Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Feed and nutrition
Feed and nutrition
Table of contents
Feed cost calculator
Enter numbers in the boxes and calculator will determine your feed cost. (32 K XLS)
Summer is coming – are you prepared?
Spring is going quickly so now is the time to be preparing for heat stress in our dairy herds.
Nutrition management
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Fast corn, slow corn, high priced corn
Corn provides starch, an energy source for lactation diets. Starch digestibility is affected by particle size, moisture content, maturity, genetics, and fermentation.
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What's new at the U? Dairy cattle nutrition research update
Using adaptive nutrition to improve performance and health of transition cows and nursery calves
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Low butterfat test problems
Reports in the low 3's: Too low by most standards, and indicates that something is wrong.
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Sampling hay, silage, and total mixed rations for analysis
Sample must be representative.
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Feeding challenges in 2007
Sustaining profits with lower milk prices means considering feed costs.
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Prepare now for summer feeding program
Help cows manage the stresses of heat and humidity.
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Using standard diets for dairy heifer calves
Results in very good performance to two months of age.
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Feeding strategies for post-weaned dairy heifers, 2 to 6 months of age
The goal is to provide consistent performances across all seasons of the year.
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What's the scoop on evaluating manure?
It can help determine how well cows are digesting their ration.
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Successful farms are more consistent, Part 2: Feeding consistency
Variation in milk fat and protein percent can provide insight about your feeding management.
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Feeding the dairy herd
Feeding systems, balancing rations, purchasing feeds, and dairy cow diseases and disorders.
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Ration guidelines
Use the Feed Pyramid to think about how rations should be formulated and cows fed. (180 K PDF)
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Drought-stressed crops used for feed should first be tested for toxicity, nitrate and nutritional value
For toxicity, nitrate and nutritional value.
Feed costs
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Solutions for hot feed prices and cold nursery calves
Solutions to address the challenges of hot feed prices and cold calves include feed sources, inventory management and technology.
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Controlling feed costs in 2011
Five strategies to keep feed costs as low as possible
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Feed costs revisited
Sustaining profits with lower milk prices means considering feed costs.
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Know your feed cost
What is your feed cost per cow/day or per hundred weight?
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Replacing soybean meal in dairy rations
Consider nutrition as well as price or losses in cow performance.
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Critical feed numbers for 2012
The real challenge for many producers in 2012 will continue to be the out of pocket feed costs and income over feed costs.
MUN
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MUN testing
Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) levels that are too high or too low can be robbing you of profits. – Minnesota DHIA
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Don’t waste your protein
Feeding excess protein is expensive. An inexpensive and easy test helps assess protein feeding.
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Milk urea nitrogen
Animals convert excess ammonia to urea because ammonia is toxic while urea is not.
Total mixed rations
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Feeding total mixed rations
Proper nutrition for dairy cows is important for health and optimal milk production.
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TMR feeding management guide
Total mixed ration: nutritionally balanced, correctly mixed, high quality ingredients.
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Particle size of the ration: does it matter?
Its effect on cow sorting behavior and performance.
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The TMR feeding program
Properly formulated rations; quality feeds; good communication, records, and equipment. (2.95 MB PDF)
Minerals
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Minerals in forages
Macro minerals: forage content, lactating and transition cow requirements, feeding considerations. (584 K PDF)
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Dirt-osis (dirt toxicity in cattle)
Cattle eat dirt but they do not need it to physically digest the feed.
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Rain and mud: a pain in the ash value
A lot of rain may cause a significant amount of dirt in your dairy ration.
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Dietary cation-anion difference update
DCAD is a measure you should be using in both dry and lactating cows.
Body condition score
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How to body condition score dairy animals
Scoring can help detect potential problems that might cause a decrease in milk production. (313 K PDF) – University of Nebraska
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Body condition scores
Body reserves at calving influence potential complications for upcoming lactation. – University of Wisconsin
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Body condition scoring as a tool for dairy herd management
Evaluating fattness or thinness of cows on a 5-point scale to fine tune herd nutrition and health. (730 K PDF) – The Pennsylvania State University
Byproduct feeds and additives
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A biodiesel byproduct may substitute for corn
Can larger quantities of glycerin be fed as a replacement for starch in dairy diets?
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Livestock in bioenergy production
The important role animal agriculture will play in the success of any renewable fuel production plan.
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The ethanol revolution: How will we feed cows in the future?
Corn as an energy source increased the availability of co-products for livestock feeds. (435 K PDF)
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Essential oils as dietary supplements for dairy cattle
Not required, but these compounds may be important as antimicrobials and antiseptics.
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Feeding fat: The good, the bad and the ugly
Increased milk production has necessitated the feeding of more fat.
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Studies that make you go hmm
Interesting research on flavored water, soymilk, garlic and juniper berry.
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U of M distillers grains by-products web site!
The most current information on using these by-products in livestock feeds.
Water
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Impact of minerals in water on dairy cows
Water is the most essential of all nutrients required by dairy cattle
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What if cows don't drink enough water?
You will not get optimal milk production and health can be adversely affected
Goats
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Feeding dairy goats
Goats actually require a more nutritious diet than do other ruminants.
Active worksheets
- PROTEIN Worksheet (743 K XLS)
- FAT Worksheet (820 K XLS)
- MUN Worksheet (280 K XLS)
- Body condition scores (369 K XLS) – The Pennsylvania State University
Other food and nutrition resources we recommend
- Controlling feed costs over the long haul – extension.org
- Feeding dairy cows when corn prices are high
- Managing measure of feed costs: benchmarking physical and economic feed efficiency (260 KB PDF) – The Ohio State University
- Evaluating particle size of forages and TMRs (252 K PDF) – The Pennsylvania State University
- By-Product feedstuffs in dairy cattle diets in the Upper Midwest (235 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Feeding corn gluten for dairy cows: wet corn gluten versus wet distillers grains (345 K PDF) – University of Nebraska
- Understanding milling feed byproducts for dairy cattle (202 K PDF) – University of Nebraska
- Assessment of water quality and nutrition for dairy cattle (627 K PDF) – Michigan State University
- Feed additives in dairy nutrition and management – University of Illinois
- Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle, 2001 (book to order)
- Beginner's guide to body condition scoring (3.6 M PPT) – The Pennsylvania State University
- Effects of body condition on performance (1.2 MB PPT) – The Pennsylvania State University
- Nutritional management of the high-producing dairy cow in the 21st century – University of Nebraska
- Nutritional and environmental management of phosphorus and potassium (163 K PDF) – The Ohio State University
- Nitrogen, ammonia emissions and the dairy cow (227 K PDF) – The Pennsylvania State University
