A34-L«nc«ster Farming, Saturday, September 19, 1993
A Farm Management Course by
Glenn A. Shirk
Penn State Extension Agent
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Goal Maximize Ihc utili7ation of feeds
Minimize the loss ol nutrients
How efficiently feeds arc utilised is aflcclcd by how they aie pioccsscd and how they ai
Largcr-pailtelc feeds in the ration are beneficial when cows arc consuming - -
- A lot of finely chopped feeds
A lot o( high moistuic feeds
- Young, line-stemmed, lush Images
- Minimum amounts ol loragc
The lumen miciobcs need soluble pi olein and soluble carbohydialcs in order to glow, to multiply
and to digest the i.ilion efficiently These soluble nutrients need to arrive in the lumen at about the
same time, in the right amounts and on a lather continual basis thioughout the day Otherwise the
miciobcs aie shortchanged and the rumen won’t function well - that shortchanges you
- Be suic the talton has suflicicnl amounts of soluble protein and soluble carbohydrates
Olfci cows some feeds that arc high in soluble protein, and some that ate high m soluble
caibohvdiatcs (corn, bailey, etc ), tn the light amounts, penodically thioughout the day
- Avoid feeding cows huge slugs of feeds that ate high m soluble caibohydrate at any one
lecding slug feeding causes acidosis and oil-feed problems
Feed cows frequently Olfer them no more than 8 lb of concentrate per feeding, and feed some
(oiagcs bclorc offering them concentrates The use of TMR’s help to solve this problem
Hatd kernels need to be ground or rolled finely to increase their digestibility When doing this,
be suic thcic is an adequate amount ol effective fiber in the ration to compensate loi the finer
pioccssmg of the feed
Maximize DMI in caily lactation Entice them to eat more than what they actually want
Keep the cow and het rumen healthy
Hold feed costs at reasonable levels
Goal
You aie m the business of convening feed into milk To do that, you have to feed cows lots of feed, and it
has to be good enough so they can utilize it efficiently If they don't cat it, they can’t convert it to milk If
they can’t digest it they can’t convert it to milk
1 How much cliy matter should cows cut 7 ll is affected primarily by milk production and body weight
Small biccds, producing milk of higher fat and protein content consume moic DM pci lb of body
weight than larger breeds Expected dry matter intakes (DMI) are shown in Table 1
Table 1 Expected Dry Matter Intake as Percent of Body Weight
Milk per Day Dry 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Large Breeds 19 2 5 27 30 33 3 5 38 41 4 3
Small Breeds 20 29 33 37 40 45 50 54 58
2 Moisluic allccls DMI Know moistuic contents so you know much diy mallei cows consume
Weigh feeds and test foi moisture DMl’s arc affected greatly by changes m moisture content
- A slight change in moisture of high moisture feeds can cause a major change in dry matter as
illustialcd m Table 2 When the moistuic level of silage dropped 10 percentage units, it
rcpicscnlcd a 14% change in moisture, but a 33% change in dry matter That would be a
significant change in the amount of dry matter being fed, that is, if feeding rates were not
adjusted for changes in moisture content
When the moisture content of a dry feed, such as hay, changes by 10 percentage units, it
icprescnls a big change in pciccntagc change in moisture, hut the affect on diy mallei is rathci
insignilicant by companson
Table 2 Moistuic Diy Matter Relationships
Silage Sample
Moisture % 70 60 10 14
DM % 30 40 10 JJ
Hay Sample
Moisture % 10 20 10 100
DM % 90 80 10 //
The effect these changes have on ration makeup, on DMI and on milk production can be significant
as shown in Table 3
Table 3 Moisture-Dry Matter Relationships
Lb c /< Lb % Lb
Leeds Led Led DM DMI DM DMI
Com Silage 3| 39 12 32 10
Haylagc 23 52 \2 47 U
f oiage DMI 24 21
Conccnliatc 23 88 22 88 22
Total DMI (lb) 46 43
% of body wt 3 4 3 2
% from forage 52 49
Impact on
DMI - 3
Milk lb 6-8
Milk s(@sl2 00/cwt) $0.72-0.96
DAIRY FARM
MANAGEMENT
BASICS
Maximize Pi
Old New %
Test Test Difference Change
Mallei Intake
lie fed
A diop in com silage DM of 7% (from 39 to 32) and in haylage DM of 5% (from 52 to 47) resulted in
3 lb less forage DM being consumed, when no changes were made in the amount of feeds being fed
This 3 lb loss in DMI impacted milk production by 6-8 lb That equates to 72-96 cents less milk incoi
per day when milk is priced at $l2 00 If (orage intake level falls too far, acidosis and oft feed problei
could develop, making the economic impact woise
3 Getting cows to cat more feed and dunk moic watci
Keep feeds flesh
feed licqucnlly and keep lecds pushed up to cows
Don't feed cows partially spoiled feeds
Remove enough ensiled feeds from silos daily to keep the feed fresh
Don't allow uneaten feed to build up in the bunk and heat or spoil
Keep mangeis and watcrers clean
Feed and water should be convenient and easily accessible to cows most hours of the day
Don't make cows walk long distances for feed and water
The feed area should be close to a clean comfortable icst area, close to shade and close to an
abundant supply of good quality water
Water intake enhances feed intake
Cows like to gulp down water by the gallons, especially after milking
Cows drink moic from vats than fiom water bowls
Water bowls should be easy for cows to reach and to operate with little effort
Locate watcrers close to parlor exits, close to feed areas and close to pasture lots
Assure adequate flow rates (well output, water pressure, pipe size, reserve tanks, etc )
Install water systems that are easy to clean, and then keep them clean
Provide enough bunk space and plenty of drinking room
About 1.5 to 2 0 feet of bunk space per cow is recommended
Large water vats arc preferable to water bowls
Cows eat and dnnk better in well-ventilated, well-lit areas that are shaded in summer
The feeding and watcnng aica should he pleasant, enticing and non-lhicalening
Make eating and dunking a pleasant experience loi cows
Be sure they can reach water bowls and operate valves easily For good access to wall
bowls, cows need about 18 in of head clearance between the top ol the bow I and any i
that is above it
Don’t let them gel shocked by cow trainers or stray voltage
Don't impair or discourage cows access to feeding and watering areas by - -
Improperly placed neck rails and tic rails
Short chain lengths and improperly positioned cow tramcis
High manger curbs Curbs should be only slightly highci than the animals knees
Manger height should be about 4 in higher than the surface cows aie standing on
Cows prefer simple fence line feeders
Bossy cows can intimidate other cows and keep them away from feed and water
Create a hcilcr group, not because of nutritional differences, but for social icasons, it
prevents heifers from being intimidated by older cows Intimidation is a stress heifer
not need, especially at the time they first calve and begmg their first lactation 1
Don't force cows to use dead-ended alleys where they fear being trapped
When cows eat head to head, make the bunk is at least 6 feet wide
'DMA
Lancaster Da fry Herd improvement Assoc.
1592 O/dL/ne ftcf. Manhe/m, PA 17545
(717) 555-5960
JOE GRAYBEAL
Lancaster DHIA
Board President
MANHEIM (Lancaster
Co.) Lancaster Dairy Herd
Improvement Association’s
(LDHIA) board of directors
reviewed operations at its most
recent meeting.
Jay Mylin, LDHIA manager,
reported that the organization con
tinues outstanding growth in num
ber of herds and number of cows.
While significant increases in
membership stretches the efforts
of the field technicians, every
attempt is made to assure quality
service.
Collection of test-day data and
transmission of data through
DRMS continues to average less
than two days for all herds with
LDHIA.
Dairymen using PCDART
should have all information,
including sample data, available,
on the average, less than 48 hours
after testing.
The increase in sample volume
continues to be handled efficiently
by the tesdng laboratory.
Jere High, lab manager,
reported that the Bendy equip
ment, used to test milk samples.
Lancaster
continues to run smoothly. Lab
personnel are adjusting to the
increased volume of samples with
out adding additional employees.
This helps lower dairymen’s test
ing fees.
High informed the board of
LDHIA’s recent 100-percent lab
quality certification for 1997 from
National DHIA. This exceptional
performance has continued for
four consecutive years.
A new computer and work table
were approved by the board to
enable lab technicians to more effi
ciently enter data for herds being
tested each day. Basic herds are
being processed by a new compu
ter placed in the office of the lab.
As growth continues, the board
will spend time reviewing with
management the needs of LDHIA,
in order to continue to provide high
quality least-cost service to its
members.
Over the next few months, plan
ning time is scheduled to deter
mine our future needs. LDHIA
will be coordinating personnel
training efforts with allied industry
to better prepare itself.
The board is appreciative of the
cooperation it has received from so
many members of the industry that
support dairymen.
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