When margins tighten, efficiency matters most
Falling milk prices and limited forage in some areas are increasing pressure on winter rations and forcing difficult decisions on dairy farms.
As the largest single variable cost on farm, feed is often the first area targeted for savings, but reducing ration costs without protecting rumen function can be a false economy. Losses in milk yield, milk quality, fertility and cow health may not be immediate, but they are rarely avoidable.
In challenging conditions, the most resilient herds are those that focus on getting more out of every kilo of feed.
A perfect storm for winter feeding
The current season has created a difficult combination of factors. Milk prices have come under renewed pressure as global supply outpaces demand. A dry summer has reduced forage yields across many regions, tightening stocks and increasing reliance on bought-in feeds.
Digestible fibre sources are also in shorter supply and often more expensive, while cereals continue to look attractive on a cost-per-tonne basis. As a result, many winter rations are carrying higher starch levels than usual.
Without careful formulation, this perfect storm increases the risk of rumen instability at exactly the point when cows need efficiency, consistency and resilience most.
Cutting costs without cutting performance
Controlling feed costs is critical, but a clear understanding of forage stocks and quality must be the starting point for decisions about any rations.
High quality silage can support maintenance plus around 13-14L milk yield housed Holstein or British Friesian cow at 12-14kg DMI. However, digestibility and fermentation quality can vary widely between clamps and seasons.
Assumptions about forage contribution can quickly lead to underfeeding, reduced intakes and avoidable performance losses. Accurate forage analysis and close collaboration with a nutritionist are critical when fine margins leave little room for error.
In situations where forage or housing is limiting, some farms may also reassess cow numbers. Lower-yielding animals still consume forage, cubicle space and labour, even if they appear to cover feed costs. Improving overall herd efficiency can allow higher-performing cows to better express their potential.
When buying feed, headline price and crude protein figures rarely tell the full story. Digestible fibre, starch balance, protein quality and additive inclusion all influence how effectively nutrients are converted into milk.
A ration that looks cheaper can quickly become more expensive when judged on cost per kilo of milk produced.
Early lactation sets the trajectory
The transition period and early lactation place the greatest metabolic demand on the cow. Nutrient requirements rise sharply, while intakes are slow to catch up to energy demand.
To sustain milk production, cows will draw on body reserves to make up the difference. However, excessive condition loss during this period weakens immune function, delays return to oestrus and compromises fertility later in the lactation.
Early lactation is therefore the least forgiving point to restrict nutrition. Shortfalls here are rarely recovered and can influence performance for months and even into the following lactation.
Where savings are needed, they are more safely made once cows are past peak yield.
But even then, the focus should be on efficiency rather than restriction, ensuring feed supply complements forage contribution and aligns with the herd’s genetic potential.
The rumen: where efficiency is won or lost
Feed efficiency varies widely between cows and herds. While genetics and management play a role, much of this variation can be traced back to the rumen.
The rumen microbiome supplies around 80% of the cow’s energy and 60% of her protein through microbial fermentation, with more than half of the variation in feed efficiency resulting from differences in rumen microbial make-up.
Beyond digestion, rumen microbes also contribute to immune regulation, vitamin synthesis and detoxification processes, so when rumen function is compromised, the effects extend well beyond milk yield.
Rumen pH and the hidden cost of instability
Sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) remains one of the threats to rumen function in high-producing herds, particularly when diets contain higher levels of starch and forage is limited.
Effective fibre digestion requires rumen pH to remain above 6.0. As pH falls, fibre-digesting bacteria become less active, reducing the amount of energy extracted from the ration.
Even small drops in pH can significantly reduce fibre digestibility, leading to lower intakes, reduced milk yield and poorer feed efficiency.
Low rumen pH is also associated with increased gut permeability and systemic inflammation. This inflammatory response diverts energy away from milk production and reproduction, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders, lameness and fertility issues, especially in early lactation.
Milk solids: an early indicator of SARA
Drops in milk butterfat often provide the first visible sign that rumen function is under pressure.
Butterfat is particularly sensitive to rumen conditions. Diets high in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates, combined with insufficient effective fibre, increase the risk of SARA. Low rumen pH and SARA are known to reduce butterfat percentage directly, while also amplifying butterfat suppression caused by poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found in some feed ingredients.
For producers supplying manufacturing contracts, small changes in butterfat percentage can have a disproportionate impact on milk price – just a 0.1% drop can be worth 0.3-0.5ppl. When milk prices are under pressure, protecting milk solids production can contribute significantly to margins.
Supporting the rumen to improve efficiency
Supporting the rumen microbiome to operate effectively offers a practical route to improved profitability and efficiency. In a low-margin environment, the ability to extract more value from existing feed resources is a powerful advantage.
Actisaf® Sc 47 live yeast probiotic works by stabilising rumen pH through biological buffering and stimulating beneficial microbes that digest fibre and convert lactic acid into propionate. This action also has been shown to help reduce inflammation and body condition loss around calving, further contributing to successful early lactation.
Research from the University of Nottingham found that feeding 10g/day of Actisaf® provided the following benefits:
- increased NDF digestibility by more than 6%
- delivered an additional 2.8kg ECM per cow per day from the same dry matter intake
- improved feed efficiency by 5.5% with no effects on body condition, health parameters or fertility.
Look for cow signals
Day-to-day observations can provide useful insight into rumen health and feeding success:
- Rumen fill: assessed 3-4 hours post-milking
- Cudding rate: more than 65% of lying cows should be ruminating
- Dung consistency: loose, bubbly dung or visible, undigested fibre
- Mucin tags: sign of compromised gut health
- Body condition: limit early lactation loss to less than 0.5 BCS
- Milk constituents: butterfat-to-protein ratio should be 1.2 to 1.0; rapid drops signal risk
Efficiency as a margin protector
Milk market volatility is outside any farmer’s control. Feed efficiency is not.
When resources are tight prioritising rumen function is as important as ever. Producers can improve consistency, protect cow health, maintain fertility and make more from every bite of feed, even when diets are under strain.
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