Including grass forages in dairy rations offers a rare opportunity to boost effective fiber while keeping energy levels high.
"It's a constant battle for dairy nutritionists to get adequate effective fiber for rumen health and enough energy to drive the ration," explained Burke Neeley, a nutritionist with Dairy Facts LLC. "It's the difference between high production and mediocre production."
Neeley worked with dairies in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey before he came to Idaho several years ago. Because soil and climate conditions make it difficult to keep an alfalfa stand productive for more than two or three years, dairy producers in the Northeast tend to plant - and feed - more grass forages and that boosts fiber levels.
"There's not a lot of fiber in good quality alfalfa hay," Neeley said.
Alfalfa is only 30 to 35 percent non-digestible fiber (NDF) compared to grass at 42 to 46 percent and even distillers grains that can run 40 to 45 percent. Higher NDF levels encourage higher feed intake.
But Neeley is most interested in physically effective fiber that encourages rumination and stimulates cud chewing. In other words, fiber that provides structure to the rumen mat. And that's where grass forages excel.
Western dairies often use straw to provide that needed structure, but straw doesn't provide any energy.
Click here to see more...