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