A quick, easy and free method of evaluating your dairy herd’s feed consumption or cost of production is being made available by University of Wisconsin Extension...More
Charlie Sniffen is an outspoken, hardworking nutritionist passionate about telling others about the value of adding more forages – especially grasses – to dairy diets...More
Sweet corn cannery waste doesn’t have the quality or consistency of corn silage. But at a third to half the price, it’s an effective way for some dairies to shave their feed bills...More
Silage piles cost less to “build” than any other silage storage system available, says Richard Muck, a USDA-ARS ag engineer at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, WI...More
Forages should be grouped, stored and used according to where livestock are in the production cycle; a whole-farm management approach is essential for dairies to stay profitable, says Charlie Sniffen....More
If you’re going to feed a residue forage to add effective fiber to rations, cornstalks and wheat straw are about equal. The one you choose may depend on what you need it to do”...More
Chet Stuemke’s MasterGraze yielded 18 tons of silage/acre, but he’ll reserve judgment on the crop until after a feeding trial that’s scheduled to begin later this fall...More
They only got one grazing from it, but David Leach and George Lake were impressed with the amount of high-quality forage produced by a new crop they tried this summer...More
University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist Mike Hutjens advocates using the following four sets of numbers to evaluate the effectiveness of ration changes and overall herd management...More
Checking bulk tank levels might be the quick-and-easy way for dairy producers and their nutritionists to determine whether a recent ration change accomplished what was intended...More
Using grasses to help keep transition cows’ rumens filled may be a low-cost, viable option for reducing the number of displaced abomasums (DAs) in a herd, suggests Randy Shaver...More
Dairy rations consisting of 55-75% forage can help solve a few cow-health problems, says Charlie Sniffen, an independent nutritionist and consultant...More
Grass-legume mixes in dairy rations are becoming more popular as producers look to cool hot rations and provide effective fiber. Adding grasses helps lower the amount of non-fiberous carbohydrates in an overall dairy ration...More
Dairymen are starting to realize the advantages of adding grasses to their alfalfa-corn silage rations – to provide more effective fiber and reduce energy levels...More
Feeding straw can help solve behavioral problems in dairy heifers consuming limit-fed rations, say researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario...More
Baleage production, bunker silo density and the economics of alfalfa vs. corn silage are among the scheduled topics at forage seminars to be held during this year’s World Dairy Expo, Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in Madison, WI...More
Planting winter rye following soybean or corn silage harvest is a good way for dairy producers to increase feed production from limited acres, say University of Wisconsin dairy specialists...More
Delay alfalfa harvest and you’ll likely increase neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and lower protein in the crop. He suggests using one or more methods to predict when to cut first-crop alfalfa based on NDF concentration...More
It's not new, but the PEAQ (predictive equations for alfalfa quality) technique is reliable, says Jim Morrison, Extension educator, crop systems, Rockford Extension Center, University of Illinois...More
Take care if grazing cattle on soft, wet pasture – trampling can weaken plants and reduce production for months or years, says Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist...More
Keeping track of your alfalfa plants’ height is the best way to tell when to take off your first cutting, says J.W. Schroeder, North Dakota State University Extension dairy specialist...More
Feeding economics, improving transition-cow performance and silage troubleshooting are a few dairy-nutrition topics to be presented at the 2010 Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, June 9-10 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, IA...More
When faced with alfalfa winterkill or a hailed-out forage field in late spring, millets, especially pearl millet, could be an annual crop option worth considering...More
