Scott Smith, Ration Analyst

What are you willing to do this summer to enhance TMR intake? This is the challenge for the producer and the Dairy Nutritionist or Consultant. Keeping the dry matter intake (DMI) up pays short term dividends in the form of a higher milk check and longer term dividends in the form of breeding efficiency and shorter calving interval.

The backbone of any TMR are the forages which are being fed. High quality, consistent forages alway's seem to help stimulate intake. Using inoculant products such as Pro-Store becomes a wise management tool as it improves forage quality and increases bunk life of the TMR. Many of these idea's apply to non-TMR fed herds also!

Here are a few idea's to help maintain DMI during hot, humid weather:

1. Adjust TMR feeding times, if necessary, to induce cows to eat more during cool early morning or evening hours.
2. Keeping corn silage in the diet during the summer as DMI is higher when corn silage is fed.
3. Feeding more times a day and push feed up to cows.
4. Clean bunks and feed alleys daily to eliminate old, heated, and picked over feed.
5. Provide plenty of cool, fresh water. Summer heat increases water intake, so adding extra tanks or troughs usaully helps.
6. Reduce the use of by-product feed ingredients that may be less palatable until fall.
7. Increase or add buffer's into the diet. Supply free-choice buffers and white salt to help make up for individual cow differences. ANC increases ration potassium during hot weather.
8. Monitor actual DMI and rebalance ration if intake is off by more than a pound. Check with your consultant first!
9. Increase energy density of TMR if possible to help make up for lower intakes.
10. Limit major ration changes, such as feeding unfermented forages, changing forage types, or drastically changing proportions.
11. Maximize ventilation and cool cows with misters if necessary.

The summer is when, many times, cows get a little neglected due to field work, but this really is the time where extra efforts will reward you with more money in the milk check and better herd health!