Planning ahead is the key to accurate forage inventories and minimizing costly waste. Universities offer checklists and calculators to guide dairy and cattle producers, while extension specialists and feed company representatives provide practical advice on storage, sampling and shrink calculations.

Staying ahead of seasonal challenges with a proactive feeding program can significantly minimize silage spoilage risks and maximize herd performance and efficiency. By adopting a clean feed approach – through managing the ensiling and feeding of silage, implementing hygienic on-farm practices and ensuring the right nutrition – producers provide their herd with the best opportunity for a high-quality clean feed source and the ability to efficiently produce high-quality milk.

A total mixed ration (TMR) diet has long been used to consistently offer a high-quality mix to ruminants. It allows farms to incorporate almost any ingredient into the diet consistently, safely removing much of the variation from one mouthful to the next.

The key to support your cattle is finding the right feeding practices to minimize waste.

There are a few areas on a farm that don’t receive as much attention by publications, consultants and even the dairy producers themselves that can have a dramatic impact on farm profitability.