Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program

Federal proposal limits hiring of younger teens on farms

2011-11-18T09:34:00.001-05:00

As usual legislators are out of touch with how life really is down on the farm. We know that farming is a very dangerous occupation and we sure don't want to put our youth in a situation that they are not prepared to handle.We do however need our youth to learn to perform in a safe and effective manner.

To read more about this issue click this link.

http://www.agriview.com/feature/farmlife/federal-proposal-limits-hiring-of-younger-teens-on-farms/article_a9221c4a-0f1d-11e1-a643-001cc4c002e0.html#.TsVb_PGxHmE

Corn Dry Matter

2011-09-30T12:07:00.003-04:00

The PFM Team tested 16 samples at the Dry Down held on Thursday 9/29/2011.
This was the second event held this year. We scheduled them over a week apart to try to fit the expected drying rate of corn with widely varying planting dates because of the extremely wet weather this growing season.

Dry matter range was 25% to 42%,which was similar to the results we saw 9/20/2011. Several fields were tested at both dates. Surprisingly the the results were only a few points different, probably because of the constant precipitation and soaked soil. As expected much of the corn that was at acceptable DM levels last time is in the process of being harvested. It seems that it is a slow muddy process this year seeing that we have record precipitation this season, even exceeding the rain fall of 2006.
Some corn may well have to stand until frost to reach acceptable DM levels for harvest and fermentation.
Several observations that surprised us is that whole plant moisture is higher that one might expect form the condition of the kernels. Fully dented and flinty kernels still could be on the low side of whole plant dry matter. Kernel processing is definitely indicated if at all possible.

The second is that BMR samples consistently look to be dryer that they are. Although the stalk and leaves look to be overly dry there still is a lot of moisture in the ears. This should help starch utilization even in unprocessed silage.

The take home message from what we have seen is especially in a year like this, dry matter testing is very important. The time honored whole plant indicators we have relied on may easily fool you in a year like this.

To that end, if you need assistance measuring dry matter in late maturing corn, we can do a chop and test at the WAC office in Walton. Contact the office at 607-865-6531 . Ask for Dale,Paul, Dan or Nate to schedule a time.

Flood Damaged Crops

2011-08-30T16:50:00.005-04:00

The heavy rains and flooding over the weekend has caused significant damage to a number of crops. The level of damage is variable across the area, but if you had any flood water in crop fields you have some tough decisions to make. The photo at the right, taken after the 2006 flooding, reminds us of similar problems faced in the no so distant past.

First, we urge you to document damage to fields and crops by contacting the Farm Service Agency. You are strongly encouraged to take photos of damage. This information is critical in Federal Program decisions.

Next assess the extent of flood damage to fields and access roads that may need repair, and flood trash deposits that may need removal before harvest is possible.

Crop quality may also be impacted. Silt deposited on forage crops should be a concern for dairy and livestock farms. We have put a together a short fact sheet that will help you to make harvest decisions. Click here to open the PDF.

If you have damaged crops in Delaware County and have questions please give Paul or Dale a call at the Watershed Ag Program office, 865-7090, or Mariane a call at Cornell Cooperative Extension main office, 865-6531.

Delaware County Scissor Cut Results 5/17/11

2011-05-19T16:36:00.003-04:00

The old timers always said, “a cold wet May, means a barn full of hay”. I guess I’m almost an old timer now, and I say a cold wet May is depressing.

Most farmers we talk to are itching to get started early this year to make high quality forage, and know that the rainy weather is making it harder to achieve this goal. Our data from this week unfortunately confirms this. All of the fields we sampled rapidly increased in NDF over the past week, and a number of fields were beginning to show heads.

Read our entire report and see the field by field results. Click Here

Scissor Cut results 5/10/2011

2011-05-13T16:08:00.004-04:00

We are monitoring 48 hay fields in Delaware County for NDF content to predict optimum first cutting timing. Haying time is almost here.

Highlights of Week 2

NDF has increased slowly in the past week, but observations indicate grass has begun stem elongation and fiber will increase rapidly in the next week
This week’s tests suggest harvest should begin next week!. (right on the long term average)
Corn planting and hay harvest will conflict on most farms this year. Make plans park the corn planter when hay is ready and complete harvest of core acres before finishing corn planting.

Click Here to see our full report and site by site results

Is 2011 the Year to Wide Swath?

2011-05-06T15:12:00.004-04:00

Forage quality has never been more important than right now. With record feed prices, higher forage rations are not just desirable, they are the key to thriving in the dairy business.

Timely harvest is the most critical step in achieving forage quality. Check out my previous post and stay tuned to our scissor cut sample results to hit the optimum harvest window. The rainy weather this spring may have you worried, though. How will you squeeze in enough good days to get that great stuff in the silo? Wide swathing may be just what you need.

The graph above shows results from Tom Kilcer in 2010. With a full swath mowed at 9:00 am, hay was ready to chop by mid afternoon, with tedding right after mowing it was ready by 11:30. In 2004, a very wet May, we measured drying rates in very challenging drying conditions. Grass mowed into a wide swath dried about 1% point per hour, if tedded right after mowing it dried at 2% points per hour, in a windrow it did not dry at all.

If the weather is really challenging, or your mower won't make a swath of at least 90% of the cutter bar width, try tedding for silage harvest. It means another trip over the filed, but great quality hay in the silo may be priceless come next winter.

Wide swathing can turn a one day weather window into grass in th silo. If the present weather trend continues, one day windows may be all we get.

Wide swathing is still worth doing even if we have great weather. The rapid dry down saves sugars, yielding higher energy silages. Silage at the correct moisture has lower soluble protein, helping more forage fit in a ration.

2011 may just the right time to give wide swath haylage a try.

Dale Dewing

Scissor Cuts 5/3/11

2011-05-06T14:17:00.004-04:00

We just finished our first week of Scissor Cut samples for 2011.

For as cold and wet as it has been, hay was taller and more advanced than we thought it might be. Fields were 2-4 inches shorter than the multi-year average, and very nearly the same in NDF.

Click Here for the full report.

Dale Dewing

EPA Exempts Milk from Oil Spill Regulations

2011-04-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

New York Farm Bureau Released This 4/12/2011

NYFB has just received word that the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to exempt dairy from the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Program, which would have treated dairy products like oil because of the fat content and forced farmers to develop expensive and unnecessary oil spill plans for their milk.

“This is a huge victory for dairy farmers all throughout Upstate New York, one which has been a long time coming,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, who strongly advocated against these regulations on behalf of dairy farmers. “Everyone knows that when Congress enacted these laws it was targeting massive oil spills and toxic substances, not an accident involving milk at one of our state’s small dairy farms. With this exemption, I can now ensure New York dairy farmers that they will no longer have to cry over spilled milk, let alone the costly preparation for it.”

Senator Gillibrand and Congressmen Gibson, Owens and Reed also supported farmers by asking EPA to exempt milk from the oil spill regulations and were co-sponsors of bills to do so.

While milk tanks and piping will now be exempt from the regulations, other oil and fuel tanks on a dairy may still be regulated under SPCC and farms should make sure they are in compliance. For more information, please see the October issue of Grassroots (page 4) or contact NYFB’s Kelly Young at kyoung@nyfb.org.

2011 Delaware County No Till School Presentations Available

2011-04-11T08:50:00.004-04:00

The 2011 No till school was extremely well attended. The following videos are the presentations made that day by speakers Drs Quirine Ketterings and Russ Hahn of Cornell University; Paul Cerosaletti and Dale Dewing of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County and Kevin Ganoe, regional crop specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension Central NY Dairy and Crop Crop Team. Topics for the day included:

Precision Nitrogen Management for Corn

Use of Aerators to Incorporate Manure in Minimum Till Systems

Weed Control updates for Corn and Small Grains

The Nitrogen Cycle

Why Soil pH Still Matters

Presentations on Grazing

2011-03-14T13:13:00.005-04:00

At the 2011 Catskill Regional Dairy, Livestock and Grazing Conference there were a couple good presentations on grazing. One, by Dale Dewing of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County and Dan Flaherty of the Watershed Agricultural Council, touched on ways to extend the grazing season using stockpiled forage. Another, by Karen Hoffman of the New York Natural Resources Conservation Service, detailed the do's and don'ts of grazing dairy heifers. If either of these presentations are of interest to you - click below to hear the talk and see the slides!

New DairyTie Stall Design Results in Improved Comfort and Animal Production

2011-03-13T12:31:00.002-04:00

The 2011 Catskill Regional Dairy Livestock and Grazing Conference featured a panel discussion with New York State farmers that have installed the Canadian tie stall system designed by Dr. Neil Anderson of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This stall system was designed by researching how cows get up and down on pasture and is composed of several key components working together - and not any one feature. The components are:

Tailed stall length and width
Elevated tie rail
Forward tie rail palcement
Neck chain length
Elevated manger (relative to stall bed)
Stall mattress/mat
Cow trainer and trainer placement
Headroom above water bucket

The New York State farmers that participated in this panel discussion included Rob and Darlene Howland of Candor NY, Frank and Mark Albano of Stamford NY and Jim Keator of Davenport NY. A paired observational study conducted by John Conway of the NY Pro Dairy Program on the Albano farm capitalized on a unique circumstance over the last 12 months where cows received the same treatment except what stall they received after calving. Cows in the new stalls have average nearly 6 lbs more milk per day than cows in the old stalls. Recently, Jim Keator reports that since he has implemented the new stall system in December 2010, he had the lowest somatic cell count in over 30 years of dairy farming - 46,000 cells/ml. Economic analysis on the Howland farm, again conducted by John Conway, shows a payback of less than one year. The Howlands have seen a dramatic lowering of involuntary culls and now routinely sell several cows each year for dairy purposes.

The original papers written by Dr Anderson on assessing cow comfort and implementing the new tie stall (and free stall) system can be accessed via the links below:

Assessing cow comfort and behavior
Canadian tie stall system design
Canadian free stall design

Free Choice Feeding Of Phosphorus Containing Minerals

2010-11-19T18:50:00.000-05:00

Environmental concerns with phosphorus (P) have forced the animal industry to re-evaluate the levels formulated in diets. It has been demonstrated in numerous research trials that excess P intake equates to excess P out in the manure. The ideal way of controlling P intake is developing diets that closely match the animal’s requirement and implementing feeding management practices to ensure those levels are being consumed. In today’s industry since most dairy cattle are fed balanced amounts of forages, concentrates, and mineral-vitamin mixtures, free choice mineral feeding is unwarranted.

The purpose of this fact sheet is to illustrate the problems producers can face with feeding minerals free choice. Conclusions from research and field trial results will be presented to demonstrate the limitations associated with this management practice.

The misconception that animals have an innate sense for a particular mineral began with reports published by South African researchers. In the early 1920s researchers described P-deficient cattle with depraved appetites chewing on bones. Bones contain significant levels of P, and the association was made that animals were able to select feeds to compensate for mineral deficiencies in the diet.

This was followed by additional research in the 1930s that indicated cows and lambs fed P-deficient diets may consume sufficient free choice P to meet their requirements. It was further demonstrated that when intake of P from feed sources increased, less free choice P-sources were consumed.

In the early 1950s, a paper appearing in the British Journal of Animal Behavior measured the preference of P-deficient cattle and sheep for supple mental calcium carbonate alone or combined with an equal part of dicalcium phosphate. Animals did not consume adequate levels of mineral to prevent P deficiency.

The 2001 NRC presents 2 studies conducted in the 1970s that demonstrate no benefit of feeding P free choice. The first study was with dairy heifers fed low or marginally deficient calcium or P. There was little relationship between the animals’ requirement for the mineral elements and free choice consumption of dicalcium phosphate or defluorinated phosphate. In the second study lactating cows were fed calcium and phosphorus below requirements for 9 and 12 weeks. There was no evidence that animals consumed free choice minerals to correct the deficiency. Researchers concluded there was no association between appetite for P or calcium supplements and the animals’ nutrient requirement.

The studies from the early 1900s dealt with extreme deficiencies, and it is likely that P was not the only nutrient lacking in the diet. In contrast, the ingredients and diets fed to the modern dairy cow provide little chance of a P deficiency. In addition, it has been theorized that domestication has produced an animal that is more responsive to sensory qualities of feed than to its nutritive value.

Offering minerals free choice is appropriate when grazing livestock are not receiving any concentrates or supplemental feeds. However, this is not a typical scenario for the modern dairy operation.

The greatest limitation of feeding minerals free choice is the variation in consumption. The individual consumption of dicalcium phosphate by lactating dairy cattle was measured in a 1972 study. The variation was huge and mineral consumption ranged from zero to two pounds per day.

This same trend was demonstrated with beef cattle in Alberta, Canada. Not only was there a substantial range of intake (minimal to 1.7 pounds per day), but also the number of visits to the mineral feeders varied greatly. The days between visits to the mineral feeder ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 days. The researchers concluded that free choice feeding via a mineral feeder is not an acceptable method of providing minerals on a daily basis.

The approach of a cafeteria-style mineral feeder has been used for dairy cattle, especially animals being intensively grazed. These systems offer a range of 2 to 10 mineral choices. The primary disadvantage of this system is high feeding loss and increased expense. Cows typically do not consume sufficient amounts of minerals to meet their requirements. Animals are more likely to be influenced by taste or acceptability versus a craving for a particular element.

Controlling the level of P consumed is very important in light of the nutrient regulations being executed. A field trial conducted in Okeechobee, Florida during 1986-87 examined the effect of feeding free choice minerals on P excretion. Rations were formulated so cows would receive 0.52% P. In addition to dietary P, a free choice mineral mix with a minimum of 8.0% P was offered. Cows allowed access to the free choice mineral had a greater concentration of P in the feces. This field trial agrees with the numerous research studies cited in the 2001 NRC, which state that once the cow’s requirement for P is met, the excess will be excreted in the feces.

There have not been an overwhelming number of studies addressing free choice feeding of minerals. However, there is enough evidence with various ruminant trials (sheep, beef and dairy) to conclude that free choice feeding has many limitations and in today’s environment, there is little to no benefit to this practice for dairy producers.

Source: Virginia Ishler, Penn State Ag Extension

Think $5 Corn Is Expensive? Some Are Betting On $10 Next Year

2010-11-15T09:08:00.001-05:00

The corn market’s rally above $5 a bushel this fall has stirred growing consternation among livestock producers and others dependent on the largest U.S. crop. As the global grain supply outlook tightens, some traders in Chicago are placing bets that prices may double next year
For the whole article click Here

Grain storage options for dry grain

2010-10-11T13:50:00.005-04:00

Initial assessments of standing corn and soybeans in the county suggest that the crops are drying down very fast, especially since the frost.

Based on some initial samples we are concerned that corn destined for "snaplage" could get too dry before it gets harvested. Also, some fields that got flooded still have significant silt on the corn husks, and may be best harvested as dry shell corn.

Recommended kernel moisture for HMC, HMEC,and snaplage is the same, 26-32%. The cob in HMEC and snaplage will increase the moisture content of the total feed another 4-6%. The literature suggests that moisture content as high as 40% is OK for snaplage.

If farms would be best served by letting the grain go for dry shell corn, the questions become what we can do with the grain once harvested. Some grain, if it is not contaminated with silt, could be purchased by the local feed mills, or stored and mixed into a farmer's feed.

With the advent of custom on farm grain processing in Delaware County (Dennis Deysenroth's grinder-mixer available for rent as well as the Albano's roller and grinder mills), another option would be on farm storage and grinding.

As most farms do not have on farm grain storage, one option that might be attractive is storing grain in an ag bag. This has been done successfully in the midwest for the last 10 years. Moisture content plays a big role in how the crop keeps. As you might suspect, corn that is too dry for HMEC (or snaplage) but too wet for dry shell is the hardest to manage.

There is little information suggesting that aeration is necessary for proper storage in bags, but in principle, getting the grain cool and keeping it cool is still a good idea. Rodent and bird damage is also a consideration.

Below are links to some good articles on the subject.

Please note that some industry literature indicates that silage bag and grain bags are manufactured with different properties due to differences in stress that the grain places on the bag verses silage and to accommodate automatic grain bag unloading equipment.

Iowa Farmer Today article

University of Minnesota Engineering Notes

AT films article

Treatment of Flooded High Moisture Corn and Corn Silage

2010-10-05T22:47:00.005-04:00

For producers who have decided to harvest flooded corn crops for silage, high moisture ear corn or snaplage, treatment with either bacterial inoculants or proprionic acid is highly recommended. This is even more important with corn that has been flooded close to harvest because flooded corn will likely have contamination with undesirable bacteria such as clostridium.

Some research had shown that inoculation of high moisture ear corn with a high moisture corn specific inoculant will result in a faster pH drop than treatment with proprionic acid. Treatment with proprionic acid can result on better aerobic stability at feedout than inoculation with a Lactic acid bacterial inoculant, with the exception of Lactobacillus buchneri, which results in excellent aerobic stability.

Given that high moisture grains ferment slower to begin with, and that flooded corn fermentation could be compromised by competition with undesirable bacteria, it makes sense to choose to use a bacterial inoculant to improve the population of good bacteria and speed fermentation. Use of L. buchneri inoculant may be a good option to speed fermentation and get good aerobic stability.

When applying inoculant on compromised crops, a higher application rate than typically recommended might be advisable. Experience indicates that at least doubling the regular rate is appropriate.

Below are links to two good University of Wisconsin Extension articles by Mike Rankin on harvest and treatment of high moisture corn.

Wisconsin Crop Manager
High Moisture Corn Harvest Considerations

Flooded Crops in Delaware County 10.1.2010

2010-10-01T14:15:00.003-04:00

As you have seen or probably surmised, we are getting flooded corn, soybeans and haycrop in Delaware County as I write. I have heard reports that flooding in Bloomville area is over the ears, but I have not seen it yet myself. The Charlotte near me appears not yet over the ears on some corn on one river flat, but is still rising. We are presently working on 5+ inches of rain.

Outlook for Corn for silage (including snaplage) and beans is not good, especially if flooding was over the ears.

Individual Field assessments will be a must. Chopping above the waterline on corn is a good strategy to limit contamination. Quickly receding waters will help reduce silt deposits.

Farmers should report flooding of crops to USDA FSA in Walton 607-865-4005

Here are links to two very good articles on management of flooded crops.

Penn State Flooded Crops Article
University of Kentucky Flooded Crops Article

DEC Open Burning Regulations

2009-11-01T18:35:00.000-05:00

Under the new regulations, you are allowed to burn the following items on your property;

• On-site burning of agricultural wastes as part of a valid agricultural operation on contiguous agricultural lands larger than five acres actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use, provided such waste is actually grown or generated on those lands and such waste is capable of being fully burned within a 24-hour period. This includes the use of liquid petroleum fueled smudge pots to prevent frost damage to crops.

• DEC defines "Agricultural Land" as the land and on-farm buildings, equipment, manure processing and handling facilities, and practices that contribute to the production, preparation and marketing of crops, livestock and livestock products as a commercial enterprise, including a 'commercial horse boarding operation' and 'timber processing'. Such farm operation may consist of one or more parcels of owned or rented land, which parcels may be contiguous or noncontiguous to each other.

• DEC defines “Agricultural Waste” as any waste from naturally grown products such as vines, trees and branches from orchards, leaves and stubble. In addition, any fully organic waste either grown or generated on the premises, including but not limited to paper feed bags, wood shavings used for livestock bedding, bailing twine, and other non-plastic materials. Agricultural waste does not include pesticide containers, fertilizer bags, large plastic storage bags (including bags commonly known as "Ag bags"), offal, tires, plastic feed bags, and other plastic or synthetic materials.

• Individual open fires as approved by the Director of the Division of Air Resources as may be required in response to an outbreak of a plant or animal disease upon request by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets, or for the destruction of invasive plant and insect species.

• Downed limbs and branches (including branches with attached leaves or needles) less than six inches in diameter and eight feet in length between May 15th and the following March 15th (Meaning no burning of these items between March 15 and May 15).

• Barbecue grills, maple sugar arches and similar outdoor cooking devices can be used only for cooking or processing food.

• Small fires used for cooking and camp fires provided that only charcoal or untreated wood is used as fuel and the fire is not left unattended until extinguished.

• Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires provided that only untreated wood or other agricultural products are used as fuel and the fire is not left unattended until extinguished.

• Small fires that are used to dispose of a flag or religious item, and small fires or other smoke producing process where not otherwise prohibited by law that are used in connection with a religious ceremony.

• Fire training, including firefighting, fire rescue, and fire/arson investigation training, performed under applicable rules and guidelines of the New York State Department of State's Office of Fire Prevention and Control. For fire training performed on acquired structures, the structures must be emptied and stripped of any material that is toxic, hazardous or likely to emit toxic smoke (such as asbestos, asphalt shingles and vinyl siding or other vinyl products) prior to burning and must be at least 300 feet from other occupied structures. No more than one structure per lot or within a 300 foot radius (whichever is bigger) may be burned in a training exercises.

If you have questions follow this link.

www.nysaes.cornell.edu/recommends/RAPPPSummary-CornellGuidelines2008Oct27.pdf.

Ensiling Wet Corn Silage

2009-09-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

The discussions on corn silage maturity have centered on monitoring dry matter content to time harvest thus far. The golden rule is to assess whole plant moisture content and harvest at the 65-70% range.

However, what should be done if corn silage is harvested too wet? ( some farmers are worried about a wet fall and will harvest silage wetter than they would like).

Wet corn silage is more likely to undergo extensive fermentation and have high levels of acetic acid (which can reduce intake).

Two recommendations stand out:

Increasing length of cut for wet silage to maintain effective fiber (especially important in higher corn silage diets)
Inoculate with homolactic lactic acid bacteria (LAB)

In general immature corn does not need inoculation to ferment, but the idea is to populate the silage with lactic acid producing bacteria to encourage more lactic (vs acetic) acid production. Also, should corn get frosted hard, natural populations of lactic acid bacteria will be reduced, and need to be supplemented.

A couple articles on this:

Michigan state
Kansas State (Bolson)

Corn Manturing Slowly

2009-09-02T08:46:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Dale Dewing 9/1/2009

Corn is manturing slowly this year. I was out looking over fields in the Delhi area today. Even the earliest planted corn was still only in the milk stage, the kernals would still squirt when you pressed them with a fingernail. The hill top corn was only at the blister stage (picture at right). Let's all pray for more heat.

Tom Kilcer of Advanced Ag Systems (click for more info) included this chart in his August 2009 Crop and Soil Newsletter.

If your corn is currently at:

Full Dent Stage: 1 week – 10 days away from ¼ milk line

Early Dent Stage: 2 weeks to ¼ milk line

Late Milk Stage: 2 ½ weeks to ¼ milk line (doesn’t squirt, but does not have much dent.)

Early Milk Stage: 3 weeks to ¼ milk line (squirts when the kernel is pressed.)

Blister Stage: 25 days to ¼ milk line

Just tasseled: 40 days minimum to ¼ milk line Wait for a frost to dry it somewhat before chopping.

Posted by Dale Dewing at 3:56 PM

Yellow Corn Now Wet Silage

2009-09-01T09:28:00.000-04:00

The recent trade publications are reminding us what a poor growing season we have had for corn. Dr. Bill Cox is is quoted in American Agriculturist that by the end of July the northern New York growing- degree were down 16%. We might well be dealing with a lot of immature corn this year. Cornell studies suggest that maximum milk is achieved if corn is harvested at 32%-35% dry mater.
Some tips to increase dry matter in corn this year: Chop high, Chop in the afternoon after the dew is off.
Other ideas for dealing with imature corn or frosted corn can be found on the Vermont University website.

Click here to see the Vermont article

More Articles:
Iowa State Article
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
Michigan State Article

Feeding Strategies, Part 4 - What to watch for

2009-01-19T15:39:00.002-05:00

The first major challenge to implementing “densified” grain mixes is to realize that cost per ton of grain mix will be higher. However, if the feeding rate per cow is less, the cost per cow per day can be lower than before. (Don’t assume – do the math to determine this.)

Also, sometimes animal performance can be better on these denser grain mixes, so accounting for increased milk production by calculating milk income over purchased feed costs should be done.

When feeding less purchased grain in total to the cow, it is important to realize that a cow will likely attempt to still maintain her daily dry matter intake. It is important to ensure that there is forage available for her to eat to maintain this intake, and preferably, good forage. Offering additional forage will give the best chance for additional milk response an will ensure that no body condition is lost due to reduced total energy intake once grain intakes are lowered.

Another challenge in feeding nutrient denser grain mixes is providing enough minerals. If you choose to put all of the minerals in one of two feeds, low feeding rates can make it a challenge to get enough minerals in the cow each day. While minerals can be “densified,” as well, there is a point at which you can run into palatability problems with the grain mix. Palatability enhancers, like molasses, can be used to overcome this problem. Some farmers choose to put minerals into both mixes, or choose a grain that is fed in greater quantities (usually the energy mix or corn meal). Minerals that can be of particular concern are salt and calcium, both of which are required in large quantity. Cows should be offered at least ¼-pound of salt each day and shorting cows of salt can really cut production. Salt can easily be top dressed loose or offered free choice if it can’t be delivered in the grain mix. One salt block to more than 10 cows does not constitute free choice.

Lastly, feeding a concentrated mix in component fed herds, if not done carefully, can lead to challenges in managing protein levels in the diet. A small change in the amount of grain fed can make a big change in the amount of protein consumed and can lead rot excess protein fed (which is expensive and detrimental to the cow, especially body condition and reproduction). This can be a challenge, especially when forage quality is changing often. Using MUN (milk urea nitrogen) analysis is an invaluable tool for monitoring dietary protein inadequacy. Whole herd average MUN should run between 10 and 14 mg/dl. It is not uncommon to see well-managed diets running 8 to 11. Lower than 8 may signify too little protein in the diet. Individual cow MUN levels should not be running about 18 mg/dl. If you see many cows over 18, there is probably too much protein or too little rumen fermentable carbohydrate in the diet. Most creameries now offer MUN analysis, and it can be obtained through DHI.

Does it work?
Using this strategy in 2007, one PFM farm lowered its grain purchases as percent of milk receipts 10 percentage points n one year, while milk production per cow continues to increase.

Feeding Strategies, Part 3 - How to implement it

2009-01-19T15:39:00.001-05:00

A densified grain mix strategy is often implemented in component fed herds using a “two feed” system; i.e. a protein mix and an energy mix. Most dairy farmers find this approach lets them manage protein intakes differently based on stage flactation, and can be especially useful when cows are on well managed pasture. While a two feed system is the most flexible, it is possible to employ the nutrient densification strategy with a one feed system.

Feeding Strategies, Part 2 - What are we after?

2009-01-19T15:38:00.002-05:00

The main nutrients being delivered to cattle in most purchased grain rations are protein, energy and minerals. In most cases, the primary energy sources are starches (usually delivered in the form of corn meal). Fiber, on most farms around here, is supplied in forages.

The strategy of increasing nutrient density leads us to look for ways to use highly concentrated nutrient sources. Minerals, in most cases, are quite concentrated to begin with. Protein sources are generally considered concentrated when Crude Protein levels are over 40 percent of feed dry matter. This includes most soy products, as well as some others, like meat, bone and blood meal and some commercial plant protein products. Density on the energy side comes from sources that provide a lot of starch, such as corn grain, barley and wheat, as well as products that make starch more available in the rumen (such as true steam-flaked corn).

In making rations denser, what we generally try to avoid is mid-range protein sources such as wheat, distillers’ grains and corn gluten feed. Inclusion of a high level (more than 2 pounds per cow per day) of these products requires that we feed more grain to get the same level of nutrients delivered.

There are some circumstances (such as where a lot of extremely high quality forages like lush pasture or extremely low quality forages coupled with low forage feeding rates) when the feeds that are low in protein and high in digestible fiber, (e.g. soy hulls, citrus pulp) are a good fit in the ration.

Feeding Strategies, Part 1 - Making every pound count

2009-01-19T15:38:00.001-05:00

One feeding strategy that some farmers have employed to manage feed costs is to increase the nutrient density of the purchased grain mixes and feed less total pounds of grain (while still delivering the same total amount of nutrients per cow per day).