'We can increase milk yields by 1.3 kg per cow per day' - Lallemand flags up new feed efficiency audit tool

“Feed efficiency is the most relevant technical and economical parameter to assess dairy performances, however it remains difficult to measure in practice,”​ said Aurélien Piron, ruminant technical manager at Lallemand.

The audit program relies on easily measurable parameters, he said.

It integrates observations linked to environmental conditions, in combination with observations on a cow’s ruminating activity, locomotion, rumen fill, and body condition.

Rumen function ​

The tool also evaluates dung consistency and the amount of undigested particles, and allows for an assessment of animal performance, said Piron.

“Each of the parameters is an indicator of rumen function but they have to be taken together to give a complete picture of rumen efficiency. ​

The aim is to have animals ruminating over 400 min a day, with an optimal rumen fill score of 3," ​he told this publication.

By optimizing rumen efficiency, the audit program can help dairy producers or nutritionists re-evaluate management practices to maximize income over feed cost, said the company. 

Insufficient degradation of fiber, said Lallemand, leads to a loss in feed value, and can also result in acidosis, the upshot of which could be a financial shortfall of up to €30,000 for a producer based on a 100 cow herd size.

Environmental factors such as heat stress, even in a moderate climate, can also cause significant production losses for dairy farmers, it added.

Diet and barn management advice ​

For each parameter, the audit program gives the optimal target as well as diet and barn management advice, so nutritionists can follow external signs of rumen efficiency and adjust diet formulation accordingly.

“For example low rumination activity or insufficient rumen fill could be solved by providing more efficient fiber in the diet and a specific registered rumen modifier such as live yeast.​ ​

The program can also be used by nutritionists to educate their network of farmers about visible signs of rumen or feed efficiency that they can easily monitor,”​ said Piron. 

Inputs from international experts with solid field expertise were integrated into the development of the feed efficiency tool, said Lallmand. The program also went through a validation and fine-tuning process in trials on dairy farms in Europe from Italy to Poland to Denmark as well as with producers in Brazil and Chile. 

“Lallemand has a worldwide network of technical dairy experts who are implementing this program through training sessions and technical support… feedback has been very positive so far,” ​said the ruminant expert.