Balancing Rations for Dairy Herds

Despite the previous two years of drought, plentiful rains this summer have allowed farmers to produce a bumper crop of corn for both silage and grain. Now with corn silage and other forages harvested, dairy producers are turning their attention to planning fall and winter feeding programs. To determine an economical and effective dairy feeding program, there are a few important steps you should follow.

The first element in creating a fall or winter feeding program is testing your available forages for nutrient content. When taking forage samples, be sure to collect a representative sample of the forage being fed. Hay samples should be collected using a hay probe from 20 different bales per field and cutting. Combine samples in a bucket and place a pint size sample in a resealable plastic bag to be sent to a forage testing lab. Corn silage samples should also be collected from multiple sites on the face of a bunker silo or throughout the length of the silage bag. Silage from upright silos should be collected after the silo has been opened unless samples were collected during harvest. It is best to keep your samples out of direct sunlight and avoid prolonged exposure to heat. If you would like to get your forages tested free of cost, give me a call at the Extension Office. Forage testing is being offered as a free service by the Adair County Ag Development Council.

Once you receive the analysis results, forages should be allocated to different cattle based on their quality. The best quality forages should be fed to the early lactation cows, if grouped together. If they are not grouped together, the best quality forages should be fed to the group with the greatest number of early lactation cows.

Forage testing results should also be used to balance rations. With corn prices down from last year, grain mixes designed to complement the quality and type of forages being fed should be more economical this fall. Contracting a year’s supply of grain mix is one way to lock in the price of grain mix over the upcoming months.

Rations should be balanced for the milking herd, as well as the heifers and dry cows. By balancing rations for heifers, feeding is more economical and still enables optimal growth to allow heifers to enter the milking herd around 24 months of age. Well designed and economical feeding programs can also give dry cows a good start to their next lactation and prevent health problems after calving. Ration balancing services are offered by the Adair County Cooperative Extension Service. Rations are balanced based on economics, availability of forages, and production levels.

For more information on forage testing and creating a fall feeding program, contact the Adair County Cooperative Extension Service at 384-2317.