So far, commodity prices seem to be on a sharp incline in North America for this year, with feed prices showing a similar trend to 2012 when corn and soybean prices were exceptionally high.
The problem with sorting A recent study conducted on a selection of Hungarian dairy farms examined the factors in cow sorting behaviours. A summary by Nuria Garcia for Dellait Knowledge Center de- scribes how the researchers found that overall, the homoge- neity and composition of the ration were key factors for over- all nutritional health in dairy cows. The study noted that, when using the Penn State Particle Separator, recommenda- tions are that 2–8% of a sample should be in the upper sieve, 30–50% in the medium sieve, 10–20% in the lower sieve and 30–40% in the bottom tray. It found that refusals had about the same proportions of par- ticles in the medium and lower sieves. However, the amount of smaller particles left in the refusal was notably lower. It also found that, of the farms observed, different groups would show the same levels of sorting. This supports the idea that formulation of the diet and feed management practices are most important in eliminating sorting behaviours.
“A very impor- tant part of that is keeping track of particle size and making sure you don’t have particles that are too coarse,” says Luiz Fer- raretto, nutri- tionist and assis- tant professor at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
42 ▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 8, No. 3, 2021
“Part of our job is to maximise consumption,” says Ferraretto. “In order to do that you need to make sure that it’s an appro- priate mix. A very important part of that is keeping track of particle size and making sure you don’t have particles that are too coarse.” At the same time, he reminds producers that they should still maintain effective fibre size and length so that the cows’ rumen function is not compromised. Additional strategies can be implemented as well. “For example, if you add a little bit of sugar-based liquid feeds to the diet,” he continues. “This helps a lot with the palatability of the diet and decreases sorting.” Feed management is another key aspect. For example, Fer- raretto points to feeding cows at the same time each day and pushing the TMR up at the same time to keep cows eating on their regular schedules. This also helps avoid fighting at the feed bunk and ensures each cow is eating adequately. Proper spacing and regular feeding have also been found to cut back on sorting.
Keeping quality feed As previously mentioned, storage is an inevitable part of total feed cost. Not only can it be a literal expense to process and obtain storage facilities, but it can also cost in the quality aspect. Ferraretto notes that feed can be lost – in the form of nutri- ents or spoilage that ends up being totally wasted – through the mode of storage. “You need to make sure you have good management that en- sures whatever is produced is actually what ends up being fed to the cows,” he says. This involves monitoring silage and other ingredients for freshness or waste. If facilities are inadequate, updates may need to be made to preserve the integrity of the feed.
PHOTO: MARK PASVEER
PHOTO: HANS PRINSEN
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