Rumen stability must be properly managed for herd health and optimum efficiency. Feeding and nutrition management can improve production and fertility as well as reduce the length of time between calving. Learn more about rumen health and prevention methods for rumen acidosis in dairy cattle.
One part of the diet that might get overlooked due to its small size is minerals. Trace minerals are essential to the diet. This is where free choice minerals can help.
Poultry Nutrition
Poultry diets are made up of a mixture of several different feedstuffs including cereal grains, soybean meal, animal by-product meals, fats, and vitamins and mineral premixes. Together with fresh water, these elements provide the energy and nutrients essential for the bird’s growth, reproduction, and health.
To understand poultry nutrition, first, we need to understand their unique digestive system. First, food is taken in with the beak which is a perfect tool for pecking feed in crumble or pellet form, small grains, grass, or insects.
Q: What is biological farming and how does it compare to organic farming?
A: Most organic farming practices implement biological farming principles, but not all biological farming practices are organic. Biological farming, much like organic farming, treats the soil as a living ecosystem that works best when care is taken to limit our negative effects on soil life.
Gary Zimmer, one of the co-founders of Midwestern BioAg, has refined the biological farming approach since the 1980s and has published two books on biological farming.
Steve Berning, owner of Galusha Farms in Warrenville, Illinois, has been a loyal customer to Midwestern BioAg for over 15 years. Berning cites flexibility, attention to detail, and timeliness as some of the reasons he chooses to work with MBA. “It is custom-tailored to what we need,” said Berning.
Berning has grown hay all his life. The oldest of seven children, he grew up on a dairy farm in the hills of Galena in northwest Illinois, milking cows, raising hogs, and growing hay.
When to cut hay is always tricky, as there are so many factors that go into it. First is the type of forage you have and its maturity. For example, bermudagrass is cut when it has greened up and reached 12-16 inches tall. Cutting the forage at optimal maturity will help maximize available nutrient content and minimize the fiber content that makes forage indigestible.
How low can you cut? When cutting alfalfa and clover, the lowest you could go would be 2 inches.
