Feed Strategies for Certain Purchased Feeds and Feed Additives
Reviewed April 2008
J.W. Schroeder, NDSU Dairy Cattle Specialist
Feed additives can raise feed costs by $.02 to $.30 per cow per day. Dairy farmers and nutritionists must correctly position feed additives to economically justify their use. Benefit to cost ratios can vary from 10:1 (anionic salts) to 8:1 (ionophores and zinc methionine) to 4:1 (buffers and yeast) to 3:1 (niacin).
The following table outlines strategies when to include certain purchased feeds in dairy rations. Use it as a guide for your feed additive needs. Work with a trained nutritionist to help fine-tune your ration needs.
Strategies with additives and purchased feeds. |
Feed Ingredient |
Strategy |
Undegraded protein |
Milk yeild > 65 lb |
Animal/fish protein blend (by-pass protein) |
Milk yeild > 90 lb
(Corn based diets) |
Unprotected fat/oil |
Milk yeild > 65 lb Thin cows |
protected fat |
Milk yeild > 90 lb Thin cows |
Chelated/complex minerals |
Close-up dry cows E.T. donor cows (stress conditions) |
Bufferes Early lactation |
Wet rations High corn silage rations |
Nacian |
Close-up dry cows Early lactation Milk yeild > 70 lb Ketotic-prone cows |
Yeast |
Close-up dry cows Fresh cows Cows off-feed |
Anionic Salts |
Close-up dry cows |
Ionophores |
All heifers |
Porbiotics (Direct Feed Microbials) |
Calves on liquid diets cows off-feed |
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