Feed Efficiency - Dairy

The efficient conversion of feed to milk is a key component of dairy production; feed costs represent the single largest cost in dairy production.  Recent drastic increases in feed costs have made feed an even larger percentage of total costs. Feed efficiency (FE) has been evaluated in other livestock industries for years, but only recently has the dairy industry seriously considered its importance.  

Diet digestibility can be affected by factors such as forage quality (fiber or NDF digestibility), feed processing, nutrient balance and even feed additives that increase the utilization of feed. One feed additive that has increased digestibility is live active dry yeast.  Live active dry yeast that has been shown to enhance digestibility through a synergistic effect with the rumen bacteria, particularly those that digest fiber.

RUMEN FIBER DIAGRAM:

Research has shown improvements in fiber digestibility when feeding live active dry yeast has resulted in increases in milk and fat yield, with no significant difference in dry matter intake, thus an increase in feed efficiency.

Recent large production trials have shown this benefit in FE through increases in milk and fat yield.  Two large scale trials (100 cows/treatment) were conducted in 2003 and 2004 at the F.A.R.M.E Institute, New York.  Both showed significant increases in FCM yield with no difference in DMI, thus FE was increased. See Figure 1.

Figure 1.

In general, increasing feed efficiency will also increase profitability.  However, at a given feed efficiency, cows with higher levels of milk production will have a higher level of profitability because more milk yield will improve income over feed costs (IOFC).  

Read the following articles to learn more about feed efficiency:

• Eight feeding decisions that can backfire (PDF)
  
  
• Feed additives: Adding value, or just costs? (PDF)
  
  
• Respond with care to feed cost challenges (PDF)

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