Discover how Ever.Ag’s Feed King helps optimize nutrient intake, reduce costs and improve cow welfare
As the dairy industry undergoes a transformative revolution, producers must unearth innovative strategies to amplify profitability and sustainability on their farms. Every breakthrough, whether monumental or modest, propels farms toward a prosperous future, ensuring the resilience and triumph of the entire dairy supply chain.A crucial element of producers’ bottom line is feed. Ryne Braun, Ever.Ag’s Director of Dairy On-Farm Solutions said, “Smart feed management isn’t just science; it’s a craft. Turn every bite into a boost for your bottom line and watch as feed transforms from a cost center to a profit center.”
The USDA estimated that feed costs represented over 75% of operating costs and over 50% of total costs in 2023 for milk costs of production. Because of the vast amount of time and capital invested in feed every year, every producer should examine whether they are using their feed as effectively as possible.
Potential missteps in the feeding process
Even with formulas tailored specifically to their cows, producers must remain vigilant in monitoring the accuracy of feed mixing, timing, and delivery.
The most obvious mixing error is adding the wrong amount of an ingredient, but other mistakes can also occur during the mix. An article published in JDS Communications revealed, “Producers consistently overmix energy grains, grain silages, hays, and protein sources.”
Seemingly minor deviations in the mixing process can ultimately lead to higher feed costs and reduced cow productivity, decreasing the return on investment of creating a specialized formula.
Another essential step in maximizing feed efficiency is timing the delivery of the feed. Delivering too early causes feed waste, but if it happens too late, cows feel hunger and stress.
Lastly, producers must ensure even distribution of feed throughout the feed lanes. Uneven dispersion artificially shrinks the bunk space creating competition and stress.
Financial and sustainability benefits
Accurate mixing, timing, and delivery reduce feed waste while maintaining milk production. With the decrease in waste, producers may need to buy or grow less feed for their herd, which would decrease their costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the financial and sustainability benefits, high feed efficiency can be a proxy for cow happiness, thereby improving animal welfare.
Feed King
All producers agree that consistent mixing, timing, and delivery helps their farms achieve peak efficiency and reduce emissions, but creating consistency proves very challenging. Mistakes occur during feeding procedures, including mechanical problems, operator inattention, feed lane obstructions, and more.
Ever.Ag’s Feed King provides a reliable way to monitor and self-correct every step of the feeding process to minimize errors and keep cows happy, healthy, and fed. With the help of Feed King, Grotegut Dairy Farm reduced its feed usage by 3,455 lbs. every day, resulting in savings of over $150,000 per year.
Learn how Feed King can help you reach your financial and sustainability goals in one easy-to-use platform that aggregates data from your existing on-farm software.
