It is an exciting time in the world of dairy nutrition with the recent update to the nutrient requirements of dairy cattle by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM, 2021).

As a dairy business consultant, I’m frequently asked two questions: 1) With components contributing most of the pay price, and the high cost of trucking and marketing milk, should I be focusing more on components and less on volume? and 2) We are good at enhancing butterfat and protein tests by manipulating the lysine-to-methionine ratios in the diets, but does it pay to do so when milk prices are low?

If you aren’t yet familiar with balancing dairy rations for amino acids, you will soon be learning quite a bit about this newer nutrition strategy.

That’s because amino acid balancing has the potential to improve milk component and milk production, improve protein utilization and lessen dairy’s environmental impact.