DROUGHT STRATEGIES FOR DAIRY PRODUCERS

Introduction

The drought is affecting every facet of agriculture including dairy. Producers are faced with limited forage supplies as a result of reduced hay production and continued drought on all other crops. If producers are to survive they need to develop a strategy and follow it. Now is the time to review what you are doing and make needed management changes.

Meeting Forage Needs

1. Determine how much forage is needed and what is available locally.

2. Investigate the potential for buying high quality alfalfa to supplement poor quality or non-existent home grown forages.

3. Store hay to minimize losses.

4. Test your hay and balance rations accordingly.

5. Use forage extenders such as cottonseed hulls when practical and economical.

6. Minimize waste in feeding by chopping and including forage in total mixed rations instead of feeding in round bale rings where feasible.

7. Feed your highest producers the best quality forage available. Incorporate lower quality forages into lower producer rations.

8. Harvest set aside acreages when available and include them in your rations as fiber fill sources.

Managing Grain Costs

1. Consider using alternative feeds such as bakery waste, beet pulp, wet brewers grain, maltage, corn gluten feed, hominy feed, whole cottonseed, cottonseed hulls, wheat midds, rice bran and rice hulls.

2. Group cows according to nutrient needs and feed accordingly.

3. Determine whether switching to a total mixed ration would allow you to stretch your feed budget by incorporating lower quality feeds or less palatable feeds.

4. Consider contracting feeds during harvest or when reduced prices are available.

5. Calibrate your weighing devices to ensure accurate ration formulation.

Cull Unprofitable Animals

1. Evaluate cows in the lactating herd for profitability and cull the bottom end.

2. Determine how many heifers you are going to need as replacements and sell the surplus.

3. Switch to artificial insemination and save the cost of feeding a bull while improving genetic gain.

4. Reduce somatic cell counts by culling high somatic cell count cows.

Beat Heat Stress

1. Provide shade for lactating and dry cows.

2. Provide plenty of fresh cool water and shade the water.

3. Install cooling in the holding area and free-stalls.

4. Increase the ration energy and protein density to compensate for dairy matter intake depression.

Maintain Reproduction

1. Watch for heats. Spend time in the late evening and early morning detecting heats when cows are most active.

2. Check your thermometer to ensure proper thawing temperatures.

3. Do not leave insemination equipment in the sun.

4. Use young sire semen to stretch your purchasing power.

5. Monitor your nitrogen tank for possible leaks.

Miscellaneous Strategies

1. Feed ionophores to heifers to improve feed efficiency.

2. Consider using bovine somatotropin to improve productivity of late lactation cows.

3. Reduce somatic cell counts. Cows with lower somatic cell counts produce more milk and lower counts gives price premiums in some markets.

4. Keep dry periods between 40 and 70 days in length for optimal production in the next lactation.

5. Install scales to verify the weights on loads of purchased feeds.

6. Keep accurate production and financial records to help determine which strategies will improve your bottom line.