For many dairies, use of premixes is nothing new and they have been used in some fashion since dairying began. In many cases, however, because the practice is so common, we may tend to forget these are tools in our feeding programs that need to be reevaluated from time to time.

Until recently, there was no great way to put a numeric value to the amino acid profile of feed. With the release of the 2021 dairy NASEM, we now have a method to determine the relative value of the amino acid profile of a given feedstuff.

Through the beginning of the fall, we continue to see this variation between milk protein and butterfat prices. Make a plan with your nutritionist and consultants to develop strategies that can and should be put in place to increase profits.

Some dairies across the country are using larger inclusion mixes due to lack of feed storage options. Still in other cases, some feed companies are proposing larger inclusion grain mixes to their customers.