Latest News From Nutrition

Spring planning is key to next year’s feed costs.

Genetically-modified corn hybrids that are Roundup Ready and resistant to Western corn rootworm show no difference in milk yield or components

Novus International, Inc., is introducing an innovative program to help dairy producers enhance the comfort and well-being of their herds

Cotton is expected to reclaim more than 1.5 million acres this spring -– a 14% increase over 2010.

Many factors contribute to rising feed costs: diet formulation, feed wastage, ingredient selection and purchasing. One frequently mentioned cost-cutting measure, because it is a direct cash cost, is to eliminate minerals and particularly trace mineral supplementation. However, all dairy diets need some supplementation as natural, home-raised feeds are usually low in most required trace minerals. Not supplementing will result in a moderate deficiency.

Bill requires milk be served with each school meal.

Dwindling global cotton stockpiles could spur more cotton plantings and further boost seed supplies for dairies, but market factors could keep prices firm.

But what to do about this dairy herd disease?

NittanyCow is the most comprehensive nutrition balancer available.

Highlights from the Dairy Checkoff’s 2010 Annual Meeting

The FDA has revised standards for the first time since 1993.

The link between the ration on paper and the ration delivered to the cows is the person mixing the feed. So it makes sense to involve your nutrition consultant in the training and education of that person.

Adding DCAD Plus to diets can improve fat percentage, fat-corrected milk and boost feed efficiency.

The Gold Standards II establishes standards for the production and performance of Holstein heifers, from 6 months of age to freshening.

Farmers Feed the U.S. campaign explains how food is produced, and offers a sweepstakes to win groceries for a year.

Mobile dairy classroom educates California kids about milk and cows.

In turbulent financial times, it is critical to monitor changes in feed efficiency and feed cost as they impact income over feed cost

Robots make calf feeding fun.

Most herds the early-lactation and high-production groups will benefit most from amino acid balancing. If you needed a number, I would say 75 lb. of 3.8% milk or higher.

Balancing dairy rations for rumen-protected amino acids is often an exercise in confusion. There are few hard and fast rules.

En Espanol--tips on feeding high forage rations.

One strategy used by Midwest dairy managers in 2009 when feed prices were high and milk prices were at record lows was feeding more forages.

Optimum efficiency of nutrient conversion into milk and milk components occurs when both the nutrient requirements of the cow and rumen microbes are met and in synchrony.

From birth, provide calves with a clean, comfortable environment with good colostrum management, consistent feeding and management practices and plenty of dietary calories

Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition recently introduced Energy Booster H, a second energy-dense, rumen-inert fat supplement in the Energy Booster family of products that helps dairy producers increase milk production and milk components, improve body condition, and enhance reproduction.

The 1.3 million additional acres of Upland cotton forecast for 2010 could begin to release the vise-grip pressure on the cottonseed supply available to dairy producers, if the weather in Texas cooperates, says a Cotton Incorporated spokesperson.

La antigua formula de Neo-Terramicina será removida del mercado en Agosto En Espanol

Obtaining the most efficient use of feed nutrients is essential for profitability on dairy farms. Optimum efficiency of nutrient conversion into milk and milk components occurs when both the nutrient requirements of the cow and rumen microbes are met and in synchrony.

The nation's farmers will plant a record-high 78.1 million acres to soybeans in 2010,

Pasture-based dairy is a great niche in Missouri.

Mike Meier is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. Instead of feeding the cows all the grain they can handle, Meier uses an intensive grazing process that cuts his production costs dramatically.

Colostrum replacers are convenient, but they come at a price

Robotic calf-feeding system provides flexibility, reduced labor, weight gain

The majority of operations, 59.2%, hand-fed colostrum to calves from bottles or a bucket. But on average, calves received hand-fed colostrum 3.3 hours after birth. Veterinarians and calf specialists typically recommend feeding colostrum within an hour of birth to optimize absorption of critical nutrients and to transfer immunity.

Dairy ration changes could be needed with 2009 corn crop. En Espanol.

In Florida, the old joke is that farmers measure corn silage yields in tons per acre and forage sorghum yields in board feet. But new, highly digestible brown midrib (BMR) varieties of forage sorghum change all that.

Dutch veterinarian Joep Driessen gives producers a pretty straightforward formula for correcting common cow management bottlenecks: •Look at cows closely to detect problems. •Think about what's causing those problems. •Act to correct them.

Bonus content: Spanish Translation Manage corn mold More on mold Dairyland Labs   Rock River Lab Warm spring weather could bring its own set of nasty surprises as mold on stored grain starts growing again.

USDA issued its final rules on access to pastures for organic livestock operations today. Specifically, animals must have graze pasture during the grazing season, which must be at least 120 days per year. They also must obtain at least 30% of their dry matter from pasture.

With tightening margins, higher feed cost and more attention to environmental consequences, there are opportunities to refocus on just how much or how little protein is needed to sustain high production and returns to the herd.

Alfalfa breeders are looking to improve fiber digestibility and slow down the rate of protein digestibility in the cow's rumen

The challenge is to utilize wet corn correctly in your dairy rations