Feed rations account for more than half of the cost of milk production; this number varies depending on the price of milk and feed. How dairies meet feed challenges determines, to a large extent, the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the dairy industry.

Almond hulls are an energy and fiber source I have utilized since starting 18 years ago as a nutrition consultant in California. More than 90% of the dairy farmers I work with feed almond hulls as a concentrate, silage extender or both.

Byproduct feeds are feed ingredients that have had nutrients extracted for human or commercial applications. Examples include soybean meal (oil removed for industrial and human food uses), fuzzy whole cottonseed (fiber used for clothing) and corn distillers grain (production of ethanol as a fuel).

Dairy cattle and other ruminants are biologically designed to convert a wide variety of forages and feeds that can’t be digested by humans into milk, a high-quality food and protein used by humans.

Although upcycling may be a trendy word that do-it-yourselfers (DIY) have popularized in the last few years, cows have had this art mastered for centuries.

In increased frequency, we see headlines in the news about greenhouse gas emissions and animal agriculture. Methane is one of the main greenhouse gases of concern. Cows produce methane from fermentation in the rumen, also called enteric methane. There is a push to reduce methane production from cows to help with climate change.

Wet feedstuffs derived from the food and ethanol industries are valuable additions to cattle diets, when available within reasonable distance from the farm. They not only provide required nutrients, but their moisture content helps condition total mixed rations (TMRs), increases their palatability and reduces feed sorting by livestock. Depending on their water content and price, however, their purchase can turn into a questionable economic decision.