The Common Denominator of Dairy Bottlenecks

In the past ten years, there have been tremendous advances in dairy nutrition. Software programs are updated with the latest models on amino acid physiology and carbohydrate and fat metabolism. With all these advances however, most cows don’t achieve milk production levels close to their genetic potential. What factors, outside of diet design create bottlenecks on dairies? In observations of tens of thousands of cows, we see one common denominator: limited feed consumption as a result of changes in normal cattle behavior.

It is no coincidence that high-producing dairies have cows that typically eat larger amounts of dry matter feed per day. Understand that one of the most limiting nutrients in dairy diets is energy. When cows are short on energy, we can increase dietary energy concentration by taking a diet from .79 Mcal/lb. to .80 Mcal/lb. This means that in a diet where cows are eating 50 lb of dry matter, we would increase energy by 500,000 calories per day. On the other hand, if cows eating a .79 Mcal/lb. diet consume just one more pound of dry matter, this extra pound of dry matter would yield 790,000 calories or a 58% larger energy increase than from changing the diet.

Overcrowding can also have a negative impact on feed intakes. There is not a simple answer to how much we can overcrowd a pen before we see a drop in intakes and production. Some dairy farmers can successfully overcrowd lactating cattle by pushing up feed more often and excelling at freestall comfort. Others might not be able to even be at 90% capacity before they see limited feed intakes due to poor cow comfort.

Our goal is to maximize feed intake on farm. So we use a structured approach to observe cattle behavior and identify factors that have negative effects on feed intakes. It may seem obvious but observing cattle closely before, during and after milking can help you find clues to increase feed intakes.

Before milking

Prior to milking, the cow pusher should find that the cows are eager to go to the milk barn. This is not only a good sign that cows associate milking with a positive experience, but that also they had ample time to eat, drink and rest before milking. If the pusher has to pull cows away from feed or water before milking, this is a red flag that we may be shorting cows on feed, that we may not have enough feed push-ups, or she is facing some other hurdle that limits her intake.

Feed shortages can come in many forms. I was at a dairy recently where I placed cameras above the feed bunks. In the morning, the feeder removed feed left over from the previous day but not feeding the cows for at least an hour after cleaning the bunk. This left the pen of cows without feed for an additional one hour every day. In another case, the corn silage had been chopped too long that fall. All that was left in the feed bunk each morning was sorted out stalks. This fooled the feeder into thinking the cows had enough feed when in reality they were out of feed for several hours unwilling to eat trash.

During milking

In the parlor, cows should be calm, they should not be urinating and defecating in the barn excessively and there should not be many cows kicking machines off. If cows are not comfortable in the milk barn, they will not have a complete milk letdown and milk production and feed intakes will be negatively affected.

After milking

Upon returning to the pen, cows should not be fighting aggressively over access to water or feed. If they are, they are telling you there is some obstacle limiting their intake.  In heifers, one of the worst coccidiosis outbreaks we have seen was in a group of young cattle in a new facility where water troughs had been set too high and water access was limited. Water intake was so low that heifers were not eating enough feed and as a result, they were not getting enough coccidiostat. In this case, the diet was formulated correctly to prevent coccidiosis but heifers were simply not eating enough feed so the formulated dose of monensin/lasalocid was not being ingested.

These are just a few observations and suggestions that will help you find ways to increase feed consumption on your dairy. By using a structured approach of observations, you can find and remove bottlenecks that will help your cows consume more feed and meet their full requirements for maximum production potential.

Note: This story appears in the April 2017 issue of Dairy Herd Management.