Forum: How to formulate Economical Feed Ration for milking Cross Breed Animal

what ration program are you using currently ?~ Depending on your forage quality and what you have available makes a big difference in the development of a ration. Please feel free to contact me via email at dcookeconsulting@live.com. Things to keep a watch on are your starch rates, PeNDF and your NDF digestibility and your Amino Acid ratios - without more info it is difficult to point one way or the other on economics of the ration. ~ Dan Cooke

Dear Hassan I appreciate your question because feed for animal plays the same role which fuel does for a car. To have smooth performance of your car you need both proper quantity and quality. Since I have an idea about your herd therefore I can give you some estimate while the real economic formula you will evolve your self as you have more experience with the passage of time about your herd which you collected from different sources and without previous record of animals individual performance. Now your target is 20 liters/day but from your herd you may have some cows giving more than 25 liters while some will never reach 20 liters/day therefore you will have to cull all those which do not have 20 liter potential and will retain only the cows of +20. Do not worry at all if you find 75[percent] cows in your herd meeting your target. It will be very good base for you in future. This statement is based on my experience in Pakistani conditions. You already have Corn Silage(as you mentioned) and you already have economical and productive formulation of concentrate as I know therefore start with the estimation given below and then adjust the same as per your conditions and experience. I foresee that from your herd with this formulation you will get mixed results which will be based on productivity potential of individual animal in your herd. Group them according to the potential of each group and adjust feed programme accordingly. I am always available to you without any obligation the little knowledge and experience I have. Estimating formula Type of Feed Formula 20-26 liters/day Corn Silo DM 8,05 Kg Hay Alfalfa 2,34 Kg Total 10,39 Kg Concentrate 8,01 Kg Total DM 18,49 Kg

Dear Hassan Before formulating ration for any animal you should know the energy requirements of lactating animal are ER [equal] MEm+MEp (maintenance +prodcution metablolizable energy ME) if animal is pregnant than allowances for pregnancy would be added. 1- Weight of animal 2- Stage of lactation (as during 1-10 weeks of early lactation yield increases @ 2.5[percent]/week) 3- Butter fat and SNF of milk g/kg milk 4- Animal is losing weight or gaining 5- Production potential maximum (from previous lactation) 6- Energy content of available feed stuff (metabolizable energy (MJ)/KgDM) both greed foder (silage and concentrates In my view you will need 1- maintenance requirement 52 MJ metabolizablr energy Although you have not mention the BF and SNF of milk to evaluate the energy secreation inmilk but normally cross bred yield 3.6[percent]fat and 8.5[percent] SNF (36 and 85 g/kg milk), the net requirement for 20 lit milk would be around 150 MJ ME. To meet these requirements you would have to adjust green fodder and concentrate ratio keeping in view the ruman capacity. Corn silage will have around 9-10 MJ ME/Kg DM. You calculate in similar way the concentrate ME and adjust it. Never do hit and trial method. Some time you are giving much more energy and some time too low. Always consult nutritionist. Every penny and every unit of ME accounts in commercial dairy production. If you still have aquirey pl contact me 0301 466 8148.

Dear All thank you very much for your response. Hafiz Sb Thank you very much for your feedback. i will get back to you shortly. Regards Hassan Subhani 00923004028728