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Feed Department:You can't stop the heat, but you can manage for it Powerful forces jeopardize cows. Every year, high temperatures and humidity levels take their toll on your dairy herd. The sultry weather impacts both cow performance and health:
Overcome environmental hurdles You can reduce the effects of heat stress by altering your cows' environment. Recommended heat prevention practices include:
Feed a summer ration How you feed your cows during elevated temperatures and humidity levels can make a dramatic difference in maintaining herd productivity. Heat-stressed cows can lower their feed consumption by as much as 25% to reduce the heat caused by digestion. Active cooling, such as panting, increases the cow's maintenance (energy) requirement. As a result, the maintenance needs for a 1,400-lb cow producing 60 pounds of milk are about 20% higher when the temperature is 95 F, as compared to 68 F (NRC). This increases energy demands at the expense of milk production and overall health. Consequently, cows may face a severe dietary energy shortage. They will draw needed energy from body stores, which adversely impaacts both body condition and reporductive performance. However, the extra energy from MEGALAC Rumen Bypass Fat can help cows overcome the negative impact heat stress has on feed consumption, milk production, body condition and reporduction. Fiber vs. energy The main feeding challenge during hot weather is to maximize energy intake, while maintaining ration fiber levels. Maintaining a balanced ration is very diffucult because:
Low fiber levels can lead to rumen upset, which may further reduce feed intake. Excessive fiber levels, especially high neutral detergent fiber (NDF), can even decrease ration digestibility. Trying to compensate for reduced energy intake by adding more grain to the ration may only compound the problem. This practice can really throw the ration out of balance. MEGALAC to the rescue Instead of adding grain to the ration, feed MEGALAC. One unit of MEGALAC can be substituted for one unit of corn or grain. This practice increases the feed energy level. For example, substituting 1 LB of MEGALAC for 1 LB of corn will increase the entergy content by about 2 Meal (NE) and provide additional energy to your cows without disrupting fiber levels or adding to the heat caused by forage digestion. To take full advantage of this extra energy, increase undergradable intake protein (UIP) in the dairy ration. Copyright © 1999 by Pine
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