Developing a fall feeding program for your dairy herd

Agriculture

Discussion

October 12, 2009

By GARY TILGHMAN The Glasgow Daily Times Mon Oct 12, 2009, 12:03 PM CDT

GLASGOW — Despite the previous two years of drought, plentiful rains this summer have allowed our local farmers to produce a bumper crop of corn for both silage and grain. Now with corn silage and other forages harvested, dairy producers are turning their attention to planning fall and winter feeding programs. To determine an economical and effective dairy feeding program, there are a few important steps you should follow.

The first element in creating a fall or winter feeding program is testing your available forages for nutrient content. When taking forage samples, be sure to collect a representative sample of the forage being fed. Hay samples should be collected using a hay probe from 20 different bales per field and cutting. Combine samples in a bucket and place a pint size sample in a resealable plastic bag to be sent to a forage testing lab. Corn silage samples should also be collected from multiple sites on the face of a bunker silo or throughout the length of the silage bag. Silage from upright silos should be collected after the silo has been opened unless samples were collected during harvest. It is best to keep your samples out of direct sunlight and avoid prolonged exposure to heat. Samples ideally should be sent at the beginning of the week so they are received in a timely manner.

Once you receive the analysis results, forages should be allocated to different cattle based on their quality. The best quality forages should be fed to the early lactation cows, if grouped together. If they are not grouped together, the best quality forages should be fed to the group with the greatest number of early lactation cows.

Forage testing results should also be used to balance rations. With corn prices down from last year, grain mixes designed to complement the quality and type of forages being fed should be more economical this fall. Contracting a year’s supply of grain mix is one way to lock in the price of grain mix over the upcoming months.

Rations should be balanced for the milking herd, as well as the heifers and dry cows. By balancing rations for heifers, feeding is more economical and still enables optimal growth to allow heifers to enter the milking herd around 24 months of age. Well designed and economical feeding programs can also give dry cows a good start to their next lactation and prevent health problems after calving.

For more information on forage testing and creating a fall feeding program, contact us at the Barren County Cooperative Extension Service.

The Barren County Extension District Board will meet Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Barren County Extension Office beginning at noon.

Text Only

Agriculture

Chamber visits cattle farm
A local beef cattle farmer had the chance to show off his farm operation recently when a group from the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce chose his farm as their quarterly agribusiness visit.

April 24, 2012 3 Photos
Community shares gardens
The auditorium of the Barren County Cooperative Extension Service was crowded with flowers, vegetables, house plants and seeds Saturday afternoon as garden enthusiasts and other member of the community gathered for the first Plant and Seed Swap through the extension office.

September 26, 2011
Auction competition draws crowd
Farmers Livestock Market of Glasgow hosted an overflow crowd Monday as people from across the country flocked to the stockyard for the first quarterfinal round of the 2012 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship.

September 20, 2011 1 Photo
Farm Bureau works for farmers
The Barren County Farm Bureau Federation met Saturday night at the Trojan Academy for its annual meeting, to review the past year and form a consensus on agriculture policy resolutions the group will push to the state level.

September 20, 2011 1 Photo
Japanese student embraces local culture
A Barren County family is spending a month sharing their American culture with a Japanese foreign exchange student through a 4-H-based program.

August 8, 2011
Ag extension offers homegrown potluck
July 27, 2011
Ag committee discusses hot topics
The Kentucky Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture met Wednesday at Farmers Livestock Market in Glasgow to discuss two difficult issues that have been especially close to the hearts of local farmers — the Eastern Livestock bankruptcy case and dead animal disposal.

July 14, 2011 1 Photo
Farmers feel punished by H-2A regulations
Local tobacco farmers feel like they’re being penalized for using legal foreign workers to help them during the tobacco season.

May 2, 2011
Allen receives ag award
A Barren County man has been recognized by the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy for his work as an outstanding agriculture leader.

February 25, 2011
Livestock farmers have stake in bill
Efforts to compensate for losses from the bounced checks and bankruptcy litigation of Eastern Livestock Inc. are continuing. This time, hopefully, with the help of new legislation in the Kentucky congress.

February 9, 2011
More Agriculture Headlines

Agriculture

Search Results

Discussion

Developing a fall feeding program for your dairy herd

Site Map