Overfeeding Phosphorus (Continued from Page 36) tration, this can cause areas of fish kill. This process is known as eutrophication and is seen everywhere from farm ponds to the Chesapeake Bay.” According to Edwards, recent studies have indi cated that the level of phosporus in dairy cow ra tions can be reduced to .3S-.38 percent of the total ration. “The state average is about .45 percent, but is decreasing at a rapid rate thanks to the coopera tion of feed industry and independent nutrition ists,” said Edwards. “However, the demonstrated sufficient level has not yet been accepted by every one. Some think that elevated levels of phosphorus in the ration may help improve the breeding per formance of dairy cows, and others feel that the re quirements are underestimated in general.” Studies on the effect of phosphorus on breeding and milk production which led to the conclusion that more was better were conducted from the 1920 s through the 19505. But, Edwards pointed out, at that time animals were being fed diets low in phosphorus, energy, and protein due to poor forage and pasture sources. “Dairy cows in today’s industry are fed much higher-quality feeds to maintain increased levels of ~Oat a iOc C«-. C, Da | Personalized Construction Solutions on schedule, within budget, providing unsurpassed service and superior value. Use Our Experience & Erma Brubaker Family - Complete Dairy Complex - 250 Cow - Lebanon. PA To Qompletion We at TRIPLE H Construction believe our experience with agricultural projects ensures our fulfillment of your needs. In an agricultural application, we are the one company you can absolutely trust to handle every step of construction. TBMDI BE U 430 Springville Road, Ephrata, PA 17522 W ■ Itirliß, ■■ 717-738-2142 • Fax 717-738-4313 fV/3 Construct! on , i-(8oo)-triple-i ****** Oes'en-Bu.ld ' General Contractor Website: TripleHConst.com Custom Builders of Dairy, Horse, Storage, Residential & Commercial Buildings ■ ..... h ._ . tv v Teabow Farms - Complete Dairy Facility - 600 Cow Unit - Walkersville, MD Hemckdale Farms - Complete Dairy Complex - 1,200 Cow Unit - Bemville, PA milk production,” said Edwards. “Therefore, re viewing the studies today reveals that the response they saw with phosphorus supplementation proba bly was due to the basal level of phosphorus being very low, while low energy and protein content exa cerbated the situation and had adverse effects on milk production and breeding performance.” More recent studies showed no benefit to in creased phosphorus levels, but Edwards points out that those results were obtained using smaller num bers of animals. He notes that the current study is designed to overcome this issue by sampling private herds across the region, involving thousands of ani mals. Penn State is studying 27 herds to determine what effects phosphorus level may have on milk production and reproductive performance. The study is to be conducted over a three-year period, with the first year finished this June. Four times per year, feed and manure samples are taken from each farm involved in the study. Samples are analyzed for their phosphorus content. “By analyzing the feed and manure, we can gain an estimate of phosphorus utilization in other words, the phosphorus going in versus the phos phorus coming out,” said Edwards. “Monthly re ports on each herd’s milk production and reproductive performance are tracked and com piled.” t«r From Design I ~f Give Us A Call! We would be pleased to show some of our completed facilities
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