The seasons are changing. The mornings are much cooler. Summer fans are quiet. As you walk the alley, heads are down; puffs of moisture come from noses buried deep in fresh feed. The aroma of fresh alfalfa silage and the quiet, satisfied sounds of soft bawls and a few sneezes gives you true satisfaction that your lactating cows are happy. They’re eating. They’re resting. Milk production is good. Life is good.

How do you stay in this happy place?

From calves up, you’ve provided the best nutrition and health care to have well-bred, healthy, productive replacement heifers. After all, a high- performing milking string starts with a solid base of heifers.

As those healthy heifers become lactating cows, ration balancing is a fairly normal practice for developing their rations. You know that ration balancing helps you and your nutritionist get the best use of your feedstuffs and maintain your herd’s production and health.

What about the rations for your dry cows and heifers on the farm? Would ration balancing give you the same cost control and nutrition advantages for those groups?

Where do you start?Ration balancing, in simple

terms, involves making sure that an animal’s nutrient requirements are met on a daily basis. Ration- balancing software generates a list of nutrient requirements and you select feed ingredients to meet those requirements, whether it’s for lactating cows, dry cows or heifers.

Of course, to meet or exceed those nutrient needs, you have to know dry matter intake. Maybe you know the dry matter intake. But it’s also calculated by many record-keeping systems for

Balance rations for heifers and dry cows tooEssi Evans for Progressive Dairyman

milking cows and often predicted by ration-balancing software.

So, in order to predict dry matter accurately, even for dry cows or heifers, you must define the animal you’re feeding. You need an accurate estimate of bodyweight, body condition and environmental factors.

Also consider other factors that influence intake and nutrient requirements, like breed, environment, activity and previous level of production.

Grouping cows Higher-producing cows have

different intakes and requirements than lower-producing cows. Heifer intakes will be lower than mature cows. The ability to predict dry matter intake parameters tend to be easiest for lactating cows when we divide them into groups based on age and production.

Don’t have enough cows or heifers to separate into groups? Balance your rations to a desired level of production.

Lower-producing cows and heifers will eat less feed than the higher producers, which modifies the nutrient supply. Once a ration is formulated, ration-balancing programs allow “spot checks” to ensure that your predicted changes in dry matter intakes still meet the animals’ nutritional needs.

Dry cow ration balancingDry cows have rapidly changing

Continued on page 46

www.progressivedairy.com

Essi EvansDairy Nutrition/Model Adviser

Dalex Livestock Solutionssupport@dalex.com

icron smart science products are solving dairy

problems around the world. Our NEW biotechnology is a major breakthrough in combating mold problems everywhere on the farm. Micron Bio-Systems is a global leader in the development of mycotoxin remediation products. Micron’s patented UltraSorb and Mycotex work to eliminate mycotoxins by using a unique degradation and binding biotechnology.

M Nothing else works like it. Call us today to discuss your dairy farm. You will discover how Micron’s ‘whole farm approach’ will help you increase animal productivity and profi ts…wherever your global location.

IF YOU’RE FOR HEALTHY COWS,WE’RE FOR YOU

Call our toll-free RESOURCE LINE now at (877) 264-2468 to discuss your herd’s yield. Learn more online at

www.micronbio-systems.com

M355.01-1

Shield your herd from mycotoxins

Issue 17 • November 20, 2010 Progressive Dairyman 45

Balance rations for heifers and dry cows too, cont’d from page 45

requirements due to the developing fetus. Meeting the nutrient requirements of dry cows helps you avoid metabolic disorders and gives cows a good start to lactation; however, this period is often overlooked as a time when cows can benefit from ration balancing.

Close-up cows have higher nutrient needs than far-off cows. Intakes may decline as cows approach calving. Ration balancing lets you refine the nutritional needs of your transition cows based on their stage of pregnancy.

Heifer ration balancingReplacement heifers are the

future of your dairy herd. Most ration-balancing software allows

users to balance rations for heifers. But because heifer requirements can be vastly different depending upon age and pregnancy, this becomes a challenge for many average-sized dairies.

Many producers prefer to have a simpler system to meet the nutritional needs of heifers, such as one or two rations offered at varying rates along with forage. Ration-balancing software can help you develop those feeding scenarios.

Ration balancing advantagesBalancing diets for the full array

of cattle on your farm offers economic and nutritional advantages.

• Better control of feed inventories

• Best use of on-farm forages and cost-saving commodities.

• Taking advantage of bargain ingredients without sacrificing production or nutrition

• Allowing better monitoring of your stock by setting performance targets

Although your dairy may not be huge, don’t overlook the opportunity to use ration balancing to improve performance and lower input costs for all animals.

Ration balancing for lactating cows, dry cows and heifers could be your ticket to staying in a “happy place.” PD

Defining the animal is as easy as filling in a chart with accurate information. Many software applications provide guidelines to help avoid mistakes. This page provides the animal description. Note tabs for lactation (milk production), breed, environment and activity – all factors that are important to accurately determine feeding requirements.

Antibiotic100 mg of tulathromycin/mLFor subcutaneous injection in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle and intramuscular injection in swine only. Not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older or in calves to be processed for veal.

CAUTIONFederal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of

a licensed veterinarian.

INDICATIONSBeef and Non-lactating Dairy CattleBRD – DRAXXIN Injectable Solution is indicated for the

treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with

Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus

somni, and Mycoplasma bovis; and for the control of respiratory

disease in cattle at high risk of developing BRD associated with

Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus

somni, and Mycoplasma bovis.

IBK – DRAXXIN Injectable Solution is indicated for the treatment

of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) associated with

Moraxella bovis.

Foot Rot – DRAXXIN Injectable Solution is indicated for the

treatment of bovine foot rot (interdigital necrobacillosis) associated

with Fusobacterium necrophorum and Porphyromonas levii.

SwineDRAXXIN Injectable Solution is indicated for the treatment of

swine respiratory disease (SRD) associated with Actinobacillus

pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica,

Haemophilus parasuis, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae;

and for the control of SRD associated with Actinobacillus

pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma

hyopneumoniae in groups of pigs where SRD has been

diagnosed.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATIONCattleInject subcutaneously as a single dose in the neck at a dosage of

2.5 mg/kg (1.1 mL/100 lb) body weight (BW). Do not inject more

than 10 mL per injection site.

SwineInject intramuscularly as a single dose in the neck at a dosage

of 2.5 mg/kg (0.25 mL/22 lb) BW. Do not inject more than

2.5 mL per injection site.

CONTRAINDICATIONSThe use of DRAXXIN Injectable Solution is contraindicated in

animals previously found to be hypersensitive to the drug.

WARNINGSFOR USE IN ANIMALS ONLY.NOT FOR HUMAN USE.KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.NOT FOR USE IN CHICKENS OR TURKEYS.

RESIDUE WARNINGSCattleCattle intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered

within 18 days from the last treatment. Do not use in female dairy

cattle 20 months of age or older. A withdrawal period has not

been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do

not use in calves to be processed for veal.

SwineSwine intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered

within 5 days from the last treatment.

PRECAUTIONSCattleThe effects of DRAXXIN on bovine reproductive performance,

pregnancy, and lactation have not been determined.

Subcutaneous injection can cause a transient local tissue

reaction that may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter.

SwineThe effects of DRAXXIN on porcine reproductive performance,

pregnancy, and lactation have not been determined.

Intramuscular injection can cause a transient local tissue reaction

that may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter.

ADVERSE REACTIONSCattleIn one field study, two calves treated with DRAXXIN at

2.5 mg/kg BW exhibited transient hypersalivation. One of these

calves also exhibited transient dyspnea, which may have been

related to pneumonia.

SwineIn one field study, one out of 40 pigs treated with DRAXXIN at

2.5 mg/kg BW exhibited mild salivation that resolved in less

than four hours.

STORAGE CONDITIONSStore at or below 25°C (77°F).

HOW SUPPLIEDDRAXXIN Injectable Solution is available in the following package

sizes: 50 mL vial, 100 mL vial, 250 mL vial, 500 mL vial

U.S. Patents: See US 6,329,345; US 6,420,536; US

6,514,945; US 6,583,274; US 6,777,393

NADA 141-244, Approved by FDA

Distributed by:

Division of Pfizer Inc, NY, NY 10017

To report a suspected adverse reaction call 1-800-366-5288.

To request a material safety data sheet call 1-800-733-5500.

For additional DRAXXIN product information call

1-888-DRAXXIN or go to www.DRAXXIN.com

79-9949-00-3

Made in France. December 2009

87 1207 2

• Over 50 years of providing quality service and accuracy

• Interface with Dairy Comp 305

• eReports - test day reports sent via email for quick turnaround of test day results

• Competitive processing plans with excellent reports to aid you in the management of your dairy

We are committed to provide dairy producers excellent solutions to fi ll their DHIA dairy records processing center (DRPC) needs.

46 Progressive Dairyman Issue 17 • November 20, 2010