PHOTO: CANVA
FEED MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶
Getting dairy feed bunk management right
BY BRUCE DERKSEN, FREELANCE CORRESPONDENT D
airy systems are so organised and regimented now, but there’s still a place for a dedicated feed- er who handles bunk management, says Peter Robinson, cooperative extension specialist in the
Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. “Many won’t have the ability to make noteworthy ration changes, as programs are almost completely electronically controlled and over/unders are captured by the feed manage- ment system,” he says. “Most are very good at what they do, paying attention and recognising problems, especially when commodity prices are high. They may not always know why they’re doing things, but they do know what to do.” Robinson says pre-planned delivery is extremely common in the US, but designated bunk readers still look for abnormali- ties and make slight adjustments. “For many operations, read- ing the bunk is simply judging how much feed is left, then ei- ther adding or cutting back quantity. Most feed to a target and use a reduction in pen numbers to arrive at a lower amount. Generally, large dairies remove and weigh uneaten leftovers daily from every pen. Between 0% and 2% is deemed realistic, as it’s enough to be reclassified as a feedstuff for mixing back into the rations of dry cows or replacement heifers.”
Eyeing the bigger picture Feeders are expected to make decisions with an eye on po- tential weather changes, as fluctuations affect intake levels. Whenever substantial quantities are left or the bunk goes empty hours early, these represent failures Robinson said. Extended tasks of this role include monitoring of movements in and out of pens. On many large dairies, numbers tend to fluctuate by 10% or more. Most operate with two manage- ment systems – a herd and a feed record, both listing animal numbers – but Robinson admits that they often don’t com- municate well. Herd records are normally brought up to date daily, but feed systems often lag behind. “It’s a balancing act,” he adds. “Especially when trying to maintain something close to a 1% weigh out. The margin for error is small and, beyond weather conditions, cow move- ments from pen to pen invite mistakes. If an outfit is attempt- ing to run a slick bunk, it’s even more critical as a potential problem is always being duelled with.”
When we think of feed bunk reading, beef lots normally come to mind. But dairies use the same types of bunks, deliver similar consumables and have comparable, although more distinct in colour, cattle line up shoulder to shoulder in front of them.
Robinson adds that feed composition also comes into play, but a 1% leftover is where it begins to make a difference. “With lactating cows, 1% is an interesting figure. Delivered feed can be indistinguishable four or five hours later. The change is not perceived to be enough to matter. Once we get down to 1%, we really start seeing the distinction. At this point, they’ve eaten and sorted through everything and don’t have any real feed left. The 1% remaining is inedible sticks and stones.”
Management “For milking cows, refusals are a necessity,” says Mike Brady, nutritionist for Alpha Dairy Consulting, Visalia, California. “We don’t ever want them to go without because we understand that every pound of dry matter they eat delivers 1.5 pounds of milk.” He believes the balance between push outs and empty bunks comes down to the management level of a farm. Some of the best dairies he’s seen operate on a nearly empty philosophy where trucks appear almost at the exact time feed is cleaned
A further conse- quence of poor bunk manage- ment is reflected in the social behaviour cows exhibit when hungry.
▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 3, 2022
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