Feed is the biggest cost on most dairies and water is the most overlooked nutrient. These guides cover rations, forages, feeding by stage, calf and heifer programs, grazing and the habits that turn feed into milk.
50 guides in this section.
Ration Basics for Lactating Dairy Cows A good ration is a plan for meeting a cow's needs for energy, protein, fiber, minerals and water, day after day. Once you understand the pieces,...
Total Mixed Ration Mixing Mistakes A well-balanced ration can fail at the mixer. Loading order, mixing time and equipment wear all change what the cow actually gets.
Forage Testing: What Dairy Farmers Should Measure Forage is the base of most dairy rations, and it changes from field to field and cutting to cutting. Testing turns guesses into numbers you can...
Silage Quality and Milk Production Silage is the backbone of many dairy diets, and cows are quick to show when it is not right. Quality is built at harvest and protected through...
Haylage vs. Hay for Dairy Cows Haylage and hay are both useful forages, but they behave differently in the field, in storage and in the cow. Choosing between them is mostly about...
Corn Silage Particle Size and Herd Performance Chop length in corn silage is a balancing act. Too long and cows sort and waste feed. Too short and the rumen loses the fiber it needs to work well.
Protein Sources for Dairy Rations Protein supplements fill the gap between what forage and grain supply and what the cow needs. Choosing among them involves quality, consistency,...
Bypass Protein Explained for Dairy Farmers Bypass protein is protein that escapes breakdown in the rumen and is digested further down the gut. It matters most for cows making a lot of milk.
Energy Density in Dairy Diets Energy density describes how much usable energy sits in each pound of feed dry matter. It becomes important when a cow cannot eat enough to meet her...
Fiber and Effective NDF in Dairy Rations Cows need fiber, but not all fiber works the same way. Effective fiber is the part that keeps cows chewing and the rumen buffered.
Starch Levels in Lactating Cow Diets Starch is a major energy source for high-producing cows, but the rumen can only handle so much of it at once. Getting the level and the source right...
Sugar Supplementation in Dairy Diets Sugar is a small part of most dairy rations, yet it gets a lot of attention from feed sellers. Knowing what it does helps you decide whether it earns...
Fat Supplements for High-Yielding Cows Fat is the most energy-dense ingredient a dairy ration can carry, which makes it useful for cows that struggle to eat enough. It is also easy to...
Mineral Nutrition for Dairy Herds Minerals make up a small share of a ration but affect bones, milk, fertility, immunity and calving. A good mineral program is planned, tested and...
Trace Minerals and Cow Fertility Fertility problems rarely come from one cause, but trace minerals are on the list every vet and nutritionist checks. Small gaps in the diet can add...
Salt and Electrolytes for Dairy Cattle Salt is the cheapest mineral on the farm and one of the easiest to get wrong. Cows need sodium and chloride every day, and heat, milk yield and water...
Water Quality Testing on Dairy Farms Water is the largest part of what a dairy cow takes in, so a problem in the water shows up in the barn. Testing is simple and cheap compared with...
Water Intake and Milk Yield A cow making milk drinks a great deal of water, and any limit on water shows up in the milk tank within days. Making water easy to reach is one of...
Feeding Transition Cows: A Stage-by-Stage Guide The weeks before and after calving decide how the whole lactation goes. Feeding the transition cow well means treating each stage as its own job...
Fresh Cow Feeding Strategies The fresh pen is where the lactation either takes off or stalls. Feeding strategy for fresh cows is mostly about getting every cow to eat well, early...
Feeding Dry Cows for Better Calving A dry cow is not on vacation. What she eats in the last two months before calving shapes how easily she calves and how well she starts the next...
Heifer Nutrition from Weaning to Breeding Heifers are the future milking herd, and the months between weaning and breeding decide how well they grow into it. Steady, balanced growth beats...
Calf Starter Feeding Plans Calf starter turns a milk-fed calf into a ruminant. Getting calves to eat it early, steadily and with plenty of water sets up a smooth weaning and...
Milk Feeding Programs for Dairy Calves Milk is the main feed for a young calf, and how much, how often and how clean it is decides growth and health. A good program is consistent every day.
Weaning Calves Without a Growth Check A calf that stalls at weaning loses growth that is hard to regain. The cure is preparation: a working rumen, steady starter intake and as little...
Feeding Sick Cows: Practical Adjustments A sick cow almost always eats less, and what she does eat matters more than usual. Small, steady changes to feed, water and routine can help her stay...
Feeding Cows in Heat Stress Hot, humid weather makes cows eat less and breathe harder, and milk production follows. Smart feeding changes, good water and cooling work together...
Winter Feeding Strategies for Dairy Herds Cold weather raises a cow's need for energy and makes feed and water harder to manage. A few steady habits keep intake and milk on track until spring.
Grazing Dairy Cows: A Beginner’s Guide Grazing can lower some costs and suit certain farms well, but it works best with a plan. This guide covers the basics a new grazier should settle...
Rotational Grazing for Dairy Farms Rotational grazing moves cows through a series of paddocks so each one gets time to recover. Done well, it keeps pasture productive and cows well fed.
Pasture Quality and Milk Components What cows eat on pasture shows up in the milk, especially in fat and protein. Understanding how forage quality changes through the season helps you...
Supplementing Grazing Dairy Cows Pasture rarely supplies everything a producing cow needs. A good supplement program fills the gaps without wasting feed or upsetting the rumen.
Organic Dairy Feeding Requirements Organic dairy feeding is governed by certification rules that cover where feed comes from, how animals graze and what records you keep. The details...
Home-Grown Feed vs. Purchased Feed Growing your own feed gives control over quality and supply, but it also ties up land, labor and machinery. The right balance depends on your farm,...
Feed Cost Per Cow Per Day Feed cost per cow per day is a simple number that tells you a lot, if you calculate it the same way every time. Here is how to build it and how to...
Reducing Feed Waste on Dairy Farms Feed is usually the biggest bill on a dairy, and some of it never reaches a cow. Most losses are quiet ones, so finding them takes a little looking.
Feed Bunk Management and Cow Sorting Cows are good at picking out the parts of a ration they like best. When they sort, the cow at the end of the line gets a different diet than the...
Push-Up Frequency and Feed Intake Cows eat more when feed is within easy reach. Pushing it up is a small job that can make a real difference in intake and milk.
Feed Additives for Dairy Cows Feed additives are sold to do many things, from steadier rumen function to better feed efficiency. Some earn their cost on some farms. Others do not.
Probiotics in Dairy Diets Probiotics are live microbes fed to support the gut. Interest in them has grown on dairies, especially for calves and for cows under stress.
Yeast Cultures and Rumen Health Yeast products are among the most common additives in dairy rations. Their aim is to support the rumen microbes that do the real work of digesting...
Buffers for High-Grain Dairy Diets When rations are rich in starch, the rumen can become more acidic than it should. Buffers are one tool, used alongside good feeding practices, to...
Rumen Acidosis: Prevention Through Feeding Rumen acidosis happens when acid builds up in the rumen faster than the cow can handle it. Most of the prevention is in how cows are fed day to day.
Subacute Rumen Acidosis Detection Subacute rumen acidosis, often called SARA, is a lower-grade acid problem that may not make cows look sick. Detecting it takes observation and...
Mycotoxins in Dairy Feed Mycotoxins are toxic compounds made by certain molds. They can show up in corn silage, grains, hay and by-products, and they are often hard to see.
Feed Storage and Spoilage Prevention Feed you have paid for or grown is only worth something if it is still good when it reaches the cow. Storage is where much of that value is kept or...
Rodent Control in Feed Storage Rats and mice eat and foul more feed than they appear to, and they can carry disease and damage buildings and wiring. Good control starts with...
Feeding By-Products to Dairy Cows By-products are leftovers from food, fiber and fuel industries that cows can turn into milk. Used well, they can lower feed costs. Used carelessly,...
Least-Cost Ration Formulation Basics Least-cost formulation is a method for meeting a cow's nutrient needs at the lowest feed cost. The computer does the math, but the quality of the...