If you want to know more about dairy cattle feeding and nutrition, you can read this article. You’ll learn more about Trace element content, Cost, Management, and Iodine intake. Keeping your cows healthy is essential for a number of reasons. Here are three of the most important ones. All cows need high amounts of Vitamin A, trace elements, and minerals, so make sure they have enough of each.
Contents
Trace element content
The concentration of trace elements in dairy cattle diets varies across the United States. The requirements of steers and cows are low in copper and molybdenum due to low mineral content of the soils in the upper Midwest. Conversely, cows in Florida, Central Texas, and the Southwest are low in copper. Hence, a supplemental copper diet for cattle is needed. The NRC has recommended an amount of copper for beef cattle in the diet of dairy cattle: 8 ppm.
Although dairy cows can get enough trace elements from forages alone, their mineral status can vary widely between feeds. Fortunately, the availability of mineral premixes in concentrate feeds means that they are inexpensive and safe to use. In addition, the concentration of trace elements is small enough that the risk of toxicity is negligible. Therefore, supplementing milk with trace elements is highly recommended. However, trace element content in dairy cattle diets is a good idea only when it’s accompanied by an analysis of the forages and feeds.
Cost
The costs of feeding and nutrition for dairy cows are increasing at an alarming rate. In 2012, feed prices topped $19/cwt. In 2021, they are expected to mimic that level. While feed costs are increasing, milk prices are not, eroding margins. A recent tool developed by the Extension Dairy Team estimates the maximum amount of feed a dairy cow could consume in 2020. The tool projects costs into 2021 based on farm financial data. At the current rate, most operations will struggle to maintain positive cash flow.
To determine if your feed costs are in line with your milk production, use income over feed cost. The Penn State dairy ration, for example, contains 63% forage and 33% concentrate. The concentrate portion contains corn grain, candy meal, sugar, canola meal, roasted soybeans, and Optigen, as well as a mineral vitamin mix. The income over feed cost is the total cost divided by the number of cows and the average milk production over the past six years.
Management
There are several important elements that contribute to the management of dairy cattle feeding and nutrition. The availability of feed affects intake. To avoid feed spoilage, clean feed should be readily available to lactating cows. Feedbunks must be clean and shaded to reduce silage heating. Listed below are some important aspects to consider for high-producing dairy cows. They may require special consideration in high-production systems.
Optimal management of feeding and nutrition of dairy cows is vital to profitable production. Nutritional experts must make sure that the animal’s genetic potential is realized, while at the same time ensuring that dry matter intake is optimized and milk production margins are improved. Listed below are some general guidelines for management of dairy cattle feeding and nutrition:
Iodine intake
The amount of iodine a dairy cow requires is dependent on their diet. If a cow is mainly fed silage, its milk is not likely to contain enough iodine to support a healthy thyroid. Alternatively, cattle that are fed a mix of silage and commercially fortified concentrate feed can have milk containing iodine levels up to 0.8 mg/kg.
Milk is one of the primary sources of iodine in the diet of Norwegians, so milk should have a relatively stable concentration all year round. High iodine concentrations in milk can be harmful to small children, especially if they consume it during pregnancy. In order to avoid excess iodine intake in children, the concentrations of iodine in milk should be closely monitored. Models of iodine concentrations in dairy products can help to adjust cow iodine intake to ensure that it meets the recommended daily intake.
Natural feeds
Dairy cattle are high-producing livestock. Their diets often contain concentrates and grains. Concentrates are high in energy and can supplement forage-based feeds. Concentrates are broken down into starch, sugar, and fat and are often used to raise the energy content of a dairy cattle diet or to compensate for forage deficiencies. These ingredients may be used separately or in grain mixes. There are several benefits to feeding dairy cattle natural feeds.
Carbohydrates: The primary energy source of dairy cattle is the carbohydrates they eat. The energy content of dairy feeds can be broken down into several categories and equations based on the various components. Carbohydrates, for instance, contain 4.1 calories per gram of dry matter, while fats have 9.4 calories per gram. In addition, dairy producers often add various supplements to their diets to supplement the nutritional value of their feeds. These include fecal energy, metabolic energy, and energy content of grains.
