In these trying economic times with low milk prices and high feed prices, dairy farmers all over the country are having to re-evaluate their feeding programs. To get through this year they must decide if they should cut back on feedstuffs and which feedstuffs they should cut back on.

The economics and profit margins in today’s modern dairies are certainly tighter than in the past. Since feed is a large part of the cost of production, now’s the time to identify feed practices that will help you optimize your dairy’s nutritional program.

Feeding and management practices for early lactation dairy cows, especially fresh cows, can have a substantial impact on a cow’s health, well-being, future milk production and reproductive performance.

Precision feeding improves feed efficiency by eliminating excess nutrients while maintaining or improving milk production.

The dairy industry is in uncharted waters with the rollercoaster feed and milk prices over the last 15 months. Given the high feed prices and sudden decrease in the milk price, farmers may be tempted to cut corners or cheapen their feeding programs to save money.

Feed cost evaluation is an important part of managing your dairy business, especially in these economic times of low milk prices and high input costs. Of these input costs, feed expenditures represent the single greatest expense, accounting for approximately 45 percent of the total cost of milk production.

With milk prices dropping and feed prices changing weekly, dairy managers are making key decisions that can be squeezing or reducing profit margins. While economical feeding programs can be a plus, making correct decisions will be important.

Every dairy farmer, nutritionist and veterinarian is familiar with the drop in feed intake experienced by almost all cows before calving. Numerous attempts have been made to prevent or reduce the negative effects of that drop in feed intake, but transition cow nutrition and management is still an issue on many farms.

If you’re buying much feed from off-farm sources, you are well aware of higher feed prices.

Q. What does sustainability mean?