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The transition cow is one of the most important animals in your operation. A successful transition sets her up for a great lactation and the potential to stay in your herd for years to come.
Dairy farmers might be overfeeding a large proportion of lactating cows when the same ration is fed to a large group of animals. Diets are normally formulated to provide enough nutrients to the most productive animals, but may result in giving extra nutrients to less productive individuals due to inefficient nutrient utilization.
Rumen-protected histidine is more of an attractive concept today than a commercial product. Yet experimental prototypes are showing potential. As these prototypes advance, factors related to their use and potential in dairy nutrition will gain more attention.
In laymen’s terms, what does MUN stand for?
MUN stands for milk urea nitrogen and is commonly found on every farmer’s bulk tank readings. MUNs of 5 or lower should be of concern, as the protein being fed may not be enough to meet the needs of rumen bacteria.
When looking for ways to increase income over feed cost, the results other herds have obtained by balancing amino acids can provide insightful direction. With U.S. corn-based rations, the two amino acids that are first-limiting are methionine and lysine.
Transition management directly impacts milk production and the bottom line. Poor transition periods can result in the loss of 10 to 20 pounds of peak milk per cow per day.
The increased milk production possible with modern dairy cows helps shine the spotlight on the role of essential amino acids in herd production and performance. The production benefits for monogastrics have made amino acid nutrition a staple of pork and poultry production for decades.
As a dairy producer, it’s important to know what is happening in your dairy’s nutrition program. Common questions related to amino acid balancing include the following.
The dairy industry has become increasingly precise in identifying and meeting the protein requirements of dairy cattle.Most notably, the industry has moved from focusing on the diet’s content of crude protein to metabolizable protein and now to individual amino acids.
