There is a stretch of time on every dairy that quietly determines how well a cow will perform during her lactation. The transition period is when cows either get off to a smooth, productive start or begin a chain reaction of health and performance problems that are hard to fix later.

Methionine is an essential amino acid for dairy cows, but it is often undersupplied in typical rations. It is considered essential because cows cannot synthesize enough methionine to meet their needs, so it must be supplied by what they digest. 

It is an exciting time in the world of dairy nutrition with the recent update to the nutrient requirements of dairy cattle by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM, 2021).

As a dairy business consultant, I’m frequently asked two questions: 1) With components contributing most of the pay price, and the high cost of trucking and marketing milk, should I be focusing more on components and less on volume? and 2) We are good at enhancing butterfat and protein tests by manipulating the lysine-to-methionine ratios in the diets, but does it pay to do so when milk prices are low?