Presented by:Matt Lippert, Wood County Ag Agent Bob Kaiser and Randy ShaverDepartment of Dairy ScienceUniversity of Wisconsin – Madison
Forage Programs in High Producing Herds
Central Wisconsin Agriculture Specialization
Survey Herds*
Hensen Bros. Dairy Inc., WaunakeeKoepke Farms Inc., OconomowocRosy Lane Holstein LLC, WatertownCrave Brothers Farm, WaterlooSoFine Bovines LLC, WestfieldOechsner Farms, Brownsville
*All freestall-parlor-TMR herds
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6) RangeDHI No. of Cows Milking 276 – 566
lb / d 90 – 94
SCC 119,000 – 225,000Days in Milk 173 – 198
True Protein % 3.0
DHI RHA Milk, lb 29,055 – 31,195Times Milked 3x (4), 4x (1), 4x-3x (1)
Bulk Tank Milk
Fat % 3.7 – 3.8
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6) RangeBST, % of Herd 63 – 83
Heifer Calving Age, mos. 22 – 25
DHI Days Dry(% > 70 d Dry)
53 – 75(avg. 20%)
% DHI Annual Turnover 18 – 44DHI Avg. Age, mos. 40 – 48% Milking Heifers 28 – 40
Target Days Dry 45 – 60
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6) RangeNo. of Dry Cow Groups 2 (6 herds)
Post-Fresh Diet 2 herds
No. of Milking Cow Diets 1 – 4
No. of Dry Cow Diets 2 (3 herds), 1 (3 herds)
Post-Fresh Group all 6 herds
No. of Milking Cow Groups 5 (2 herds), 4 (2 herds)
3 (1 herd), 2 (1 herd)
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
High-GroupsItem (n=6) Range
Stall Stocking Density, % 100 – 117 (avg. 107)
Lock-ups 4 Herds
No. Times Pushed Up 0 (2), 2x (1), 4x (1), 7x (1), 12x (1)
Bunk Space, linear feet / cow 1.2 – 2.1 (avg. 1.7)
No. Times Fed all herds 1x
Feed Refusal Target, % 0 (4), 3 – 5 (2)
Forage Programs
Forage Milking Cows Dry Cows
Oatlage --- 2/6
6/66/63/62/6
---
Corn Silage 6/6Alfalfa Silage 6/6
Dry Hay 3/6Wheat Straw 3/6
Corn Stalklage 1/6
Corn Silage ProductionHybrid
Dual Purpose – 5/6bm3 – 1/6Leafy – 1/6
StorageBags – 2/6Bunkers – 4/6Piles – 1/6
AdditivesLAB – 4/6Liquid Urea/Molasses – 1/6
Kernel Processing – 6/6
Corn Silage Nutrient Composition
Item (n=6) Average RangeDM % 33
94463
NFC, % DMB 39 30.9 – 43.9Ash, % DMB 7 4.8 – 9.5
71
29 – 36CP, % DMB 7.9 – 10.8
NDF, % DMB 39.3 – 49.0NDFD, % of NDF 61 – 67
TDN1x, % DMB 65.8 – 73.4
Corn Silage Processing ScoreMertens, USDFRC & Dairyland Labs, Arcadia, WI
Ro-Tap Shaker9 sieves (0.6 thru 19 mm) and panAnalyze for starch on 4.75 mm & greater sieves
% of starch passing4.75 mm sieve CSPS
OptimumAveragePoor
>70%70% to 50%< 50%
Corn Silage Processing Score
Item Hensen KoepkeRosy Lane Crave SoFine Oechsner
DM % 29 36 30 36 36 31
Starch%
25 31 25 28 32 27
% Starch
thru 4.75mm
sieve
68 77 63 47 56 41
Corn Silage Particle Size
Item (n=6) Average Range
186814
0.42
% Coarse 8 – 32% Medium 59 – 74
% Fine 9 – 18MPL, inches 0.34 – 0.51
Corn Silage Fermentation Profiles
Item (n=6) Average Range
Lactate, % of Total 70 52 – 91
333.84.72.0
16
DM % 29 – 36pH 3.7 – 3.9
Lactate, % DMB 3.3 – 6.8Acetate, % DMB 0.4 – 3.3
Ammonia, % of CP 3.3 – 36.1
Alfalfa Silage Harvest/Storage
Cutting Schedule4x – 5/64x, 3x – 1/6
StorageBags – 4/9Bunkers – 3/9Uprights – 2/9
AdditivesLAB – 6/6
Alfalfa Silage Nutrient Composition
Item Average RangeDM % 39
21193845
NFC, % DMB 28 23.8 – 35.3Ash, % DMB 12 10.3 – 14.3
61
28 – 52CP, % DMB 18.6 – 25.5
RUP, % of CP 16 – 21NDF, % DMB 35.3 – 41.7
NDFD, % of NDF 39 – 58
TDN1x, % DMB 58.2 – 64.7
Alfalfa Silage Particle Size
Item Average Range
2061190.38
% Coarse 5 – 34% Medium 53 – 71
% Fine 10 – 35MPL, inches 0.22 – 0.53
Alfalfa Silage Fermentation Profiles
Item (n=9) Average Range
Lactate, % of Total 61 8 – 91
394.53.72.40.1
18
DM % 28 – 52pH 4.2 – 5.3
Lactate, % DMB 0.6 – 5.2Acetate, % DMB 0.4 – 5.5Butyrate, % DMB 0 – 1.0
Ammonia, % of CP 10.8 – 44.0
Corn Harvest & StorageType
HM Shelled – 4/6Dry Shelled – 3/6
HMSC StorageUprights – 2/4Bags – 2/4
HMSC AdditivesLAB – 3/4
ProcessingHMSC
Roller Mill – 3/4Hammer Mill – 2/4
DSCHammer mill 2/2
HM Shelled Corn Particle Size
Item (n=4) Average Range
751589
27
DM % 74 – 76MPS, microns 929 – 2071
% passing #16 or 1180 micron sieve
12 – 51
Dry Shelled Corn Particle Size
Item (n=2) Range
DM % 84 – 85MPS, microns 573 – 794
% passing #16 or 1180 micron sieve
57 – 90
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients Ingredient Frequency
HM or Dry Corn 6/6
Soy Hulls 1/6Beet Pulp 1/6
Liquid Feed Supplement 2/6
Corn Starch 1/6Corn Gluten Feed 3/6
Distiller’s Dried Grains 2/6Whole Cottonseed 6/6
Liquid Whey 1/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients Ingredient Frequency
Soybean Meal 5/6
Blood Meal 4/6
Feather Meal 1/6Purina Milking Custom - Ext 1/6
Fish Meal 1/6
Soy Plus® 1/6Roasted Soybeans 4/6
Linseed Meal 1/6Corn Gluten Meal 60 2/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients Ingredient Frequency
Urea 3/6Tallow 3/6
Energy Booster® 1/6Megalac® 1/6
Megalac-R® 1/6Sodium Bicarbonate 4/6
Yeast 6/6
4-Plex® 3/6Zinpro® 2/6
Sel-Plex® 1/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients
Ingredient FrequencyBiotin 4/6
Omnigen-AF® 3/6Bacterial-DFM 5/6
Niacin 1/6Mepron® 1/6
High-Group Nutrient Formulations
Item (n=6) RangeCP, % DMB 17.0 – 18.5
Fat, % DMB 4.6 – 6.4
RUP, % of CP 35 – 38NDF, % DMB 26.2 – 32.3
NDF-forage, % DMB 18.0 – 22.5NFC, % DMB 38.1 – 43.5
TDN1x, % DMB 74.5 – 77.0
High-Group Nutrient Formulations
Item (n=6) RangeCa, % DMB 0.84 – 1.03
Salt, % DMB (added) 0.22 – 0.50
Suppl. D, IU / lb DM 557 – 1086
P, % DMB 0.37 – 0.41Mg, % DMB 0.33 – 0.39K, % DMB 1.16 – 1.60
Suppl. A, IU / lb DM 2227 – 4224
Suppl. E, IU / lb DM 10 – 33
DMI of Milking Groups
Item Hensen KoepkeRosy Lane Crave SoFine Oechsner
lb / d 45 – 60(54)
52 – 62(58) (55)
51 – 62(56)
44 – 68(58)
45 – 58(56)
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6) Average RangeDM % 48.8
17.729.560
40.85.5
CP, % DMB 16.7 – 18.4
Fat, % DMB
40 – 57
5.0 – 6.0
NDF, % DMB 27.3 – 31.0NDFD, % NDF 51 – 67NFC, % DMB 38.2 – 42.8
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6) Average Range
0.950.390.351.51
Ca, % DMB 0.71 – 1.07P, % DMB 0.35 – 0.44
Mg, % DMB 0.29 – 0.38K, % DMB 1.35 – 1.63
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6) Average Range
48.8104050
DM % 40 – 57% Coarse 7 – 15% Medium 32 – 54
% Fine 38 – 58
High-Group Diet NRC-01 Model Evaluation
Item (n=6) Average Range
10699%
MP Allowable Milklb / d 103 96 – 116
96%
NEL Allowable Milklb / d 99 – 114
% of observed 93% – 107%
% of observed 92% – 100%
High-Group Diet NRC-01 Model Evaluation
Item (n=6) Average Range
6.31.93.4
Lysine, % of MP 6.2 – 6.4Methionine, % of MP 1.8 – 2.1
Lys:Met 3.1 – 3.5
Feed Efficiency & Feed Cost Per Cwt.
Item (n=6) Range
Bulk Tank Milk / Avg. DMI 1.57 – 1.70
Feed Cost Per Cwt. Bulk Tank Milk $4.01 – $4.50