Variability isn’t ideal for any situation on a dairy farm, but one way to get through variation is to know when it’s coming. If you tested forages when they came off the field, you should have a pretty good idea of their quality – but there may be hidden challenges you need to prepare for.

Each year, environmental stressors such as drought, excess moisture, high temperatures, humidity and insect damage predispose crops to mold growth and subsequent mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites secreted by various fungi species found on crops grown for livestock feed.

Challenges with growing seasons, weather-related harvest delays and subpar silage storage can lead to mycotoxins in stored forages. Our three-legged milking stool for mitigating mycotoxins includes: a research-proven silage inoculant, binders from multiple classes added to the TMR and effective probiotics fed to the cows to help them help themselves.

Cows that consume feed contaminated with mycotoxins – which include natural toxins made by various species of molds – may suffer a host of various metabolic disruptions that lead to a loss of milk production, hormonal imbalance and reduced reproductive performance. 

Elite athletes are resilient, and your cows need to be that way too. For them to perform at a high level, they need all barriers to productivity removed so they can devote as much energy as possible to fully expressing their genetic potential.

A cutting-edge new feed additive from Quality Technology International is the only feed additive currently patented for inhibition of salmonella colonization in livestock and poultry.

Variability is the one constant dairy producers can count on. Unfortunately, cows appreciate consistency and do best when things stay the same on a daily basis.

How do you mitigate and prevent spoiled silage for the future? Throughout the summer, many dairy consultants have seen farm teams challenged by aerobically unstable 2019 ensiled forages and high-moisture grains, which were grown under several levels of stress.