My local newspaper used to highlight articles about upcoming events with bullet points about the event in a box with the title, “If You Go.” It was a quick summary of the things you needed to know if you planned to attend. This is the “If you go” for those considering reducing or eliminating pellet feeding in milking robots. “Before you go” was covered in my last article. Before you go, you should have guided flow traffic, top quality forage, commitment to training, and someone to take ownership. If you go, you need to evaluate your present situation, plan the transition, and monitor the results.
Evaluate your present situation
The best time to make changes on your dairy is a stable time. Avoid making changes when you expect changes in weather, changes in forage, and other disruptors. Granted, there will be disruptors – there always are. Minimize them if possible so you can evaluate the change, independent of other variables. Evaluate the body condition of your herd before you begin to reduce pellets. If cows are underconditioned, correct that first. Underconditioned cows are less forgiving if you underestimate energy as you adjust pellet feeding and PMR. Review your feed supply and quality. Nutrients and dry matter from pellets will have to be replaced with other products. Wait to make the change if any other ingredients are in short supply.
Plan the transition
Involve the whole management team in the planning. The nutrionist is probably best qualified to lead the transition. The feeder will need to know if and when the PMR needs to change. The barn crew will need to be alert for changes in cow behavior or eating habits. Changes in feed settings and amounts should always be made gradually. I prefer to reduce the available pellets by reducing the maximum allowed per visit to the robot by 2/10’s of a pound per week. Others prefer to reduce the dispense rate by 1/10 pound per week. Whether you lead the change with max per visit or dispense rate, you will have to keep both in balance as you go. After the max per visit has been reduced for a few weeks, the dispense rate will become too high for the pellets to last through a milking. Designate one person to make the adjustments to make sure it gets done consistently.
Monitor the results
The whole management team should also be involved in monitoring results. I suggest focusing on production, pellet intake, and milking visits. For Cow Corner customers, I break those KPI’s down by lactation group and days in milk so we know how each group is affected. Be prepared to adjust if the results aren’t what you were hoping for, but don’t be too quick to adjust. Know exactly how much pellet you are saving. Herds have eliminated pellet without losing production. If milk production does go down on your farm, you will want to be able to evaluate whether the lower cost offsets the lost production. Remember that the nutrients the pellet was providing will need to be replaced by other ingredients and those ingredients have a cost.
I have experience helping my customers reduce pellet feeding and I can help you too. Cow corner reports and advice get you the “If You Go” information as you evaluate your current situation, plan the transition, and evaluate results.
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