By the time the corn silage is covered and the last acres of sunflowers are combined, the pace at Feikema Farms hardly slows. Located in Rock County in southwest Minnesota, the operation feeds roughly 4,000 head of cattle while cropping nearly 6,000 acres, a scale that reflects decades of steady growth and careful decision-making.

Maximizing fiber digestion is a multifaceted approach that begins with feeding high-quality forages, having excellent feeding management and taking advantage of various feeding technologies available. Utilizing these various approaches will help cows make the most of the fiber they consume.

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.