Shrinking is generally not your friend. Whether you’re talking about your favorite pair of work pants or feed, it’s not something that benefits you or your operation.

Total mixed ration (TMR) variability: We know it exists, but evaluating the true extent and impact of this phenomenon can be a daunting task. Cows love consistency, so when looking at inherent TMR variability, we may often wonder about the impact on animal performance.

Almost every dairy samples and analyzes their forages, commodities and feed at some point in time. It is generally recognized that collecting this information periodically is necessary for proper development and formulation of the various feeds used on the farm.

The late Keith Bolsen said many times that a key goal of making good silage is sending all workers home safely to their families at the end of each day. To meet this goal, producers must design their facilities and equipment to protect workers and must implement practices to keep workers safe.

It might not seem like much when you walk through the barn and notice an empty feedbunk. The feed truck eventually drops a pile of feed, and the cows dive in to eat. All seems right with the world. While this may be the perception, reality tells a much different story. That period of reduced intake likely caused a fair amount of stress to the cow’s digestive system, doing more harm than many producers realize.

When it comes to silages and drive-over pile building, Peter Robinson, a UC – Davis extension specialist, believes there is a preference for dairy producers to leave silage oversight to the custom operators who come in and build the piles.

As we look ahead to the upcoming silage harvest and these volatile grain and commodity markets, how can we take our harvest, storage and feedout practices and improve our efficiencies to improve our bottom lines?

High-quality forage is the essential foundation upon which every good dairy diet is built. Missing a step or cutting corners will ultimately increase shrink, decrease quality and negatively affect cattle performance.

The sun is setting on your last day of harvest, everything is either in the silo or covered in the bunk, and now it is time to determine how successful your cropping year has been.