The formulation and management of dairy cow diets has become increasingly more dependent on computer programming and modeling over the past two decades.

As an industry, we’ve made significant strides in improving feed efficiency. However, when we dig deeper, we have some work to do. Protein is one of the most expensive parts of the ration and there remain vast opportunities to improve protein efficiency.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to livestock production, of which 37 percent is methane.

Feeding fat and fat products to dairy cows is common on most, if not all, dairies. Understanding how to properly feed fats and fat products is another story and seems to change daily.

Many agricultural crops are harvested each year, stored and subsequently fed. To maximize preservation of the crops’ nutrients, we rely on fermentation. This is silage making. But the key to good fermentation is an anaerobic (absence of oxygen) environment.

Given the ever-rising costs of feedstuffs and the tight margins in the livestock industry, animals need to be as efficient as possible at extracting nutrients out of feeds used in livestock operations. Enzymes are one of the tools that can be used to increase the efficiency of nutrient utilization.

Shades, misters and fans are all in place and running, but it’s still a hot summer day. You know the cows are starting to feel the effects of the heat because they aren’t eating as much. What else can you do? Protect them by changing their diet.

If you are looking for higher yields, stockpiled feed for the summer slump as well as better soil, growing corn for your cows to graze instead of perennial grasses may be the answer.

We all like scores: golf scores, bowling scores, limestone scores – single numbers that tell us volumes about complex situations. We use scores all the time. A bowling score of 300 is not just good; it’s a perfect game. A golf score of 300 is, well, not. Sometimes scores go by different names.

Could your dairy herd do well on 100 percent grass-fed milk? Yes, if you have well-managed pastures, said dairy producer Kevin Mahalko.