of a farm, safety stands as the paramount concern, for both those working on the farm and the people in their vicinity. In the whirlwind of daily tasks, it’s easy to become absorbed in the drive to work efficiently. However, it’s crucial to recognize that working swiftly should never compromise safety. In essence, there are no inherently safe jobs – what truly matters are safe employees and well-established procedures. A particular area of concern in dairy farming is the operation of heavy equipment, especially in the context of feeding cows. Those responsible for this task carry a significant burden. They not only need to maintain their vigilance for their safety but also remain attentive to the presence of others who might suddenly cross their path or enter the feed area. Safety measures start with the basics: before any maintenance work on tractors or feeding equipment, ensure the ignition keys are removed, and all power to electrical equipment is cut off. Every action, even a seemingly routine one like entering or exiting a tractor or truck, demands mindfulness. Always approach and depart facing the ladder or cab and maintain three points of contact until you’ve safely reached the cab platform or the ground. Always make sure that the equipment has come to a complete stop before exiting the vehicle and avoid any impulsive jumping off machinery. Be keenly aware of the risk posed by loose-fitting clothing, as it can easily become entangled in moving parts, especially in the vicinity of items such as power take-off (PTO) shafts. Whenever servicing is necessary, always remember to turn off the equipment.

Another critical aspect of safety involves handling silage faces. These towering piles of silage pose significant hazards, resulting in accidents and fatalities each year. The silage face can unexpectedly collapse, which is why it is crucial to avoid standing or working directly in front of it, even if you’re in a vehicle. When circumstances require you to access the top of the pile, maintain a safe distance from the face.

Another best practice is for everyone working on farm to wear high visibility clothing or safety vests. Ultimately, the end goal is for everyone to return home safely at the close of each day. Safety must remain the top priority.

2.) Accuracy

Nutritionists do a great job of formulating diets utilizing ration balancing software, but unfortunately the ration that the cow actually eats can be quite different than the formulation. Feeder errors, equipment problems, scale instability/calibration issues, infrequent feed push-up schedules, and ingredient variability are among some of the many factors that affect accuracy. Employee training and feedback, preventative equipment maintenance, and regular feed testing will all help to minimize this difference.

Feed management software is a powerful, often underutilized tool to help ensure diet accuracy. These software programs can track the quantity and cost of feeder deviations, which allows managers to give employees timely feedback about their performance. It is really impactful when employees see how much feed errors can cost, not to mention the value of helping them understand the hidden costs of diet variability in terms of cow health and productivity. Software can also give a clue as to when employees might be cutting corners in loading or unloading feed, which allows for a chance to have a productive conversation with the employee and encourage them to do the best job they can. Behavior often changes dramatically when employees realize they are being monitored. Feed management software is also very useful to track feed inventory, allowing for better accounting of future needs, which helps with feed orders and ensuring that the dairy does not run out of key feed ingredients.

3.) Consistency

Over a decade ago, Diamond V, led by Dr. Tom Oelberg, introduced a unique, systematic approach to evaluate the operational efficiency of a dairy’s feeding program, called the TMR Audit®. A TMR Audit® is a comprehensive look at a dairy’s feeding process, ranging from feed ingredient management and storage, to how the feed is mixed, delivered, pushed up, and consumed. TMR audits® look for sources of variation in diet composition, distribution, and consumption. Diamond V representatives conduct hundreds of TMR Audits® each year, checking

loads of TMR (total mixed ration) for consistency along the feed bunk, feed bunk delivery and management, feed center efficiency and shrink, and mixer maintenance. The goal is for cows to consistently consume a balanced ration, impacting both their health and performance. To provide better diet consistency to the cow, here are some best practices.

· Feed at the same time, in the same pen, each day. Altering feeding time will decrease dry matter intake (DMI).

· Do regular feed testing, especially dry matter, and make sure those values get entered into your feed management software. Discuss with your nutritionist how often you should test your feed.

· Feed ingredients that are mold-free and avoid feeds that are excessively wet or warm or have an abnormal odor.

· Do not overfill a mixer, as this will lead to inconsistent and inaccurate mixing.

· Provide feed in all available bunk space.

· Keep feed pushed regularly and redistribute as needed so that all cows in the pen have access 24/7.

4.) Communication

Most employees take pride in their work and want to do a good job. However, if we have not defined our expectations of what a good job is, or effectively communicated job responsibilities, workflow, etc., then we are setting employees up for failure, and ourselves up for disappointment. I have sat many times with frustrated dairy managers and owners who make the statement, “They should just know that this is important” or “This is so obvious.” Upon further questioning (usually of both employee and owner), often I find that expectations have not been communicated clearly. One key point to remember is that just because something seems obvious and common sense to us, we can’t assume that it is for the employee, especially if they have not worked in agriculture previously.

These four pillars of feeder success serve as a reminder that dairy farming is an intricate and interdependent ecosystem, where even minor changes can have profound consequences. Understanding and implementing these principles helps ensure a successful nutrition program and a safe environment for all who are working on farm. In this ever-evolving industry, commitment to safety, precision, consistency, and open communication are key to nourishing both the cows and the farm’s prosperity.