One of the largest costs on a dairy farm is the cost of feed. This is so true that total feed costs of a dairy herd can be a better predictor of profitability than milk production. So, reducing the amount of feed refusals can ultimately help the farm’s bottom line. In a University of Minnesota Extension article, dairy educator Isaac Salfer highlighted feed refusal areas to focus on.

It is easy to have different variations in the dry matter of forages. “Variations in dry matter forages, and subsequently the total mixed ration, are easily the largest factor contributing to differences between expected feed intake and actual feed intake,” said Salfer. Corn silage can vary 10% or more from one day to the next, which can cause over- or underfeeding of the diet. Test dry matter percentages as often as possible to adjust the ration accordingly.

When executing feeding times, ensure that cows are fed on a strict schedule. “Cows are creatures of habit and become accustomed to eating at the same times each day. Research has shown that altering feeding time of cows leads to slug feeding, which reduces daily feed intake. Keep in mind that 15 minutes of time equates to 1% of the day, so even small delays in feeding time can have large impacts on refusals due to reduced time available for cows to eat,” cited the dairy educator.

Remaining consistent with feeding frequency and push-ups is critical for maintaining milk production and lessening chances of sorting. Cows are stimulated to eat by the delivery of fresh feed to the feedbunk. Going from feeding once a day to twice a day can reduce sorting and boost dry matter intake, resulting in greater production of milk and milkfat. Cows do not like to reach for their feed, so maintaining a consistent schedule will ultimately reduce the amount of time cows are low on feed and feed refusals.

One of the greatest opportunities to reduce feed cost is by limiting refusals at the feedbunk. Still, we cannot risk cows not having enough feed. “Milk and particularly milkfat production is much less resilient to short-term periods of underfeeding, so we must be more risk averse when feeding to an expected feed intake,” warned Salfer.