Blame it on the Nutritionist
That is a line that I hear every once and awhile. Not always directly, but through a statement illuding that the problem on the dairy is diet related and that a diet change needs to be made to fix the problem. There are certainly times where that may be true, however, problem solving actions/steps need to be taken before jumping to conclusions. Below are some steps that I go through to troubleshoot problems on farm.
- Investigate the problem and brainstorm potential causes
- Analyze data and look for trends
- Evaluate management practices
The first step is to understand the problem and all potential issues that are causing the problem. Majority of the time, it is more than just one thing. Let’s use high urine pH’s in an acidified prefresh diet as an example. It’s easy to say that we need more anionic salts and reformulate the mix. That may fix the pH issue for the moment, but there is most likely something else going on. Has there been fluctuations in weather such as temperature swings or rain/snow recently? Is the correct amount of feed/ingredients being dropped in front of the cows? Are cows without feed for extended periods of time? Are dry matters off? Has the pen become overcrowded overtime? How about length of time in the pen? There are certainly other things that can be looked at. The point here is to make sure that a process is in place to identify all issues as there could be multiple.
Once a list is generated, data can be utilized to see if there is any correlation to some of the brainstormed ideas. Thinking back to high pHs, one might find that some of the cows that were checked were just moved into the close-up pen. Or, maybe the pen has become overcrowded due to a recent calving slug. Data can be very helpful when solving problems, but may only tell part of the story.
Evaluating farm management practices by using tools such as cameras can help draw out more issues. Cameras are very helpful for reviewing bunk management, feeding times, lock up times, etc. What appears to look good in the morning/afternoon may be different in the evening/early morning hours. Were the cows short on feed? Were push-ups lacking? A set of eyes and a nose also work well when assessing TMRs, feed pads, ingredients, mixer wagons, etc. Did a bad layer of feed show up in one of the bunks being fed? Is the mixer wagon out of calibration? Overtime, things can slip and systems need to be tightened back down.
Certain issues need different approaches and may require more time than others. It’s important that an evaluation process is used to identify all potential issues. Brainstorming, analyzing, and evaluating can save a lot of frustration along the way, and working with your nutritionist can really help develop that process.
For more on nutrition, read:
- Interest Growing in Inulin for Lactating Dairy Rations
- The Sweet Spot for Oral Calcium Supplementation
- Homogenizing Heifer Feed with Liquid Supplements
- Cows Like Candy, Too
- Calf Nutrition: Supplement Strategies that Work
