KY Dairy Notes (April)
Tip of the Month
With Today’s High Feed Costs, Harvesting High Quality Forages is a Must!
Forages harvested early have less fiber and contain more protein and energy. Thus, rations need less soybean meal and corn grain– costly feeds today. A bonus— cows milk better!!
For the best quality, small grains and other grasses should be harvested at the late boot stage of maturity—where the seed head is just starting to emerge from the stem.
Rosy-Lane Holsteins’ Goal— “Get Cows to Last”
At the KY Dairy Partners meeting, Lloyd Holterman, co-owner of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, discussed his philosophy regarding his breeding and overall management program. He wants “to get cows that last”. His 5th lactation cows have the highest production and thus are some of the most profitable cows in his herd.
Which Feedstuffs Might Be a Good Buy?
With high corn and soybean meal prices, ingredient substitutions in diets may be financially prudent. By comparing the market price to nutritive value, one can start to see if a particular ingredient is a good buy.
Preventing Cryptosporidiosis, Commonly Called Crypto, in Dairy Calves
Crypto is the most common cause of diarrhea in baby calves. By increasing one’s understanding of this disease, one can minimize the effects of this organism on the health and future production of dairy calves.
