Preserving silage quality is more important than ever with rising commodity costs. Feedout of last year’s crop is the best time to evaluate how your silage quality and bunker/pile storage are performing, so you can set goals and begin planning for storing next year’s crop.

Until recently there has not been a significant push to supplement B vitamins in dairy cow diets since they are known to be synthesized in large amounts in a cow’s rumen. It has been recognized for many years that B vitamins are essential for various aspects of a cow’s metabolism, her overall health and milk production.

Using ration modeling programs that evaluate multiple carbohydrate fractions and their digestibility enables us to increase income over feed cost (IOFC). Corn prices are over $6 per bu and predicted to be steady to higher.

It is every dairyman’s desire to feed high-quality corn silage and/or haylage to ensure excellent animal health and production and keep feed costs in line. However, maintaining the silage in good condition throughout the feeding period is a challenge.

Anyone involved in the dairy industry realizes these are difficult times. Nevertheless, there are strategies that can help improve profitability even during these hard times. One such strategy is to balance rations for amino acids. This strategy is useful when dairymen are paid based on protein or solids production.

I have had the advantage of working as a practicing veterinarian in the Midwest and as a nutritionist in California, Utah, Idaho and Texas. When comparing the managerial and nutritional styles of these different areas, it is easy to see many similarities and some differences.

“Milk Class III futures prices are forecast to decline over 12 percent in the next 3 to 6 months while corn prices hover around $5.85, pointing to another tough year.” The bleak news seems like a reoccurring nightmare: Dairymen and their advisers are looking for tools to increase farm profitability.

Ration formulation decisions are not taken lightly. But when it comes to ration modifications, two questions steal the show: “What will this cost me?” and “What financial return can I expect?” The answers to these two questions are often the driving force behind change or the decision to keep things just the way they are.

The use of commodity feeds, such as corn gluten feed or soybean hulls, in dairy rations is not a new concept to the dairy industry. Commodity feeds have been used by feed companies and larger dairies for many years.

Forages are the foundation for building diets for the dairy herd. The quality of these forages greatly impacts profitability and performance, especially of the milking herd. Because of limited land base, labor or personal preference, farmers may decide to purchase part or all of their herd’s forage needs. This article deals with considerations when purchasing hay, especially alfalfa or alfalfa/grass hay, for the milking herd.