Cows crave consistency. Milking time, udder prep, feed delivery, animal care and handling, reproduction and the nutrients delivered in the ration should be the same day in and day out.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and provide technical support to numerous dairies here in the U.S. and internationally. One of the most common questions asked pertains to feeding fats, fat sources and the hoped-for effects on milk volume, components and reproduction.

Forage and fiber in the diets of dairy cows is critical for their optimal health and milk production. How the fiber in forages ferments, digests and is metabolized is an ongoing subject of discussion and research.

Is your herd’s milk production being maximized? Is lactation performance being limited by a nutrient deficiency such as an amino acid deficiency? The potential for milk production is driven by energy. Yet the efficient use of energy is dependent upon adequate supply of amino acids.

Many of today’s dairy farms have become larger, often without increasing their labor force. The management systems successful on a smaller dairy will frequently evolve into a system no longer best for the cow.

Feed represents more than half of a typical dairy’s operating costs. When milk prices decline, cutting feed costs is often a tempting first strategy for producers and their nutrition consultants. However, when it comes to nutrition management, short-term cost cutting may lead to long-term and expensive consequences.

Low milk prices can have a real impact on dairy farmers. When this occurs, cash becomes short and farmers have to make some tough decisions. They start to look for ways to reduce expenses while also maintaining milk production.

As another silage season approaches, now is a good time to start preparing for a safe silage season. Unfortunately, when most producers are asked what silage and safety mean to them, their answer usually revolves around silage pile or bunker safety.

Traditionally, it has been assumed practical diets fed to dairy cattle provide sufficient chromium to meet their requirements. However, research conducted over the past 20 years has shown chromium supplementation of practical diets can increase insulin sensitivity and increase cattle performance and health under certain conditions.

The 2017 growing season was challenging across the U.S. Growers in different regions experienced varied weather conditions that could not only reduce yield, but could also increase plant stress and lead to challenges with mycotoxins.