Newborn dairy calves, until about a month old raised in an unheated or cold facilities, often struggle with poor growth rates and are more susceptible to disease. By assuring a high plane of dietary milk energy, dairy producers can largely avoid bringing a winter energy crisis inside the calf barn. In order to survive the […] Read more
Feed more milk as temperature drops
In general terms, increase the amount of milk (or milk replacer) fed by about two per cent for every 1 degree C when the temperature drops below 20 C
Avoid too much fat for early-lactation cows
In the last year, there has been a few supply-management incentives for dairy producers to increase milk and milk fat yield in their milk cows. Because nutrients such as energy largely drive dairy performance, many people are increasing dietary energy density by adding different types of edible fats to early lactation diets. Despite being a […] Read more
Proper rations key to milk production and reproduction
Better rations before and after calving produce a bigger calf and set cows and heifers up for the next breeding season
Beef cows after calving require a higher plane of nutrition compared to previous months of gestation. Much of this heightened nutrition is geared to drive milk production, help first-time mothers grow and prepare the entire cow herd to cycle and get rebred within 80-90 days, postpartum. Therefore it is important to feed them well-balanced diets […] Read more
Your dairy herd needs clean, fresh water
Once the threat of heat stress is over and autumn quickly turns into a long Canadian winter, we tend to forget that water is still important for the health and performance of high-milk-producing dairy cows. After all, water makes up 65 per cent of their bodies and milk is 87.5 per cent water. Producers should […] Read more
Time for a midwinter feed inventory
Better Bunks and Pastures: Follow these tips for a better chance at strong, healthy calves
Don’t let any recent balmy temperatures fool you. By the third week of the New Year, we should all have forgotten about climate change. Late-gestating beef cattle, a few months away from calving, are going to need more dietary energy to maintain good body condition until calving and also to keep warm. Although, most people […] Read more
Push up a diet of stable DMI for optimum milk production
Before making any substantial changes, be particularly aware of the natural laws of general feed consumption
For years, getting lactating dairy cows to eat as much dry matter intake (DMI) as possible has been a common goal among dairy specialists aimed at getting cows to produce more milk. Some of these specialists took note of the more extensive university and extension dairy trials, which report that maximum feed intake is still […] Read more
Sulphur in some DDGs can poison cattle
Don’t avoid DDGs but make sure overall feed sulphur is within tolerance levels. High sulphur can lead to brain disorder and even death in some cattle — have feed tested
Dried distillers’ grains or DDGs can be purchased from a broker for about $200 per tonne. This attractive price makes it a good feed replacement for a variety of high energy and protein supplements for growing and overwintering beef cattle. However, be aware that incoming loads of DDGs often contain high amounts of sulphur that […] Read more
Red marker is a good investment at culling time
Autumn is a good time to take a complete inventory of your beef herd and think about which cows are truly profitable and which are not. Culling unprofitable cows and replacing them with replacements of better economic return is the life blood of all cow-calf operations. Producers should set up a cull priority list and […] Read more
Measure the moisture in forage rations
Moisture has the greatest impact on feed consumption, nutrient intake for dairy cows
It’s that time of year when harvested forages are tested for their nutrient content and an emailed back analysis sheet can list up to 80 laboratory results for each forage sample submitted. Much of this data can be inputted into dairy ration balancing software to develop on-the-farm TMRs that supply essential nutrients in the right […] Read more
Do not feed mouldy corn to dairy cattle
Mould count tests are inexpensive, but their usefulness is limited, since most moulds are not poisonous
Last year’s weather was not particularly kind to growing corn on the eastern Prairies. A late spring planting, cold weather in July, and topped off by a cloudy fall created millions of bushels of corn that was not initially dry enough for storage. Some of this wet corn was dried down and augered into a […] Read more
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