Question: What can we do to prevent separation of grain and forage in our TMR? If we do nothing, will our cows perform as they should? Certain feeding situations make this a very good question. A TMR made up of dry hay and grain is the extreme example of two ingredients that are so differ ent in physical nature that main taining a homogeneous blend of feed is almost impossible without using some sort of binding agent like molasses, liquid fat, wet by products like brewers, or even water. 1 made a visit to this farm be cause only experience can de termine whether separation of feeds as seen by the dairyman is a legitimate concern. Before ar riving, I had requested that a sample of feed be kept as it was discharged from the mixer. I ar rived at the tail end of the feed ing period with feed left over from the morning feeding. The amount looked to be ade quate and the feeder reported that total leftovers for the day were a bit less than what I saw at the end of the daytime feed peri od. I advfsed them that feeding fur an 8% refusal was important and that this should be checked periodically with the scales on the wagon so that the eyeball method can be a bit more accu rate. Comparing the mixed feed with'the refusal, it was apparent that indeed the cows were sort got milk? 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Another way to tell if some feed management changes are in order is to look at the performance of the cows since starting this particular diet. Milk pounds have risen steadi ly since the TMR ration was fed (54 to 58.5). Butterfat percent has remained identical (3.8%), which tells me that rumen health has not been compromised. Per cent protein has gone up slightly but still looks normal for Hoi steins (3.2 to 3.3%). MUN has gone down to 10 from 13 and in dicates that the balance of carbo hydrates to protein has in creased. My recommendation in this case is to monitor the above mea surements and if no major change occurs, do not change anything. The cows have told us through DHIA information that although they are sorting and thereby not eating the diet pre pared for them; they are able to perform well. The dairyman asked about the addition of water to help keep the feed together and I said that cheap ideas are often the most underestimated. I also suggested that adding liquid molasses would be the most to my liking but he should work with his nu tritionists to look at all his op tions. If molasses were to be added then the other carbohy drate sources should be adjusted because of what we saw already in MUN. The real concept here is to not just be satisfied with good rations on paper, but more importantly, make sure that you know what your cows are really eating. Let Pa. DHIA records tell you about your cows and if you cannot hear what they are saying, maybe 1 can help. Our 20,000 Sq. Ft. Facility Enables Us To Serve You Better Beef Demand Up For Seventh Consecutive Quarter SAN ANTONIO, Texas With seven straight quarters of increased beef demand under its belt, the U.S. beef industry has an aggressive long-range plan to keep demand and profitability growing, said Chuck Schroeder, chief executive officer for the Na tional Cattlemen’s Beef Associa tion (NCBA). ‘Year-end beef demand for 2000 is about 3.6 percent higher thanl999 levels,” Schroeder said today from the 2001 Cattle and Beef Industry Convention and Trade Show. “Today, the beef in dustry is one of the most dynam ic segments of the U.S. agricul tural economy, and we’re just getting started. We’ve set an ag gressive goal to boost demand another 6 percent through 2004.” Planning and Focus Schroeder explained that the industry’s ability to stabilize con sumer demand for beef was the result of diligent planning, per sistence and focus. “We began laying the ground work in the mid 1980 s by em phasizing improvements in prod uct consistency, tenderness and overall quality; new product de velopment; enhanced relation ships with channel marketing partners; multiple beef safety in tervention measures; the opening of export markets; and research into beefs nutritional values and benefits,” Schroeder explained. “These efforts began to pay off in 1999, when the beef industry saw consumer demand for beef increase for the first time in near ly two decades.” Increased consumer spending and per capita beef consumption have contributed greatly to the health of the U.S. beef industry. According to Cattle-Fax, a pri vate market research firm, con sumer expenditures for beef top ped $32 billion in 2000 the first time ever annual spending will exceed $5O billion. Yearly per capita consumption of beef is projected to reach 66.2 pounds. while per capita consumption for pork and chicken totaled roughly 50.5 and 55.8 pounds, respectively.! These gains are happening at a time when beef supplies are re cord high, which usually sends prices lower to compensate for market saturation. In the beef in dustry’s case, average retail prices have actually increased (up about 15 cents per pound compared to 1999 prices), signal ing a true turn-around in con sumer demand. “We’ve worked hard to deliver added value to the consumer, and when consumers are consis tently seeing that value, price be comes less of a factor in the pur chase decision,” Schroeder said. While not discounting the im pact of the U.S. economy in re cent years, Schroeder believes one of the greatest drivers of change for the industry was the formation of a long-range plan that focused all industry seg ments on a single goal stabilizing consumer beef demand. Market Demands “Historically, it’s been difficult for the beef industry to keep up with demands of the market place,” said Schroeder, who cele brates his five-year anniversary as NCBA CEO this month. “To turn the tides, we had to leave traditional business prac tices behind and create a vision ary plan that all segments of the industry could get behind one that helped us compete in a new economy ruled by consumer spending power and brand ap peal.” In addition to increased com munication and cooperation among industry segments, the in dustry’s long-range plan focused on: • The introduction of conven ient beef products that meet the needs of busy consumers • A science.-bascd effort to in crease awareness of essential nu trients in beef like zinc, iron, protein and many B-vitamins and the benefits those nutrients provide • Expanding the export mar ket for U.S. beef products Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,2001-A29 Three years ago, through the use of checkoff dollars, NCBA helped promote a new category of hilly cooked beef roasts, steaks and other entrees that could be heated in the microwave and ready to serve in about 10 min utes. Since then, sales of these types of products have increased 41.4 percent, and annual sales for the new category topped $B4 million as of December 2000.2 The beef checkoff also addressed beefs market share in the value added fresh category, deli cat egory, frozen meal kits con taining beef and value-added products for the foodservice channel. Nutrition Effort In 1999, the industry launched a major checkoff-funded market ing effort to boost consumer awareness of beefs unique nutri ent bundle. It also publicized new research that found lean beef and chicken had similar effects in lowering blood cholesterol levels when included in a heart-healthy diet. A recent consumer attitudes study of more than 1,300 adults found Americans were more like ly to say they feel better about beefs nutritional value today (35 percent) than they did a year ago (25 percent). Fifty-four percent of Americans agree beef is an im portant part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, compared with 51 percent in 1999.3 Total beef exports through September 2000 were up 12.6 percent in volume and 17.6 per cent in value, compared to the same time last year. The beef ex port market is expected to grow roughly 50 percent over the next five years, from 1,218,000 metric tons in 2000 to 1,817,000 metric tons in 2006. China is expected to join Japan, Mexico, Canada and the Republic of South Korea as a key trade partner once it joins the World Trade Organiza tion, which is anticipated to hap pen by mid-2001. “There is cooperation across business segments in the beef in dustry like never before,” Schroeder added.
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