Dairy farmers are aware of what it means to “do more with less.” More milk fat. Less impact on the environment. More output. Less input. Understanding the challenges of meeting these expectations, NOVUS will share how to reduce dry matter intake without getting less from cows at the upcoming Western Dairy Management Conference.
Technical Services Manager Sarah Stocks, Ph.D., will present Every Kilogram Counts: Drive Higher Returns from DMI during the pre-conference program.
“I’m going to talk about efficiency – doing more with less,” Stocks says. “With changes in milk pricing and the ever-present state of feed prices, optimizing rumen performance to help cows get more energy from every bite can make a difference for dairy farmers.”
During her talk Stocks will explain the pivotal role of dry matter intake (DMI) in optimizing income over feed cost and the practical strategies that maximize feed efficiency, cow performance and farm profitability.
“I hear farmers talk about income over feed cost, but I don’t see everyone using it effectively as a tool,” she says. “This is probably because there are so many pieces involved. But when we put it all together, dig into the economics of the dairy operation, and take advantage of the technologies available in the market, what we can get is better cow performance and lower total feed costs. It’s certainly worth the effort.”
She’ll also share details about NEXT ENHANCE® CGO Feed Solution, which is shown to help reduce dry matter intake by up to 0.95 kg/2.08 lb per cow per day without impacting milk production or body weight and condition.
“Decreasing dry matter intake by 2 lb per cow per day means a 33-lb bag of this feed solution can save 81,729 lb of as-fed total mixed ration,” says Technical Services Manager Hannah Tucker, Ph.D. “Not only does the solution pay for itself, but the dairy can also see the savings as additional income.”
With the herd outperforming its ration thanks to NEXT ENHANCE® CGO Feed Solution dairy farmers feed less, decreasing total mixed ration costs. Farmers may also enjoy a buffer between their forage and drought, flood, or feed quality that can impact feed management.
Related posts
