A recent study at the University of Wisconsin Arlington Research Station shows that snaplage can be a viable way to feed dairy herds – but its effect on milk depends on how it is fed. The feeding trial compared diets with snaplage, high-moisture shelled corn (HMSC) or two-thirds snaplage plus one-third dry corn treatments. Sixty cows were included in this study.

Engineers had the slide rule. Nutritionists used Pearson’s Square to calculate the proper inclusion rates for two ingredients in order to achieve the desired concentration of a single nutrient. A lot has changed since those days. Yet dairymen continue to maximize production efficiency by using the forages and feedstuffs on hand and making wise feed purchases. Diets must supply minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates and water.

Had anyone asked a corn and soybean grower in June what their forecast for fall grain prices were, chances are good that the response would have centered around one word … Lower!

What’s it worth? You might be surprised at the variety of items of which dairy nutritionists are asked to assess the value. Partially intact feed bins, antique farm equipment, crossbred bull calves and silo staves are just a few of the more unique ones on the list. More commonly, springing heifers, a gallon of liquid manure or the neighbor’s farmland may need a quick estimate.

Feed prices for the last five years have been at historic highs. Coupled with periods of low milk prices, this has resulted in extremely tight (sometimes negative) margins for dairy producers. The ability of ruminants to convert lower-digestibility feedstuffs (forages and other high-fiber feeds) into edible products has always been a positive attribute and one that has historically allowed the use of lower-cost feedstuffs, often byproducts which would be wasted otherwise.

Dairy heifers have a lot riding on their shoulders. They may not be competing in the Olympics but, like an athlete, they must prepare and perform at their best or they won’t go home a winner. Your role in preparing heifers to perform at their best is crucial. According to industry standards established by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) in its Gold Standards II, Holstein heifers should achieve an average daily gain of at least 1.7 to 2.0 pounds. To do this, you must feed post-weaned dairy heifers properly, which includes feeding sufficient levels of energy and protein.

The first two months of a calf’s life can be challenging due to high risk of scours and respiratory disease – but this time is also one of opportunity because calves have the potential to grow very efficiently. While getting calves off to a good start is labor-intensive and can be frustrating at times, recent research has shown that keeping calves healthy and growing not only benefits the calf in the short term but can have long-term impacts on the productivity (and ultimately profitability) of the animal once it reaches the lactating herd.

While the total neutral detergent fiber content (NDF on a DM basis) of a forage crop is a major factor in defining the overall maturity at cutting, it’s by no means the last word in understanding the digestibility of this fiber fraction when eaten by the dairy cow or replacement heifer. The NDF fraction comprises the cell wall components, lignin, hemi-cellulose and cellulose.(See Figure 1.)