Feed Management Summary

CNMP Core Curriculum

Feed Management – Section 6.4

CNMP Development Core Training Curriculum

These course materials have been developed as a cooperative effort between five land-grant universities and The Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Objectives

• Participants will have some take home best management practices to share with producers and a list of questions that they can ask for feed management discussions.

• An example check list is illustrated that they can use on farm.

Feed Management toImprove CNMP case study

• Estimating the contributions of grazing pasture on the diet is difficult!

• Feeding 0.36% P, cannot go lower with out potential problems– Spreading manure on 108 acres (50% of

manure estimated to be collected)– Cows “spreading” on 50 acres of

loafing area?– Little room for diet improvement for P

Feed Management to Improve CNMP case study

• Nitrogen may need to be evaluated – N (protein) contribution from pasture?– Can the RUP/RDP balance be improved?– Group cows?– Formulate diets more often with new

feed ingredients, changes in dry matter intakes, climatic changes, etc. to meet nutrient requirements

• Evaluate using milk production, milk urea N, etc.

• Routine analysis of feeds for DM, N, P!

TSP Question to Producers

• What does the producer feed his animals?

• What types of animals are being fed?

• Are these feeds produced on the farm or are they purchased?

• Are by-product feeds used or will they be considered in the rations?

• How is the feed ration prepared (processed)?

TSP Question to Producers

• What is the feed sampling and analysis program on the farm?

• What is the laboratory analysis schedule for the feed management plan?

TSP Question to Producer

• How do you manage your forages?

• Buy or home grown?

• Are you maximizing the amount of home grown forages in the ration?

TSP Question to Producer• Are the rations reformulated when there

are different ingredient changes?

• Are rations changed at different stages in the production cycle?

• Is the operation currently grouping animals into separate sexes and feeding different rations?

Feed Management Education

Feed Management Education

Feed Management to Improve Efficiency

• Diet formulation and management– Evaluate diet content and reduce

unnecessary feed ingredients or nutrient levels

– Implement a routine chemical feed analysis program

– Apply stringent quality control feed preparation and delivery to animals

– Routinely check the dry matter content of wet feeds for ruminant diets

Feed Management to Improve Efficiency

• Minimize feed and water wastage– Install proper feeders/feeding systems– Adjust and clean feeders frequently– Check water system for leaks; test water

routinely– Use good bunk management (ruminants)

• Adjust with changes in intake levels

Feed Management to Improve Efficiency

• Improve nutrient utilization– Formulate feed based upon digestible

or biologically available nutrient basis– Select feeds with high digestibility;

specialty ingredients (need to chemically analyze)

– Supplement diets with ingredients, enzymes, etc that will increase digestibility

– Consider processing feeds to enhance nutrient utilization

Feed Management to Improve Efficiency

• Feed Management Practices:– Group animals with similar production

status or stage of production– Phase feed to reduce feed costs and

excretion of nutrients– Split-sex feed animals– Adjust diets when introducing by-product

feeds; consider the potential for increased nutrient excretion

– Consider phytase use in non-ruminant rations