NebGuides
Feeding to Maximize Milk Protein and Fat Yields (pdf)
Dairy Cow Health and Metabolic Disease Relative to Nutritional Factors (pdf)
How to Forumulate Lactating Dairy Rations to Include Corn Milling Co-Products (pdf)
How to Reduce Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle (pdf)
Sampling Feed for Analyses (pdf)
Water Quality and Requirements for Dairy Cattle (pdf)
Spanish Resources
Muestreo de ingredientes alimenticios para su análisis (Sampling Feeds for Analyses) (pdf)
Salud y enfermedades metabólicas relacionados con factores nutricionales en vacas lecheras
(Dairy Cow Health and Metabolic Disease Relative to Nutritional Factors) (pdf)
Cómo reducir el estrés calórico en el ganado productor de leche (How to Reduce Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle) (pdf)
Aflatoxin in Corn
Kim Clark, Dairy Extension Educator
What a weather anomaly this year has been! It started this spring with the bomb cyclone in March in the western part of Nebraska and the flooding on the central and eastern portion of the state from the rapid melting and rains. Since then, much of the state has been wet or flooded. As silage harvest continues and corn harvest begins, mycotoxin challenges and issues may arise. Mold produce mycotoxins. It is not the molds themselves that impact animal health, it is the mycotoxins that negatively impact animal health.
2019 Seed, Fertilizer and Chemical Costs: What do we know now?
Robert Tigner, Agricultural Systems Economist, Educator
Here I am discussing 2019 and in my area, we haven’t yet cut 2018 wheat. Am I thinking too far ahead? I don’t think so when looking at 2018 and 2019 corn prices. As of this writing, Dec 19 corn is trading at $3.96 with Dec 18 corn 23 cents lower. Those aren’t prices I like, but those are the prices I currently have to live with. On the other side of profit is cost. If my variable costs decline in 2019, maybe $4 corn can make me money. If variable costs don’t decline in 2019, I would rather know that now than one year from now.
Managing Seeding Year Alfalfa
Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist
Alfalfa seeded this spring is ready, or soon will be ready, to cut. Use the following harvest guidelines to get the most from your first-year alfalfa. Seeding year alfalfa is different from established stands. Stems are spindly, roots are small and shorter, and growth is a little slower.
What You Should be Thinking About When Beginning to Chop Corn Silage
Paul Kononoff, Associate Professor of Dairy Nutrition and Dairy Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Back to school, state fair and corn silage harvest. This is a busy time of year and there are many things consuming our thoughts; however, there are a few key items that we should be thinking about to make sure the corn silage we harvest today will yield high quality feed for the year to come.
How Much is Standing Hay Worth?
Robert Tigner, Nebraska Extension Educator-Agriculture, Red Willow County
Very soon this question will pop up and will ask about selling a full year of production or a specific cutting. Getting a handle on how much either is worth is often just guess work. There is a better way.
Muestreo de ingredientes alimenticios para su análisis (Sampling Feeds for Analyses)
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El muestreo es clave para un análisis adecuado de los alimentos y para el balance apropiado de las raciones del ganado. Aquí le mostramos como realizarlo.
Salud y enfermedades metabólicas relacionados con factores nutricionales en vacas lecheras (Dairy Cow Health and Metabolic Disease Relative to Nutritional Factors)
Kim Clark, UNL Dairy Extension Educator
Salud y enfermedades metabólicas relacionados con factores nutricionales en vacas lecheras (Dairy Cow Health and Metabolic Disease Relative to Nutritional Factors) This NebGuide written in Spanish discusses common dairy cow diseases related to nutrition.
What You Should be Thinking About When Beginning to Chop Corn Silage
Paul Kononoff, Associate Professor of Dairy Nutrition/Dairy Extension Specialist
Back to school, state fair and corn silage harvest. This is a busy time of year and there are many things consuming our thoughts; however, there are a few key items that we should be thinking about to make sure the corn silage we harvest today will yield high quality feed for the year to come.
Reminders for producing high quality corn silage
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
Many dairy diets contain 40% or more corn silage. Most other components of the ration are determined by the quality of this silage so starting with high-quality silage can greatly affect eventual ration cost and milk production. Harvest at the optimal stage of maturity will maximize yield of digestible nutrients and provide the correct moisture content for proper ensiling.
Byproducts…. Is there ever a catch?
Paul Kononoff, Associate of Dairy Nutrition and Dairy Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
One thing that always amazes me during my travels to dairy farms both in the state of Nebraska as well as other parts of the world is the sheer diversity of byproducts fed to dairy cattle. The byproducts originate for the food, beverage, bioenergy industries. I personally have seen such unusual feeds as carrots, bread waste, cookie waste, cannery waste, and potato chips successfully used to feed dairy cattle. In general, byproducts are used in because through rumen fermentation, cattle are able to utilize both protein and energy out of a wide range of feed sources and convert them into a high value food product, namely milk.
How to Reduce Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle
Heat stress is one of the leading causes of decreased production and fertility in Nebraska dairy cattle during summer months. These losses are apparent in the decreased amount of milk shipped, increased days open and decreased breedings per conception. Some heat stress is unavoidable, but effects can be minimized if certain management practices are followed.
Increase Corn Silage Yields in 2016
Bruce Anderson, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Corn silage is a mainstay in the cow diets of most dairies. A bit more attention to management considerations specific to corn silage could pay large dividends.
Rumen Microbes are More Important than Originally Thought
Samohda Fernando, Assistant Professor - Nutritional Biochemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Since the early 1900s, the rumen and its resident microbes have been investigated for its role in nutrient digestion and health to increase animal performance and efficiency. Recent findings from the human microbiome suggest that our gut microbes play a far more important role than we thought earlier.
Rapid Checklist for Water Quality: The 1% that Cows Care About
Paul Kononoff, Dairy Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Water is considered the single most important nutrient for dairy cattle; yet it is one that frequently gets the least attention. I would even suggest that when we look at agriculture as a whole, there is no more important resource than water. This statement is supported by the fact that The World Economic Forum lists water crisis among the top 10 likely and impactful global risks. We, in Nebraska, are fortunate as we sit above portions of the High Plains Aquifer.
Nebraska: A Great Place to Find Protein for your Dairy Cows!
Paul Kononoff, Ph.D. Dairy Nutrition Specialist/Associate Professor of Dairy Nutrition, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
We, in Nebraska, are fortunate for the ample and locally produced feed supplies. Last year, Nebraska produced 288 million bushels of soybeans, placing among the nations top five producing states.