Central Wisconsin Dairy Series
Forage Programs in
High Producing Herds
Central Wisconsin Agriculture
Specialization
Presented by:Matt Lippert, Wood
County Ag Agent
Bob Kaiser and Randy Shaver
Department of Dairy Science
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Survey Herds*
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Hensen Bros. Dairy Inc., Waunakee
Koepke Farms Inc., Oconomowoc
Rosy Lane Holstein LLC, Watertown
Crave Brothers Farm, Waterloo
SoFine Bovines LLC, Westfield
Oechsner Farms, Brownsville
*All freestall-parlor-TMR herds
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6)
Range
DHI No. of Cows Milking
276 – 566
DHI RHA Milk, lb
29,055 – 31,195
Times Milked
3x (4), 4x (1), 4x-3x (1)
Bulk Tank Milk
lb / d
90 – 94
Fat %
3.7 – 3.8
True Protein %
3.0
SCC 119,000 – 225,000
Days in Milk
173 – 198
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6)
BST, % of Herd
% DHI Annual Turnover
DHI Avg. Age, mos.
% Milking Heifers
Heifer Calving Age, mos.
Target Days Dry
DHI Days Dry
(% > 70 d Dry)
Range
63 – 83
18 – 44
40 – 48
28 – 40
22 – 25
45 – 60
53 – 75
(avg. 20%)
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
Item (n=6)
No. of Dry Cow Groups
No. of Dry Cow Diets
Post-Fresh Group
Post-Fresh Diet
No. of Milking Cow Groups
No. of Milking Cow Diets
Range
2 (6 herds)
2 (3 herds), 1 (3 herds)
all 6 herds
2 herds
5 (2 herds), 4 (2 herds)
3 (1 herd), 2 (1 herd)
1–4
Survey Herds (Jan.-Feb, 2004)
High-Groups
Item (n=6)
Range
Stall Stocking Density, %
100 – 117 (avg. 107)
Lock-ups
4 Herds
Bunk Space, linear feet / cow
1.2 – 2.1 (avg. 1.7)
No. Times Fed
all herds 1x
No. Times Pushed Up
0 (2), 2x (1), 4x (1), 7x (1), 12x (1)
Feed Refusal Target, %
0 (4), 3 – 5 (2)
Forage Programs
Forage
Milking Cows
Dry Cows
Corn Silage
Alfalfa Silage
Dry Hay
Wheat Straw
Oatlage
Corn Stalklage
6/6
6/6
3/6
2/6
-----
6/6
6/6
3/6
3/6
2/6
1/6
High-Group Dietary Forage
Item (n=6)
Range
Forage, % DMB
45 – 53
Corn Silage, % Forage DM
41 – 68
Corn Silage Production

Hybrid
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Storage
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Bags – 2/6
Bunkers – 4/6
Piles – 1/6
Additives
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Dual Purpose – 5/6
bm3 – 1/6
Leafy – 1/6
LAB – 4/6
Liquid Urea/Molasses – 1/6
Kernel Processing – 6/6
Corn Silage Nutrient Composition
Item (n=6)
DM %
CP, % DMB
NDF, % DMB
NDFD, % of NDF
NFC, % DMB
Ash, % DMB
Average
33
9
44
63
39
7
Range
29 – 36
7.9 – 10.8
39.3 – 49.0
61 – 67
30.9 – 43.9
4.8 – 9.5
TDN1x, % DMB
71
65.8 – 73.4
Corn Silage Processing Score
Mertens, USDFRC & Dairyland Labs, Arcadia, WI
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Ro-Tap Shaker
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9 sieves (0.6 thru 19 mm) and pan
Analyze for starch on 4.75 mm & greater sieves
% of starch passing
4.75 mm sieve
>70%
70% to 50%
< 50%
CSPS
Optimum
Average
Poor
Corn Silage Processing Score
Item
Hensen Koepke
Rosy
Lane
Crave SoFine Oechsner
DM %
29
36
30
36
36
31
Starch
%
%
Starch
thru
4.75mm
sieve
25
31
25
28
32
27
68
77
63
47
56
41
Corn Silage Particle Size
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
% Coarse
% Medium
% Fine
MPL, inches
18
68
14
0.42
8 – 32
59 – 74
9 – 18
0.34 – 0.51
Corn Silage Fermentation Profiles
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
DM %
pH
Lactate, % DMB
Acetate, % DMB
Lactate, % of Total
Ammonia, % of CP
33
3.8
4.7
2.0
70
16
29 – 36
3.7 – 3.9
3.3 – 6.8
0.4 – 3.3
52 – 91
3.3 – 36.1
Alfalfa Silage Harvest/Storage

Cutting Schedule
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
Storage
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4x – 5/6
4x, 3x – 1/6
Bags – 4/9
Bunkers – 3/9
Uprights – 2/9
Additives
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LAB – 6/6
Alfalfa Silage Nutrient Composition
Item
DM %
CP, % DMB
RUP, % of CP
NDF, % DMB
NDFD, % of NDF
NFC, % DMB
Ash, % DMB
Average
39
21
19
38
45
28
12
Range
28 – 52
18.6 – 25.5
16 – 21
35.3 – 41.7
39 – 58
23.8 – 35.3
10.3 – 14.3
TDN1x, % DMB
61
58.2 – 64.7
Alfalfa Silage Particle Size
Item
% Coarse
% Medium
% Fine
MPL, inches
Average
20
61
19
0.38
Range
5 – 34
53 – 71
10 – 35
0.22 – 0.53
Alfalfa Silage Fermentation Profiles
Item (n=9)
DM %
pH
Lactate, % DMB
Acetate, % DMB
Butyrate, % DMB
Lactate, % of Total
Ammonia, % of CP
Average
39
4.5
3.7
2.4
0.1
61
18
Range
28 – 52
4.2 – 5.3
0.6 – 5.2
0.4 – 5.5
0 – 1.0
8 – 91
10.8 – 44.0
Corn Harvest & Storage
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Type
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HMSC Storage
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Uprights – 2/4
Bags – 2/4
HMSC Additives
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HM Shelled – 4/6
Dry Shelled – 3/6
LAB – 3/4
Processing
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HMSC
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Roller Mill – 3/4
Hammer Mill – 2/4
DSC
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Hammer mill 2/2
HM Shelled Corn Particle Size
Item (n=4)
Average
Range
DM %
MPS, microns
% passing #16 or
1180 micron sieve
75
1589
27
74 – 76
929 – 2071
12 – 51
Dry Shelled Corn Particle Size
Item (n=2)
Range
DM %
MPS, microns
% passing #16 or
1180 micron sieve
84 – 85
573 – 794
57 – 90
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients
Ingredient
HM or Dry Corn
Corn Starch
Corn Gluten Feed
Distiller’s Dried Grains
Whole Cottonseed
Soy Hulls
Beet Pulp
Frequency
6/6
1/6
3/6
2/6
6/6
1/6
1/6
Liquid Feed Supplement
Liquid Whey
2/6
1/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients
Ingredient
Soybean Meal
Soy Plus®
Roasted Soybeans
Linseed Meal
Corn Gluten Meal 60
Blood Meal
Frequency
5/6
1/6
4/6
1/6
2/6
4/6
Fish Meal
Feather Meal
1/6
1/6
Purina Milking Custom - Ext
1/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients
Ingredient
Urea
Tallow
Energy Booster®
Megalac®
Megalac-R®
Sodium Bicarbonate
Yeast
Zinpro®
4-Plex®
Sel-Plex®
Frequency
3/6
3/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
4/6
6/6
2/6
3/6
1/6
Milking Cow Diet Ingredients
Ingredient
Biotin
Frequency
4/6
Niacin
Mepron®
Omnigen-AF®
Bacterial-DFM
1/6
1/6
3/6
5/6
High-Group Nutrient Formulations
Item (n=6)
CP, % DMB
RUP, % of CP
NDF, % DMB
NDF-forage, % DMB
NFC, % DMB
Fat, % DMB
TDN1x, % DMB
Range
17.0 – 18.5
35 – 38
26.2 – 32.3
18.0 – 22.5
38.1 – 43.5
4.6 – 6.4
74.5 – 77.0
High-Group Nutrient Formulations
Item (n=6)
Ca, % DMB
P, % DMB
Mg, % DMB
K, % DMB
Salt, % DMB (added)
Suppl. A, IU / lb DM
Suppl. D, IU / lb DM
Suppl. E, IU / lb DM
Range
0.84 – 1.03
0.37 – 0.41
0.33 – 0.39
1.16 – 1.60
0.22 – 0.50
2227 – 4224
557 – 1086
10 – 33
DMI of Milking Groups
Item
Hensen Koepke
lb / d 45 – 60 52 – 62
(54)
(58)
Rosy
Lane
(55)
Crave
SoFine Oechsner
51 – 62 44 – 68 45 – 58
(56)
(58)
(56)
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6)
DM %
CP, % DMB
NDF, % DMB
NDFD, % NDF
NFC, % DMB
Fat, % DMB
Average
48.8
17.7
29.5
60
40.8
5.5
Range
40 – 57
16.7 – 18.4
27.3 – 31.0
51 – 67
38.2 – 42.8
5.0 – 6.0
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
Ca, % DMB
P, % DMB
Mg, % DMB
K, % DMB
0.95
0.39
0.35
1.51
0.71 – 1.07
0.35 – 0.44
0.29 – 0.38
1.35 – 1.63
High-Group TMR Analysis
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
DM %
% Coarse
% Medium
% Fine
48.8
10
40
50
40 – 57
7 – 15
32 – 54
38 – 58
High-Group Diet NRC-01 Model Evaluation
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
NEL Allowable Milk
lb / d
% of observed
106
99%
99 – 114
93% – 107%
MP Allowable Milk
lb / d
% of observed
103
96%
96 – 116
92% – 100%
High-Group Diet NRC-01 Model Evaluation
Item (n=6)
Average
Range
Lysine, % of MP
Methionine, % of MP
Lys:Met
6.3
1.9
3.4
6.2 – 6.4
1.8 – 2.1
3.1 – 3.5
Feed Efficiency & Feed Cost Per Cwt.
Item (n=6)
Range
Bulk Tank Milk / Avg. DMI
1.57 – 1.70
Feed Cost Per Cwt. Bulk Tank Milk
$4.01 – $4.50
Visit UW-Madison Dairy Science
Department Website
http://www.wisc.edu/dysci/