| |
LIVESTOCK NUTRITION
Dairy Feed Efficiency
Agri-King
The Feed Efficiency Experts!
Introducing the importance of dairy feed
efficiency to the industry is another first in Agri-King's
trailblazing history. The economic and environmental
impact of improving feed efficiency in dairy animals,
as documented by Agri-King, is attracting the media
spotlight for the Illinois based company.
Feed efficiency has been the successful
benchmark of profitability for the poultry, beef, and
swine industries. However, feed efficiency has not been
a benchmarking tool for the dairy industry, but that
is changing. Feed efficiency is simply defined as the
pounds of milk produced per pound of dry matter consumed.
Dairy feed efficiency gained credibility 10 years ago
in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, one of America's top
milk producing counties.
About 30 dairy herds, serviced by Agri-King,
were initially involved in a study because these dairymen
were reporting increased milk production with lower
dry matter consumption and reduced manure production.
All of these farms shared a common thread in having
highly digestible forages treated with Silo-King®.
After investigating these on-the-farm
success stories, Agri-King's nutritional staff launched
extensive research and field studies concerning the
fundamental biological concepts of what we now know
as Dairy Feed Efficiency.
"Forage quality cannot be too good.
It is the single most important factor affecting dry
matter digestibility and feed efficiency." Dr.
Dave Casper, Director of Nutritional Services, Agri-King,
Inc.
What is Feed Efficiency?
Simply, feed efficiency is defined as
pounds of milk produced per pound of dry matter consumed.
Is it Cost Effective?
Let's compare two herds and see how improving
feed efficiency impacts the bottom line.
-
HERD A produces 80
lbs of milk on 57 lbs of dry matter consumed for a
feed efficiency of 1.40 (80 lbs of milk ÷ 57
lbs of dry matter consumed).
-
HERD B produces the
same amount of milk but the cows consumed only 50
lbs of dry matter for a feed efficiency of 1.60.
-
ASSUMING the ration
costs seven ($.07) cents per pound of dry matter,
HERD B has lowered feed costs by $.49 per cow per
day...possibly the difference between staying profitable
or losing money!
-
IN ADDITION, Herd
B with a lower feed intake and higher feed efficiency
will have less nutrient excretion, increasingly important
with ever-tightening environmental regulations.
How do you improve feed efficiency?
Summarizing 10 years of laboratory research
and field studies, Agri-King advises:
-
Manage forages to maximize quality;
-
Treat forages with Silo-King®
(research demonstrates that treating forages with
Silo-King® significantly increases dry matter
and fiber digestibility);
-
Further improve ration digestibility
with trace minerals, direct fed microbials and enzymes
(Ru-Max and Zym-O-Factors);
-
Test forages for dry matter and fiber
digestibility (testing for both dry matter and cell
wall digestibility are available at Agri-King); and
-
Balance and fortify rations to fully
utilize the nutrients from forages which improve feed
efficiency and animal health.
Results from 400 herds demonstrated the
higher the forage quality (IVDMD), the higher the feed
efficiency. These herds also shared several factors
in addition to high-quality forages. These included
balanced rations, cow comfort, good herd health, and
optimal feeding management.
Others write...
"Composition of the total diet and dry matter
intake have marked effects on digestibility and subsequent
energy values. Diets that do not promote optimal ruminal
fermentation will result in an overestimation of energy
values." Dairy NRC 2001
"It's entirely possible to feed a diet comprised
of 60 percent to 65 percent forage as long as the
forage is of sufficient quality." Dr. Mary Beth
Hall, Dairy Nutritionist, University of Florida, Dairy
Herd Management, "Pennies from Heaven",
April 2003
"When swine and beef producers evaluate their
livestock operations, one value is the efficiency
of converting feed to gain or growth. Less feed required
per unit of gain improves performance and profitability.
Dairy managers are also evaluating a similar value
on their dairy farms. Dairy efficiency (DE) is pounds
of milk per pound of ration dry matter. This calculated
value allows the dairy managers to evaluate the milk
yield in relationship to dry matter intake."
Dr. Mike Hutjens, Extension Dairy Specialist, University
of Illinois.
References / Links to articles
"A
Difference You Can See", November 2003, DairyHerd
Management
"Consider the Intake/Efficiency Trade-off",
Hoard's Dairyman, page 604, September 25, 2003
"Pennies
from Heaven", April 2003, DairyHerd Management
"How
to Boost Your Feed Efficiency", April 2003,
DairyHerd Management
"What
You Feed vs. What You Get: Feed Efficiency as an Evaluation
Tool", Mary Beth Hall, Department of Animal
Sciences, University of Florida
"Nutrient
Utilization in the Dairy Cow", Mike Hutjens,
Extension Dairy Specialist, University of Illinois
"Using
Dairy Efficiency", Mike Hutjens, Extension
Dairy Specialist, University of Illinois
Questions...
|
|
