According to the university of Kentucky, different factors impact feed efficiency[2]. Some of them cannot be altered, but others can be manipulated to improve productivity. For example, factors related to health (heath stress, rumen acidosis, somatic cell count) can be improved through an early detection followed by timely intervention and appropriate management practices. Similarly, factors related to diet like additives, forage quality and fiber can be manipulated by an attentive monitoring of feeding behavior and rumination.

What affects feed efficiency?

The study identifies the effects of environmental , health and management factors on feed efficiency :

1. Rumen Acidosis: If cows experience subacute rumen acidosis, Feed Efficiency may decrease by 0.1 units.
2. Feed Additives: The inclusion of yeast, yeast culture, buffers, or direct-fed microbials in the diet can boost feed efficiency by 0.1 to 0.5 units.
3. Forage Quality: Enhanced forage quality enhances feed efficiency, while lower forage quality hampers it. Improved forage quality leads to increased forage intake, digestibility, and subsequently, milk production.
4. Fiber Content: As the percentage of NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber) rises, feed efficiency tends to decline, except when NDF in the total diet reaches 35% and above, at which point feed efficiency remains stable.
5. Heat Stress: With an increase in heat stress levels, feed efficiency typically decreases. This decrease can range between 0.1 and 0.3 units, according to the intensity of stress.

A case study : how much milk and money can you save by preventing heat stress?

While automatic monitoring cannot cure cows once they fall ill, it can effectively prevent health issues by promptly detecting anomalies or signs of animal discomfort before they escalate into illnesses or reach critical stages. It can also mitigate the impact of environmental stresses by alerting farmers and helping them to implement protective measures for the herd before health and productivity are negatively impacted. This proactive approach can lead to significant cost savings for dairy farms. For example, in order to mitigate heat stress different practices can be put in place to help cows cope with high temperatures : changing feeding time and feed quality, increase available water, provide shade and ventilation, improve the design of livestock buildings..

The financial benefits on a 100-cows farm

To understand the financial benefits of health and rumination monitoring on feed efficiency and milk production, let’s calculate the value of preventing heat stress in a farm with 100 cows. This calculation focuses on milk production and the revenue it generates. Assuming an optimal feed efficiency of 1.6 (meaning 1.6 pounds of milk for every 1 pound of feed), avoiding heat stress can prevent a reduction of 0.3 pounds of milk per pound of feed. This equates to preventing a 19% loss in milk production. For a Holstein cow producing an average of 75 pounds of milk daily[1], this translates to maintaining 14 pounds of milk per cow each day, that would otherwise be lost because of heat stress.

Given a milk price of $0.196 per pound ([2]), a 100-cow farm can save approximately $274 daily or $1917 weekly by preventing heat stress. This is calculated as 140 pounds of additional milk daily multiplied by the milk price ($0.196), resulting in these significant savings. According to recent research, almost 80% of cattle globally are exposed to heat stress for at least 30 days a year[3]. So, in this hypothetical case, we can estimate the cost savings associated with maintaining milk yield thanks to the prevention of heat stress as 274 x 30 =  $ 8220/year.

[1] https://www.holsteinusa.com/holstein_breed/holstein101.html?tab=2#TabbedPanels1

[2] https://www.clal.it/en/?section=latte_usa&type=CL4

[3] North MA et al (2023) Global risk of heat stress to cattle from climate change. Environ. Res. Lett. 18 094027

Integrating monitoring data and feed efficiency for a holistic farm management

Information on feed efficiency can be effectively combined with data on rumination and ingestion for informed decision-making aimed at optimizing nutrition and maximizing production over feed intake. The integration of these datasets proves advantageous as it allows for the correlation of deviations in behavioral patterns with changes in feed efficiency, thereby facilitating the identification of underlying causes such as health issues, feed types, or environmental changes.

For instance, if reduced feeding and rumination times are observed without a change in feed efficiency, it may indicate competition within the herd leading to decreased access to feed. Conversely, alterations in both indicators could signify metabolic diseases. The synergy of these datasets enhances the ability to discern the factors influencing herd behavior and productivity.

Farm Life: detecting and preventing feeding and rumination issues for dairy farm success

To facilitate the detection and identification of feeding and rumination-related issues, automatic monitoring tools serve as invaluable allies. They detect abnormal behaviors, integrate various indicators effectively, and ensure comprehensive control within the dairy farm

This advanced approach relies on sensors that continuously collect real-time data, utilizing 3D accelerometers and artificial intelligence algorithms to detect deviations and issue timely warnings to farmers.

FarmLife is a comprehensive solution that uses real time data from sensors mounted on collars.  These are combined and analyzed with artificial intelligence to provide a holistic view of cow health status, reproductive performance, rumination, and activity behavior.

If you want to know more about FarmLife, click here.

[1] https://dairy-cattle.extension.org/when-calculating-feed-efficiency-how-do-you-account-for-variations-in-milk-fat-test/

[2] https://afs.ca.uky.edu/dairy/ten-factors-which-impact-dairy-feed-efficiency

The post What is feed efficiency and how combining it with automatic monitoring can improve your productivity? appeared first on FarmLife®.

Different studies have tried to estimate the cost of diseases by integrating all these variables.[1] [2]

For example, the transition period is a particularly vulnerable moment with 10-50% of cows falling sick to one or more of the following diseases: mastitis, metritis, ketosis, lameness, left displaced abomasum and retained placenta [3] . These diseases have heavy consequences on dairy farms.

In the table below you’ll see the estimated cost of these diseases obtained by integrating direct expenses and related losses and how much you could save by decreasing their occurrence rate by just 1%, in a 1000-cow herd.

source : https://www.dairyherd.com/news/dairy-production/these-7-transition-period-diseases-are-costing-you-money

The earlier these illnesses are identified, the fewer adverse effects they have, resulting in a smaller economic impact. For this reason, implementing prevention practices and deploying automated health monitoring promoting better health in your herd, is the key to maximizing your farm profitability.

The cost of difficult calving

Dystocias or difficult calvings do not only have adverse effects on the mother but can also negatively impact the calf. In a 2007 study conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) on calf loss in North America, it was revealed that 15.9% of calves did not survive to weaning, and 8.1% of these losses occurred during calving and within the first 48 hours of life [4]. Dystocia, or difficult calving, is estimated to impose a substantial cost of approximately $400 million on the dairy and beef industries in the United States each year. These costs encompass the loss of both the mother and/or calf, the early culling of dams, reduced milk production, delayed rebreeding, and increased calf susceptibility to disease, resulting in slower growth.

According to another UK study the cost of a slightly difficult calving was estimated to be approximately £110 ($133), and of a seriously difficult calving between £350 and £400 ($425-486), depending on assumptions of the veterinary costs[5]. The major costs were associated with the labor required at the delivery, the increase of post calving disease incidence, disease treatment cost, the increase in the number of days open, and the costs associated with the deaths of cows and calves, and cow culling.

Given the impact of dystocia, and its relative frequency in dairy herds (between 3.8 and 11.8 % of calvings[6]) it is no wonder that any decrease in its occurrence brings leads to significant cost savings, ultimately increasing the economic performance of dairy farms.

Boost the health of your herd with automated detection.

In response to the growing demand for early illness detection and proactive animal care, a revolutionary solution has emerged: automated activity monitoring not only helps identifying cows in heat, but they also help identifying sickness in livestock. This advanced approach relies on sensors that continuously collect real-time data, utilizing 3D accelerometers and artificial intelligence algorithms to detect deviations and issue timely warnings to farmers.

This innovative system acts as a cost-effective measure by curbing veterinary expenses. By leveraging advanced sensors and data analytics, farmers can address potential health issues before they escalate, ensuring a robust and thriving livestock population while minimizing the financial burden associated with illness.

[1] Dolecheck K, Bewley J (2018) Animal board invited review: Dairy cow lameness expenditures, losses and total cost, Animal 12.

[2] Bruijnis MRN et al (2010) Assessing economic consequences of foot disorders in dairy cattle using a dynamic stochastic simulation model, J Dairy Sci 93

[3] Mohammad W. Sahar, Annabelle Beaver, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk, and Daniel M. Weary (2020)   Predicting Disease in Transition Dairy Cattle Based on Behaviors Measured Before Calving, Animals (Basel)

[4] https://swnydlfc.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=1332&crumb=dairy%7C1

[5] Mc Guirk BJ et al  (2007) Economic cost of difficult calvings in the United Kingdom dairy herd, Vet Record 161-20

[6] National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), study conducted in 2007 (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/dairy/downloads/dairy07/Dairy07_is_CalvingInt_1.pdf)

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