Profitable dairies will pay attention to forage production and management this year, says nutritionist Aaron Naber. It’s one of three keys to profitability in 2007, he says, all dairy producers should remember. “The dairy producers that manage forages and have the ability to feed high-forage diets are generally at the top of the heap,” Naber says.

Naber, a certified dairy nutrition adviser with Shur-Gain USA, works with 28 dairies and more than 9,000 cows in western New York. One of those dairies with exceptional forage management is his client Spring Hope Dairy, a 980-cow dairy in Hopewell, New York.

“This dairy is a prime example of what we strive for in our area,” Naber says. “It is a high-producing dairy. They do a very nice job with forages, and their management and employee teams are of the highest caliber. They always strive to do their best, and I think the results show it.”

Those positive results include a weekly production average of 87 pounds per cow. Naber says the dairy is within reach of breaking the 90-pound benchmark. To help the dairy reach that goal, he’s suggested twice-daily feedings. He also advises the dairy on bunk management with goals to eliminate waste and spoilage.

One of Naber’s talking points when he visits dairies is forage quality. He tells producers there is 5 pounds of milk to be gained by producing and feeding high-quality forages. However, for Naber’s clients, producing top-quality forages in western New York can be difficult, given the area’s quickly changing weather patterns. Naber says dairy producers in the area have adopted the “hay in a day” philosophy to beat inclement weather and put up higher quality forages.

“The highest quality forages available make the healthiest cow and the most milk production,” Naber says.

Naber uses Shur-Gain’s recently released “Newton” rumen model to balance his rations. Newton is a dynamic energy system and uses potential digestibility (PD) and insoluble fiber (IF) analyses to determine the rumen-available carbohydrate contribution from a feedstuff.

As cow requirements change based on production, milk components, gestation, etc., energy and carbohydrate requirements also change. Knowing these carbohydrate levels, coupled with balancing the amino acid requirements of the cow, helps Naber know if he should suggest a dairy producer increase grain feeding or add different carbohydrate and protein sources to boost milk production. Because high-quality forages contain higher concentrations of rumen-available carbohydrates, Naber says sometimes a dairy that has high-quality forage can actually decrease the total amount of grain fed and still maintain milk production.

Such was the case with Spring Hope Dairy. The dairy’s high-quality forage allowed Naber to balance the dairy’s ration to include more forage and less grain without changing milk production or component levels. That change saved the dairy 15 cents per cow per day. Naber says by using the Newton model a dairy producer could save on ration costs or accurately predict what increased cost is required to maintain production. It all depends on forage quality. That’s why Naber says he focuses so much on the topic.

“Dairy producers are always trying to save 5 cents or 10 cents here or there on ingredients. But there’s more money to be made in shrink losses on forages and bunk management than in balancing a ration for 5 cents per day less,” Naber says.

The feeding accuracy of dairy labor plays an important role in minimizing shrink. Naber makes it a point to visit with a dairy’s feeders during his on-farm visits to discuss feeding accuracy. He also recommends purchased commodities be combined before they arrive on farm to eliminate feeder error while mixing.

“From the owner to the feeder, everything gets done the same way on this dairy, day in and day out,” Naber say. “And I never question that. It’s that consistency and high-quality that pays off, ultimately.”

Spring Hope Dairy is already working on another key ingredient that Naber says will be critical for success in 2007 – reproductive results. His other suggested benchmark to watch is herd turnover rate. Naber knows that staying focused on these benchmarks will help Spring Hope Dairy achieve that 90-pound goal. PD