A new approach to feeding at DDI

Introduction:

When DDI began operating at the new facility, we chose to use the “empty bunk” approach to feed management. The absence of uneaten feed was a major benefit.

However, feeding once daily resulted in some groups of cows remaining without feed more time than was desirable. Feeders also found it difficult to organiz4e their routines around milking along with a constantly changing pen feeding order. There was also some concern that this practice was reducing DMI.

After nearly nine months of operating in this fashion, the feeding management was switched to provide a 5% over feeding rate.

The farm manager’s conclusion follows:  “During the last few months we have tried once a day feeding with ample weigh backs. This has resulted in no more milk, no more dry matter intake, and a higher feed bill. It is imperative that we find an approach to feeding that increases milk while decreasing feed costs”

Objectives:

1. Increase dry matter intake
2. Reduce weigh backs

Weigh backs are a necessary part of increasing the productivity of a herd. However, weigh backs that are hot cannot be reused. Furthermore, disposal of weigh backs is a problem. All approaches to reutilization involve achieving a stable product.

Goals:

1. Attain 50 pounds of dry matter intake across the lactating herd
2. Have less than 5% weigh backs from each pen
3. Provide multiple feedings per day to increase consumption
4. All lactating cows have fresh feed and a clean bunk by 10:30 a.m.

Trigger Points:

Whenever any of the following occur, the farm manager is to be immediately notified:

1. Refusal from a pen (100 cows) exceeds 1000 pounds
2. The feeding adjustment for a group changes by more than 7%.
3. The feeding adjustment for a group is below 95% or higher than 115%

Feeding Loads:

1. Pens 5,6
2. Pens 3,4
3. Pens 7, 9, 10
4. Pen 8
5. Pen 1

Proposed schedule :

1. Push up feed at 6:00 a.m.
2. When pen 5 returns from the parlor, scrape the cross over in Barn 1. As time allows, scrape the cross over in barn 2. Cows will not go back through the barn until 10:45. By this time, all bunks will be cleaned and you will be done with the skid steer.
3. Never feed a pen of cows before they go to the parlor. This makes it very difficult for the milkers to move cows to the parlor.
4. The load for Pen 1 must be ready to be fed at 10:00 a.m. If this load is not fed at this time, the herdsmen are waiting to do the Pen 1 check
5. The order in which you feed will be dictated by the amount of feed that is left in the bunks.

Guidelines:

1. If a bunk has only “cobs” in it, increase the feed adjustment rate by 5%.
2. If the bunk has more than 500 pounds in it, decrease the feeding rate by the amount removed minus 500 divided by 200.  For example. If you remove 1000 pounds, decrease the feeding rate by 2.5% (1000-500 = 500 divided by 200 = 2.5%).