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Fermentrics is a nutritional diagnostic report unique in that it contains data generated from a novel, gas-fermentation method popular among European academic researchers.
There are only a few university and corporate product development research labs in North America with gas-fermentation systems and they are not capable of processing and handling the sample volume needed in a commercial offering.
Ensiling forages, an age-old process, comes with both unavoidable and avoidable losses of nutrients.
With corn at $6 per bushel and soy beans at $12 per bushel, the market value of corn silage based on its nutrient content is in excess of $70 per ton as fed or $200 per ton dry matter for a 35 percent dry matter crop – we clearly need to pay closer attention to the avoidable losses.
A key dairy nutritionist asked us to conduct a TMR audit for two reasons: First, to determine what, if any, factors might be limiting the lactation herd’s feeding system and, second, for insights on further improving the feeding management.
The nutritionist had seen the results of previous TMR audits and knew the producer would welcome fine-tuning from a second set of eyes.
Back in 1990, I worked with my first 90-pound dairy herd. It was a very high crude protein diet (22 percent) and contained 42 pounds of grain in only 56 pounds of dry matter intake, making the ration a mere 33 percent forage. Fortunately for the cows, several pounds of soyhulls and cottonseed made up a large proportion of the TMR grain mix, helping to maintain rumen health.
In today’s tough economic, environmentally conscious world, a dairy operation needs to run with the utmost precision and efficiency. From purchasing opportunity ingredients to using on-farm forages, to production efficiencies and standard operating procedures, all components must work together to have a successful, profitable and earth-friendly operation.
Combines have been monitoring yield since the mid-90s. Back then, forage yield monitoring was still in development.
However, yield monitors for forage harvesters have made great progress in the last 10 years. We are familiar with the importance of calibrating the yield monitors on combines, and now need to pay similar attention to forage harvesters.
Corn growers are constantly looking for ways to maximize profit. Planter condition is one of the most controllable variables that influence profitability.
Research studies have shown that planter maintenance impacts the quality of stand establishment. In 2000, researchers conducted a study which showed an average yield improvement of 4.2 bushels per acre due to planter calibration.
Excellent-quality hay has a high nutritive value and animal intake. Hay quality can differ widely within a single species grown in the same location due to management.
The nutritive value of the final product depends on many factors in the hay production system, such as maturity, curing and storage.
Weather conditions in regions throughout North America have placed a great deal of pressure on cattle ranchers and dairy farmers, particularly in regards to the cost and availability of hay this winter.
In many areas they are faced with a pressing choice: either stretch existing supplies of hay or supplement with additional hay purchased on the open market at inflated prices due to the shortages.
Several dairy producers in the Midwest recently saw an opportunity to improve their feed storage capacity and feed quality with a new pull-behind tractor implement.
The Impact Silage Packer follows a very simple concept – using weight to pack down feed.
The packer is basically an implement consisting of rollers that each weigh 650 pounds and are designed to increase feed compaction on forage piles and bunkers.
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