The art and science of nutrition attempts to provide an animal with the proper nutrient balance required for its needs. The goal of matching feeds and supplements to animal requirements is carried out in different ways depending on the approach used by the livestock farmer and his advisors. Computerized rations are only as accurate as the numbers that are used in their calculations. Feed samples represent an estimate of gross nutrient content but often do not tell us how digestible or absorbable the nutrients are. Standard values of nutrient requirements for animals represent average needs for the type of animal under consideration; they do not make adjustments for individual animal differences. The well defined science of animal nutrition becomes more of an art when one looks closely at the assumptions that are used to calculate the ration numbers. This is not to say that computerized ration sheets do not have a place, only that it is important to keep the numbers in perspective. Lancaster Ag. Products does use a computerized ration program to calculate the feeding needs for herds that prefer this service but we try to balance the science of ration balancing with the art of good animal husbandry.
We must always remember to pay close attention to what the cows (or other animals) are telling us. If our sheet tells us the batch size for 50 cows and all the feed is gone in 2 hours, the cows are obviously telling us that they will eat more than the computer says they will. A good herdsman will often perceive small changes (both positive and negative) in performance and contentment of the herd before production numbers confirm his or her suspicions. This is the art of stockmanship – “listening” to what the animals are telling us.
A basic concept of animal nutrition that is too often forgotten is to supply animals with a diet that is appropriate for their makeup. Cattle are ruminants; they were created to eat forages. This simple fact is all too often ignored in the quest for higher milk production. Forage should make up 60 to 80% (or more) of the diet fed to cows. We have all too often seen dairy cow rations containing 60 to 70% concentrate (grain or seeds) being fed with the idea that one can increase production by boosting nutrient density in the diet. The high grain diets being fed to dairy cattle in much of the U.S. have led to many of the health problems that are so common today. Rumen acidosis, laminitis, liver abscesses, immune suppression and many other chronic health conditions of dairy cattle are the direct result of feeding an unnatural ration that is too high in grain. Many dairyman are misled by short-term increases in milk production (when feeding a high grain diet) and do not consider the long-term costs associated with this practice. The long-term costs of feeding a high concentrate diet include; more lameness, decreased immune function resulting in more infections, and decreased productive life (earlier culling) for the cows. Common sense tells us that the cow is a ruminant and as such should be fed a high forage diet. Good animal husbandry should cause one to take notice that feeding a high grain diet has a negative effect on herd health but too often this fact is overlooked as one pursues a higher bulk tank average.
We must remember to “listen” to what the cows are telling us; increased disease problems and high cull rates should be taken as cries for help, not ignored as a normal consequence of high production. All of the products offered by Lancaster Ag Products are formulated to help achieve a balanced objective namely: healthy soil, healthy crops, healthy animals, healthy food, healthy people.