Gippsland - How Now Gippy Now - May 2010 Edition
Get the best bang for your dollar with feeding supplements
Milk prices are rising and grain and fodder prices are dropping which, at first glance, makes feeding concentrates an attractive option.
The question here is will you get good value from feeding more supplements?
Given that most farms have now had sufficient rain to generate some pasture going into winter, is it better to use this feed now or to pump more supplement into the cows while trying to build a feed wedge?
The answer could be different for each situation, but the Q&As below may help you work out the pros and cons of feeding more supplements:
Q: Are you going to feed cows that will be responsive to the extra energy and protein provided by the supplement?
A: Fresh autumn calved cows will convert most of the extra energy to milk, as will stale cows still producing above 12 litres per day. If there are cows producing below 12 litres, it may be better to dry them off.
Q: What are the current grazing residuals?
A: If residuals are below 4 cm between the clumps, then the cows should respond to an increased level of supplement. If trying to build a feed wedge means that a smaller area is being grazed per day then more supplement will be required to account for the lower amount of pasture being consumed. Aim to leave a residual of 4 to 6 cm between the clumps.
Q: What is the quality of the supplementary feed is that you are intending or currently using?
A: Having some idea of the energy, protein and fibre levels through a feed test will identify if extra supplement will result in more milk or not. For example if energy is limiting production then a high energy feed will be the most appropriate to use.
Q: What is the grain to milk price ratio for your situation?
A: Any milk response that is greater than this will generate extra income to pay for the other costs of production.
Q: Have you monitored the level of wastage occurring with the supplements you are feeding?
A: Wastage has been measured to range from three to 30 per cent depending on what is being fed and the system of feeding being used. In general, grain and pellet feeding in the dairy has low wastage levels while the feeding of round bale hay or silage in the paddock can lead to up to 30 per cent being wasted. If wastage is high, then you may need to change the way you feed out to enable the cows to use more of the feed provided. High wastage levels raise the apparent grain to milk price ratio.
Q: Have you monitored the milk responses from any change in the amounts and types of supplements provided?
A: It’s worth allowing a few days for a proper comparison of before and after, particularly if a new feed is introduced. If the aim is to improve the level of feeding, you should see a lift in grazing residuals and an increase in cow production provided pasture quality and quantities have not changed much. If there are no changes you may have to check wastage and the quality of the feeds fed. However, the daily amount of pasture offered and its quality must be reasonably consistent to be able to pick up responses (or not) reliably.
For example if the current grain price is $220 per tonne or 24c/kg DM ($220 ÷ 90% DM X 100 ÷ 1000), and the milk price is 45 c per litre, then the ratio is 24 c kg DM ÷ 45 c/L = 0.53 l/kg DM. So the minimum response required from an extra kilogram of supplement dry matter is 0.53 litres to pay for the extra cost of the feed.
Following the above points should help you to make the best choice about the need to feed certain types or levels of supplement and achieve more efficient use of them by the cows. The end result should bring a higher level of cash flow and/or improved pasture situation going into winter.
For more information, visit the Dairy Australia website at www.dairyaustralia.com.au to look at the grain and hay report on feed wastage and feeding cows to assist with your supplementary feeding decision making. Consult your feed company nutritionists, consultants, dairy company field staff and DPI dairy extension officers at Ellinbank on 5624 2222, Leongatha on 5662 9999 or Maffra on 5147 0800 for more details as required.
