Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series featuring 10 steps to a successful transition period. Steps 6-10 are discussed in this article. In our previous article (Progressive Dairyman, February 25, 2017, 10 steps for a successful transition period, part 1) we started the conversation that nutrition and management of the dry dairy cow has been an area of extensive research over the last 25 years.

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series featuring the steps to a successful transition period. Dry cow nutrition and management of the dry dairy cow has been extensively researched over the last 25 years.

Dietary ingredients that producers feed to dairy animals determine their efficiency and health status. In order to produce more milk, concentrates have gained popularity as an energy source for increased milk yield.

In 2014, the USDA reported that 89.4 percent of dairy operations in the U.S. included corn silage lactating cow diet. Dry mater intake potential and, consequently, energy content of dairy cows’ dietary consumption is limited by the amount of fiber present in the forage.

Dairy producers are constantly looking for ways to increase profitability, especially in times of low milk prices. Milk is the main product of the majority of U.S. dairy herds, and its volume and quality is directly associated with the farm’s gross income.

Fungal disease of corn can cause a multitude of problems including yield loss of the corn, mycotoxin contamination and a decrease in plant quality for animal feed. In 2012, fungal disease caused a 10 percent loss in corn yield, and 24.4 percent of grain harvested was infected with mycotoxins.