Engage your feed team

During times of high feed prices, costs control measures like lowering feed refusals and reducing shrink at feedout are important, but don’t forget the role of your feeder.

The economic value of the feed handled by your feeder each day is significant, says Barry Visser, a Vita Plus dairy nutritionist who works with producers in Minnesota, South Dakota and northwest Iowa. On one 1,200-cow dairy that Visser worked with, they did the math.

“On a daily basis this feeder is handling feed valued at over $12,000,” Visser said at the Vita Plus Dairy Summit in December. His take-home: Engage your feeder in discussions on ways to optimize the diet during times of high feed prices.

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