September 1, 2011

US dairy farmers affected by high feed costs

The increment of corn prices, together with a deficiency of quality alfalfa hay, has caused dairy farmers to feel the pinch when feeding their herds.

"We expect higher corn prices to continue," said Donna Amaral-Phillips, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture dairy nutrition and grazing management specialist.

"The question on dairy farmers' minds is what they can do to decrease the cost of feeding their herd while not compromising milk production and growth of dairy heifers."

With the summer coming to an end and fall on the horizon, farmers need to make it a priority to complete the harvest of quality forages.

Amaral-Phillips explained that feeding programmes containing higher amounts of forages are generally more profitable for a dairy business, but farmers must harvest and store high-quality forages to take advantage of that.

Amaral-Phillips also suggested dairy farmers to work closely with a nutritionist to make the most of their feed dollars. Forage testing can be a big help in balancing diets for milking cows and dry cows and heifers.