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Like most dairy managers today, Jamie Kulesa, operations manager for Horizon Organic Dairy in Paul, Idaho, keeps a close eye on his forage. “We’re shooting to be between 50 and 60 percent moisture on our haylage,” Kulesa says.
Virtually every dairyman will tell you that the success of his operation is dependent on producing healthy, productive replacements.
The nutrition and health management of newborn calves is a constant topic of concern, and every producer is looking for a cost-effective, magic combination of products and practices that result in healthy calves on a consistent basis.
The Grober Young Animal Development Center (GYADC) has been working on various management and nutrition trials evaluating group housing since 2009.
In 2011, our research evaluated unlimited daily milk allowance delivered and recorded via an automatic calf feeder.
Progressive Dairyman asked Biomin experts to comment on their annual mycotoxin survey findings from earlier this year.
Q. What is most strikingly different about this year's survey compared to previous years' surveys? A: We have been conducting a mycotoxin survey for several years. The survey allows feed and animal producers to assess the risks of using certain feedstuffs/feeds from different regions.
This article was #17 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. It was published in the August 22, 2013 Extra e-newsletter. Click here for the full list of the Top 25.
Freelance writer Kelli Boylen combined key points from two presentations at the 2013 Four State Dairy Nutrition Conference. Dr. Phil Cardoso said that cows fed a controlled-energy diet as opposed to a high-energy diet three to four weeks before calving tend to have fewer health problems, similar milk production and better reproduction. Kevin Lager’s presentation focused on using the metabolic profile to diagnose and treat transition cow problems.
Silage and hay inventories continue to be a challenge on many dairy operations due to unfavorable weather and available land.
To stretch supplies of quality silage, proactive measures are necessary to ensure that forages are harvested at the peak time, inoculated at the chopper and packed to the ideal density.
But all of this work can go unnoticed if the ensiled forage isn’t covered and fed properly. A misstep in covering or feeding can lead to wasted silage and money down the drain.
Imagine receiving income from various sources without recording where it came from or how much came from each source and then paying it out and likewise not recording how it was spent.
You would simply end the year wondering why you did not have much left to show for all the work you did. Sound familiar?
If you had to choose just one cut of haylage to feed your milking herd for the entire year, which one would you select? I would hazard a guess that about 98 percent of producers and closer to 99.9 percent of nutritionists and veterinarians will choose the first cut.
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