You've reached the Virginia Cooperative Extension Newsletter Archive. These files cover more than ten years of newsletters posted on our old website (through April/May 2009), and are provided for historical purposes only. As such, they may contain out-of-date references and broken links.
To see our latest newsletters and current information, visit our website at http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/.
Newsletter Archive index: http://sites.ext.vt.edu/newsletter-archive/
Dairy Pipeline: April 2003
Charles C. Stallings
Extension Dairy Scientist, Nutrition
(540) 231-4758
email: cstallin@vt.edu
When feeding lactating dairy cows it is best to limit amounts of certain feeds. Reasons can be problems with palatability, high oil or fat content, imbalances of certain nutrients and lack of "effective" fiber to stimulate rumination. Knowing these restrictions can prevent problems from occurring. Also combinations of some of these feeds can be a problem if the maximums are used with no regard to type and amount of nutrients that are provided. A good example is use of whole cottonseeds with soybeans. The maximum of each would result in excessive fat in the ration. Also some of these feeds have relatively high fiber levels but it is not "effective" fiber. A certain level of forage fiber should be maintained. This is where your nutritionist can be an asset in identifying optimal relationships with consideration for cost of the ration. Below is a list of some feeds used in Virginia and suggested maximums along with a cause for caution when feeding. Remember these are maximum amounts and not necessarily optimum amounts.
| lbs/ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| % of concentrate | cow/day | reason for caution | |
| Urea | 1.5 | .4 | NPN source |
| Fish meal palatability | 3 | 1 | |
| Blood meal palatability | 3 | 1 | |
| Tallow source | 4 | 1.5 | fat |
| Molasses, dry content | 6 | 2 | sugar |
| Peanut skins content | --- | 4 | tannin |
| Bakery waste content Soybean hulls effective fiber | --- | 4 20 | starch 5 |
| Wheat middlingsquality | 20 | 5 | |
| Cottonseed hulls content | 20 | 5 | energy |
| Whole cottonseeds content | --- | 7 | oil |
| Roasted soybeans, rolled content | 25 | 7 | oil |
| Brewers grains, dry fiber | 25 | 7 | effective |
| Distillers grains, dry content | 25 | 7 | lysine |
| Citrus pulp, dry fiber | --- | 8 | effective |
| Corn gluten feed CP | 30 | 10 | degradable |
| Brewers grains, wet | --- | 30 | effective fiber |