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May 12, 2005 Improve Dairy Efficiency with Good-quality Forage Providing good-quality forage can improve dairy production, according to a North Dakota State University dairy expert. “If profitability is
improved through increased efficiency, and forage is a major limiting
factor to improving feed efficiency in dairy production, then forage quality
impacts dairy profitability,” says J.W. Schroeder, a NDSU Extension
Service dairy specialist. “Beef and swine researchers have talked about efficiency for years,” Schroeder says. “Likewise, these producers, if forced to evaluate their livestock operations using just one value, typically say it is the efficiency of converting feed to gain or growth. Less feed required per unit of gain improves performance and profitability.” Today, dairy managers also are evaluating operations using a similar value on their farms called dairy efficiency, or DE for short. DE is the pounds of milk per pound of ration dry matter consumed. This can impact profitability because as cows eat more feed to support higher milk production, the proportion of digested energy captured in milk increases. In contrast, as cows consume more feed, digestive efficiency decreases. “Despite the digestibility depression, biological efficiency increases considerably as Holstein cows produce more milk, up to about 33,000 pounds per year,” Michael VandeHaar, a professor in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University, wrote in an article in the Journal of Dairy Science. “Although feed cost generally increases as cows are fed for higher milk production, increased productivity also enhances profitability, partly because of increased efficiency, but also because fixed costs are decreased relative to total costs.” Dairy and forage researchers note that feeding a diet of 60 percent to 65 percent forage is entirely possible, as long as the forage is of sufficient quality. In an Illinois field study, operators of about 30 dairy herds reported increased milk production with lower dry-matter consumption and reduced manure production. All of these farms shared a common thread in having highly digestible forages that were stored or preserved to maintain the best quality possible. Results from 400 herds demonstrated that the higher the forage quality, as measured by in vitro digestible dry matter, the higher the feed efficiency. In addition to high-quality forages, these herds also shared several other factors, including balanced rations, cow comfort, good herd health and optimal feeding management. “Despite the higher farm-gate prices received for milk in recent months, the ever-increasing numbers on the cost side of the ledger, such as escalating fuel costs, mean that producers must improve production efficiencies,” Schroeder says. Many factors can reduce a dairy operation’s profit margin. Although managing cows, crops and the manure system every day leaves little time for long-term planning, dairy producers must make time to review the overall efficiency of their operation regularly, he says. He believes that while forage quality is a key factor in dairy efficiency, it also can be improved through changes in culling practices, reproductive efficiency, milk quality and improved feed rations. Here are some recommendations for improving production and financial efficiency:
### NDSU Agriculture Communication Source: J.W.
Schroeder, (701) 231-7663, jschroed@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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