Creating Feed Rations for Milk Margins

Last week we were working on budgets and feed plans for CowBank client dairy farming in QLD, which brought into focus some interesting things. In QLD, it is always a bit of a different scenario for what mix of feed has to go into a cow to optimise milk margin. But it reminds us how important is it to balance rations to optimise milk production and margin no matter where you are farming.

When you look at the sorghum silage that is being harvested in the video clip it is pretty extreme, a huge yielding crop, but high NDF with lower protein and energy. Coincidentally, to make a milking ration from this is similar to the challenge we are seeing in the “green drought” areas down south, where farmers are trying to make rations work with lower quality fodder, because that is all that is available until grass growth comes through.

When the base of the milking ration includes too much high NDF fodder (55% or more), it becomes a limit to what the cow can eat and reduces the amount of energy and protein that the cow is able to get in. The end result is cows that are fully fed but not giving the milk that we want for the money we have spent on feed (lower margin over feed cost).

In particular, if early lactation cows are fed a lower quality ration they will lose more body condition and/or have lower peak milk production, reducing production and feed efficiency for their entire lactation year.

It is a difficult decision to add more cost by increasing the amount of low NDF, high energy and/or protein feed (wheat, canola meal, DDG) to create a more balanced ration. But we see scenarios where increasing the quality of the ration by spending an extra $1 per cow per day can give more than $2 per cow additional milk income in the short term, as well as making it more likely cows will get in calf and setting cows up for more back-end milk production.

The key things that we see successful farmers doing are firstly having information to know what they are dealing with - Feed Test!! – Stages of Lactation – Feed Prices and Availability – etc etc. Then getting advice from their nutritionist, farm advisors and mentors to assess options and get insights (often advisors can give ideas that they have worked on with other clients). Trialing ration changes and evaluating the short-term response and longer term benefits is also key.

The team at CowBank are also always willing to be involved in discussions when farmers are facing challenging feed, margin or cash-flow decisions.