Carbohydrates

Fine-tuning carbohydrates in the diet: It’s more than just fiber and starch

sblez@verizon.net — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Carbohydrates are integral to the diet of lactating dairy cows, providing the energy necessary for milk production and overall health. Balancing NFC and fiber carbohydrates, along with proper ration formulation and monitoring, can maximize the benefits of carbohydrates in the diet.

The variability nesting dolls

katie_raver@rockriverlab.com — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Although managing starch digestibility may feel like uncovering the center in a never-ending set of nesting dolls, there are many tools available to help us start to break this down. Doing so can help ensure that rations meet expected values and help farmers make the most out of purchased and homegrown feeds. It can also shed light on opportunities to improve starch digestion and ensure we aren’t missing out on valuable energy.

The dollars and sense of pretty manure

nuglow@vitaplus.com — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Nobody likes to walk through a freestall pen and see manure laden with flecks of yellow corn pericarp. To any dairy manager, herd manager or nutritionist, “pretty poo” is all the rage – and pretty means consistently fleckless. This pretty manure is not only important to the diet but also a key part of every dairy’s bottom line.

New feed additive primes cows' immune system, binds pathogens better

walt.cooley@agproud.com — Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Butterfat 101: There’s more to it than nutrition

rkrammes@standardnutrition.com — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

All we have to do is balance the ration to maximize fat, right? Regarding the number of variables involved in ration formulation, few diets are ever truly balanced. Consider the word “optimized” instead. Let’s look at several key nutrients that must be optimized for maximum butterfat production.

Nailing down individual sugars in dairy rations

katie_raver@rockriverlab.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

In feed analysis, we often simply look at water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESC) to evaluate sugar content. Within these categories there are multiple carbohydrates and types of sugars, just like there are many different types of nails or screws.

How much does undigested starch cost?

kai.yuan@qlf.com — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:00:01 -0400

Starch is one of the key components of a dairy ration, oftentimes accounting for 25% to 30% of the daily dry matter intake (DMI). The digestibility and fermentability of starch play important roles in feed economics and dairy cow performance. This article will discuss costs of undigested starch and strategies to cope with undesirable starch digestibility.

Impact of starch digestibility rates on nutrition model predictions

marybeth@paradoxnut.com — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 21:09:42 -0400

Undigested starch is useless to the dairy cow. Especially when corn prices are high, one goal should be to minimize starch losses in manure. The first step usually taken to reduce starch loss is to evaluate corn grain particle size and most likely, to grind it finer. But for greater success, more changes may need to be made.

Specific sugar types and sources for dairy cows

marybeth@paradoxnut.com — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:00:01 -0400

Today’s dairy farms typically feed a large amount of fermented forages and processed feeds which contain little sugar. Because of this, lactating dairy rations usually contain about 1.5% to 3% sugar, if no supplemental sugar is fed.

Dietary starch levels: How much is not enough?

kboesche@landolakes.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:00:01 -0400

The fresh cow period is the time of greatest opportunity during a cow’s lactation. Starting cows off strong can result in increased peak milk, an ideal lactation curve and improved income over feed cost.

Uncovering the hidden glucose source cows need

heather.white@wisc.edu — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:00:01 -0500

On Aug. 16, 2009, at the World Track and Field Championship in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 meters in only 9.58 seconds, achieving a feat no person had ever achieved.