When dairy farming is based on grazing, a necessary focus on managing pastures to optimize forage nutrients for cow health and productivity emerges.

Mold and mycotoxin development in corn ears and stalks, and the resulting corn silage, continues to be a major concern for dairy producers. Mycotoxins can result in a range of problems for livestock throughout the year as they are ingested with the feed.

BMR sorghum has been increasing in acres across the region north of the Mason-Dixon line. Most farmers, agronomists and seed sales professionals use harvest and feeding information from years of experience in Texas and across the South.

According to economic data gathered from 60 Maryland dairies between 1995-2009, grazing dairies posted a higher per-cow profit than confinement dairies – $156 more per cow. The farms surveyed included 20 grazing-based and 40 confined-milking herds.

Various additives, including micro-organisms, enzymes and chemical compounds, have been added to forages to maintain or improve the nutritive value of a crop as silage. As is the nature of most biological systems, there can be considerable variation in the outcome of using these additives.

Similar to a crime scene investigation unit, nutritionists often seek out evidence pointing toward a causative factor when troubleshooting. In some cases, the herd symptoms and challenges are odd, and contributing factors are not very easy to sort through even for well-seasoned consultants.

In another installment of Penn State Extension’s Dairy Grazing Management Guide webinar series, University of New Hampshire professor, extension educator and veterinarian Andre Brito discussed the growing popularity of supplementing kelp to cows in pasture-based systems, both organic and conventional.

Pasture is the primary source of forage for grazing dairies. In the northern U.S., this requirement is typically met by a May-to-October grazing season, and profitability depends on pastures that provide a uniform, season-long supply of high-quality forage. However, in the northern U.S., seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation creates a challenge, as the predominant forage plants, which include perennial grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass, and legumes such as white clover, undergo a “summer slump” in production.

Key performance indicators, such as milk urea nitrogen, ration nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels, corn stalk nitrate testing, and soil fertility assessments are only useful if we know what to strive for.

Sorghum, mainly a crop of the deep south, is being planted on more acres across the northeast. Originally relegated as an emergency summer feed when earlier crops had failed, or for part-time livestock farms, the crop is going mainstream because of the number of economic and practical advantages it offers.