Dairy Grist
A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY FORTIFIED NUTRITION LTD. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 | FALL 2021
Dear Friends, It was my extreme pleasure and privilege to travel in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan recently, after over a year and a half being restricted to Ontario. It was wonderful to visit with many of our Fortified Nutrition Limited (FNL) customers as well as both long term team members as well as newer additions to the team. It was such a pleasure to be able to meet once again face to face, shake hands and enjoy some great discussions with one another. One of the new additions to our team is Lisa Wiens Simanton from Ponoka, AB. Lisa has provided a thought provoking article in this edition of the Dairy Grist that we trust that you will enjoy. It is wonderful witness the expansion of our FNL Ruminant focused team and the positive impact that they having on the dairy and beef herds that we have the privilege of working with in the Prairies. After a difficult growing season in much of the prairies, I am confident that our Ruminant Specialists and Nutritionists will do their utmost to allow the producers that we work with to make the very most of their forages and keep purchased feed costs as low as they possibly can and working together with these producers to maximize the volume and components of the milk that they produce. We look forward to the opportunity of travelling to Manitoba in the not too distant future. Until then, we trust that you will enjoy this edition of the FNL Dairy Grist. Sincerely, Ian Ross, President & CEO
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE HIGH QUALITY CORN SILAGE?
by: JEFF KEUNEN Ruminant Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers, Nutrition Direct
G
ood spring planting conditions and plenty of early season heat have helped corn plants grow well across many parts of the province. Most fields of corn were tasseled in mid-late July and thus harvest for corn silage will be underway earlier this year than traditional years. If you mark your calendars on the day your fields tassel, counting forward 40-45 days will give you a good estimate of when silage corn should be close to ½ milk line and very close to harvest ready. Following these well-known and research proven harvest management tips will help you ensure a high quality corn silage that will improve milk yield and reduce purchased feed costs for years to come.
Get Ready to Go The harvest window for maximum corn silage quality and yield is quite small and may be earlier than normal for many this year, so be sure that you are ready when the corn is ready for optimum harvest. If you do your own chopping, make sure that your equipment is all serviced and ready to go. If you rely on a custom operator, be sure to keep them informed as your corn matures and the estimated date that you will need to have it chopped. In all cases make sure that your silo(s) are ready to go and needed maintenance is completed.
When to Chop Corn should be harvested between ½ - ¾ kernel milk-line, but there is large variation in the relationship between kernel milk-line and whole plant moisture. Therefore, it is very helpful to chop approximately 10 whole plants (representative sample from the field) and determine the
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moisture as harvest time approaches. Once you know the current whole plant moisture content, expect the corn to dry down an average of 0.5% per day in typical weather, but up to 1% per day in hot and dry weather. For optimum yield, starch (energy) content and silage fermentation, the goal for corn silage harvest is 35 – 40% dry matter for tower silos and 33 – 38% dry matter for bunk silos and bags. Chopping silage too wet will result in lower yield and lower starch content so that both milk per acre and milk per tonne of silage are reduced. Very wet corn silage may also have fermentation and feed out challenges. On the other hand, harvesting silage too dry will contribute to difficulty in packing, chopping and silage fermentation. It will also reduce digestibility of starch resulting in more corn in the manure and potentially feeding more grain in the ration to boost energy levels.
Chop Length and Processing Chop length should be ½ inch to ¾ inch (12-18 mm) depending on processing and moisture level. Chopping short will reduce sorting at the feed bunk, increases packing density at ensiling, and helps improve intakes. Corn silage should be processed, however, lab samples and visual observations on farms show that most silage is not processed well enough. It is critical that almost all the kernels are crushed, just as it is for HM corn. This is especially true when silage is chopped above 33 – 35% dry matter. A very simple and effective test at harvest to see if corn silage is processed properly is to scoop silage into a 32 oz cup and then spread it out; if you see more than 1 or 2 half or whole kernels then processing can be improved. Discuss with the operator ways to tighten the roller or slow the harvest speed to improve processing. Excellent processing on corn silage ensures that the starch in the silage is well digested and improves milk yield per tonne of silage.
Use a Silage Inoculant Many silage inoculants are available to speed-up fermentation at harvest and/or improve stability and quality of silage at feeding. Dairy proIan Ross, President & CEO | David Ross, VP & CMO Mark Bowman | Jeff Keunen | Josh Devos | Kathleen Shore, Ruminant Nutritionists Michael Peckover, Publisher
Filling, Packing and Covering All types of silos should be filled rapidly to exclude oxygen and begin fermentation. Silage in bunker silos must be packed and covered properly to drive out air and reduce dry matter loss and spoilage. Packing density should be at least 15 lbs of dry matter per cubic foot. The size and number of packing tractors must increase in proportion to the size of the silos and the speed of filling. Recommendations are that you need 800 lbs of packing tractor for every T/hr of silage coming to the bunk silo. That would be 80,000 lbs of tractor for 100 T/hr of silage. Cover bunker silos as soon as possible after filling and ensure that the plastic, whatever type is used, remains tight against the silage.
ing herd performance and health. Research has consistently shown a clear relationship between de novo fatty acids and bulk tank fat and protein. Our data clearly shows that strong relationship as well (see Figure 2). A good rule of thumb is that for every tenth of a unit increase in de novo fatty acids, milk fat increases by 0.20 and milk protein increases by 0.12 units. That is not to say only a few diet changes will bring that increase in de novo because genetics will play a role. However, cows that are not meeting genetic potential will send red flags through their milk fatty acid profile. Figure 1: Fatty acid groups, reasons for high or low content in milk test. (source: Lactanet)
C4:0 C6:0 C8:0 C10:0
In Summary
FATTY ACIDS: TOOLS FOR ON-FARM TROUBLESHOOTING
by: KATHLEEN SHORE Ruminant Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers, Nutrition Direct
R
esearch out of Cornell has highlighted that the milk fatty acid profile in cow’s milk can help nutritionists evaluate rumen health and fermentability of the diet provided. There are many behavioural and environmental factors that also determine rumen health such as space to eat and access to fresh feed. Lactanet reports that barns in the 90th percentile for de novo fatty acid production are consistently doing the following: 1. More frequent feeding – 2x/day 2. More physically effective fiber in the diet - >21% 3. Lower dietary fat - <3.5% 4. 10x more likely to provide >18 inches of bunk space 5. 5x more likely to stock stalls <110% Benchmarks have been developed by Lactanet to represent Jersey and Holstein herds in Québec. At Grand Valley Fortifiers, we were interested to see what is typical in Ontario and Alberta herds and how our diet formulations were playing a role. We do know that for milk production, longer days bring lower components and higher volume while shorter days bring higher components, so measuring throughout the year enables averages to be established looking at healthy cows following natural rhythms of production. Of the three groups of fat found in milk, de novo is the most critical to ensuring the cow’s rumen is working efficiently at producing volatile fatty acids – the backbone for 80% of the energy she needs to produce milk, milk components and maintain her own body/health status. The other two fat groups are mixed and preformed as outlined in Figure 1. These groups are also important to understand because they help tell a story of what is happening to the cow and how to affect dietary change toward improv-
C12:0 C14:0 C14:1
18-30%
Preformed C18:0 C18:1
C16:0 C16:1
35-40%
C18:2
30-45%
Figure 2: Relationship between de novo fatty acid level and components.
Butterfat, %
Don’t get caught off guard this year with the potential for a much earlier corn harvest than traditional years. Have a discussion with your feed advisor about forage stocks, corn silage inventory needs, storage facilities, corn silage quality over the past few years, and good corn silage harvesting practices. Remember that making excellent quality corn silage for a couple harvest days this fall will pay you back for the rest of the year. Improving your harvest management and ensuring excellent quality corn silage is available for your herd to consume will lower your purchased feed costs, improve your milk yield and improve your farm’s profitability. ■
Mixed
De novo
6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2
4.5 R² = 0.8616
True Protein, %
ducers should strongly consider using one to improve silage quality and reduce losses of dry matter and other nutrients. Since corn silage tends to spoil and heat at time of feeding, Buchneri products that are research proven to reduce this are recommended. It is best to use a product that contains more than one bacteria strain, one for lactic acid production at the start of fermentation and a Buchneri strain to increase bunk life.
R² = 0.7645
4 3.5 3 2.5 2
0.25
0.75
1.25
de Novo fat, g/100 g
1.75
0.25
0.75
1.25
1.75
de Novo fat, g/100 g
The second group of fatty acids, mixed fatty acids, are also partially made in the rumen (approximately 50%); feeding palm fat is another way to boost this fat. However, too much palm fat and the rumen will slow down its own production of fatty acid. This is where we can see a quick rise in butterfat and a subsequent decline once we remove the palm fat from the diet. The last group, preformed fatty acids, has little effect on milk components but still represents a source of energy in the diet. A major source of fat in this group would come from corn products (corn silage, distillers, corn gluten feed) as well as other silages and haylages in the diet. This group is a good indicator of dry matter intake; it can also tell us if cows are mobilizing fat (losing body condition). Evaluating milk samples is a non-invasive way to look at a herd. It also enables dietary decisions to be made with strong data to support. This is clearly seen in herds where butterfat is lower than they would like, and the natural reaction is to push fiber. However, when milk samples come back, we may find that the preformed group is low telling us that diet energy is low. Is that because cows are consistently running out of feed or are the forages a bit lower in digestibility and so rumens are too full to encourage stronger intakes? As nutritionists, we always want to maximize on-farm forage inclusion in ruminant diets but to get the best performance out of our cows we need to meet her needs for lactation and that means forage that takes too long to break down will ultimately keep her from eating enough. In collecting samples from many farms across both Ontario and Alberta we have been able to see some differences in averages not only in geographical areas (Table 1) but also in terms of type of barn (Table 2). Both Tables sort for herds consistently over 4.0% in butterfat.
Dairy Grist Table 1: Regional Fatty Acid Results for farms producing over 4.0% BF.
>4.0% BF
Fatty Acid Group
Eastern ON Central ON
De novo
1.144 ± 0.163
Mixed Preformed
SW ON
AB
0.957 ± 0.079
0.997 ± 0.141
0.916 ± 0.059
1.593 ± 0.214
1.374 ± 0.087
1.387 ± 0.213
1.374 ± 0.052
1.669 ± 0.123
1.717 ± 0.160
1.575 ± 0.122
1.629 ± 0.123
Table 2: Fatty Acid Results for farms with various barn designs producing over 4.0%BF.
>4.0% BF
Fatty Acid Group
Freestall
Robot
Tie Stall
Bedded Pack
De novo
0.977
1.038
1.039
0.914
Mixed
1.374
1.447
1.468
1.343
Preformed
1.619
1.649
1.612
1.547
Much of the success in producing a high level of de novo (thus higher components) is tied to the amount of forage that can be fed in the ration while still meeting energy needs; the amount of forage that a cow can consume will be tied to how digestible it is. When you look at herds producing over 40 kg versus those in the 30-35 or 36-40 kg this can be very challenging while still meeting the energy needs of the cow (Table 3). As much as we like to think we can manipulate biology with nutrition we do need to respect it, so we promote longevity in our herds and thus improved lifetime performance. Table 3: Fatty Acid Results for farms in different milk categories producing over 4.0% BF.
>4.0% BF
Fatty Acid Group
>40 KG
36-40 KG
30-35 KG
<30 KG
De novo
0.897 ± 0.052
0.925 ± 0.074
0.981 ± 0.064
1.159 ± 0.179
Mixed
1.235 ± 0.080
1.350 ± 0.094
1.370 ± 0.103
1.605 ± 0.244
Preformed
1.593 ± 0.097
1.693 ± 0.143
1.580 ± 0.134
1.652 ± 0.138
with RIENKE KALVERBOER Dairy Specialist, Grand Valley Fortifiers and KATHLEEN SHORE Ruminant Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers
KEEPING CALVES HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE FALL Autumn in Canada can be unpredictable at best and very regional in terms of temperature and precipitation. Calves struggle through the ups and downs absorbing any moisture through their lungs and creating opportunity for immune events in the form of scours or pneumonia. It can be a battle to keep them healthy; moreover, even if you get them through it, they are often the weakest heifers when they join the milking herd. If housing is a challenge, speaking to your veterinarian about a protocol to help curb the incidence of disease is important. Keeping calves’ environment dry is critical – closing up barns to ward off cold is not helpful if there is nowhere for the moisture to go except down to the calf and her bedding. She needs lots of bedding to nest comfortably and that bedding should always be dry. Providing lots of extra straw so that the calf’s knees are not visible when she is lying down will elevate her ambient temperature by 4⁰- 7⁰C. Blankets can help keep calves warm but be sure they are not sweating underneath. They should also be cleaned regularly. Performing a knee test where you kneel into the bedding and come back up helps determine if bedding is adequate. Your knees should be dry! Using bedding treatments can help reduce the bacterial load but nothing overcomes wet environments except the labour required to make it dry. Keep feeding adequate amounts of milk. A strong feeding program for calves is minimum 6 Liters (5 liters for smaller breeds like Jerseys). This
Table 4: Fatty Acid Results for herds experiencing Mild - Moderate Heat Stress vs None.
Fatty Acid Group
Heat Stress
No Heat Stress
De novo
0.816
1.021
Mixed
1.164
1.429
Preformed
1.446
1.623
Lastly, summer will always prove more challenging to convince cows that they should choose volume over butterfat! Keeping them cool (Table 4) and balancing for all three groups of fatty acids will certainly get a herd to yield higher components. It will also ensure that your herd stays healthy for longtime productivity. Cutting edge research and novel milk analytical methods pertaining to milk fatty acid groups are paving the way for nutritionists and producers alike to dig deeper into where opportunities may be found to improve on-farm profitability and cow health. Nutrition Direct or your local GVF Dairy Specialist would be happy to help you determine these metrics on your own farm. ■
should be spread over multiple meals – ideally 3 but at least 2 per day. Increase this gradually over the next couple of weeks. In cooler temperatures (<15°C for calves under 3 weeks and <10°C for calves older than 3 weeks) calves need an extra 10 percent to maintain the same rate of gain. This can be done by feeding one extra liter of milk or milk replacer daily with the same concentration. Underfeeding energy can make the calf more susceptible to disease. Provide the correct temperature for the milk, mix milk powder at 45-55°C, then feed the milk at a temperature of 3940°C. If the calf must expend energy to warm the milk or milk replacer up after drinking that is energy taken away from growth. The same goes for water, offering electrolytes or water at body temperature keeps calves well hydrated and works toward improved rumen development. Calf starter should always be offered, as much as calves will eat in those early days and week, but it should also be fed fresh daily. Calves will always choose milk over calf starter, so it is not a concern if they eat little
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starter on higher milk feeding programs. Building strong, lean dairy calves and optimizing her genetic potential is best done by feeding adequate levels of milk. Calf starter is still important to a calf’s development and is an important component of weaning. Some feeds with higher levels of molasses are more prone to having frozen chunks in cold weather. It does not mean the feed is bad, it just needs to be kept in a dry environment that does not freeze. The bottom line for getting through Fall weather with healthy calves is keep them dry, warm, and well fed. ■
The farmer’s comment “these cows have potential; we need to let them express it” is reminiscent of what Dr. Gordie Jones said at WCDS a few years back: “it’s not about pushing cows to high production but removing the barriers and stresses that get in their way.” ■
with LISA WIENS SIMANTON Dairy Specialist, Fortified Nutrition Ltd.
Q
Should Voluntary Waiting Period be extended in high producing herds? I have come across a few herds in recent years that are starting to question our industry standards for voluntary waiting periods and calving intervals. This strategy is not a one size fits all, however it is something to consider in high producing herds. Why? a) Cows that continue to milk hard even when it is dry off time – is there value in leaving them beyond the traditional 305 days? b) What about the inherent risks and stress of pregnancy and calving to the cow – again should this be put off to calving less than 1x/year in favour of extra milk production? c) Is it even necessary to build up the youngstock numbers or is there room to reduce as Brian Nelson demonstrated in an article featured in the Summer Dairy Grist. One farm in particular, Zimmer Holsteins, is about 3 years into practicing this strategy. A 70 cow Holstein herd being milked on 2 robots, averaging 43L at a 4.1% BF and 200 DIM. The farmer’s goal is to have minimum 400 day lactations. Breeding is decided based on the individual cow, taking into account the cow families and what they are capable of, and waiting for her to start putting on body condition post peak milk production then it is time for first service. This farmer believes body condition is key to ensuring they maintain consistent milk production and is seeing 1.6-1.7 services/conception. Keeping body condition just below or at 3.0 has been shown to improve reproductive efficiency, so extending the wait time to breed means that when you are ready to breed you haven’t got the luxury of time for multiple inseminations. The superstar of the herd is around 190 days into her 3rd lactation and has already produced over 58,600L. In her first lactation she averaged 44L in 305d and 43.3L in her complete 541d lactation, her second lactation averaged 52.5 in 305d and 48L in her complete 472d lactation. Level of production is important when considering this strategy; a farm may give up a few litres of average milk per cow per day however, the lifetime production efficiency will improve as shown in a more flat, extended lactation curve (see Figure 1). Another on-farm example is a first lactation cow that moved into a new robot barn mid lactation, and she will be well over 80,000 in four lactations! Other farms, including my own, are also embarking on this approach and seeing similar success in extending the lactation graph so peaks are maintained. Giving top cows opportunity to milk without the added stress that pregnancy presents enables them to really reach their full genetic potential. It also aptly demonstrates that challenging what we think we have always known can only make us better at what we do.
Figure 1 Zimmer Holsteins typical lactation curve (mature cows – top; heifers-bottom)
Prime example of a cow (Figure 2) with a long lactation. This is a 3rd lactation cow with extended voluntary wait period in place.
Thought for the Day Watch out for Bitterness “…looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15 NKJV Bitterness is easy to justify, and it has a tenacious way of taking root deep within the soul and resisting all efforts to weed it out. You can get so used to a bitter heart that you are even comfortable with it, but watch out, it will destroy you. When you allow bitterness to grow in your life, you reject the grace of God that can free you. Bitterness enslaves you, but God is prepared to remove your bitterness and replace it with His peace and joy. - Adapted from Experiencing God by Henry & Richard Blackaby