Red Clover Forages for Lactating Dairy Cows by Patrick C. Hoffman and Glen A. Broderick Introduction Red clover is a legume that is well adapted to poorly drained soils and more tolerant of lower soil pH and fertility than alfalfa. The yield potential of red clover is excellent and red clover varieties can have higher forage […]
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Calculating Grain Yield Utilizing a Corn Silage Forage Test by Matthew Lippert, Wood Co. UW-Extension Agricultural Agent Introduction Routine laboratory forage analysis of corn silage typically includes percent starch determination for the feed. Nutritionists utilize this information to partition Non-Fiber Carbohydrate (NFC) portions into % starch, % sugar and other NFC components to optimize production and animal […]
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Use of Straw in Dairy Cattle Diets by Randy Shaver and Pat Hoffman Introduction The use of straw in dairy cattle diets has increased greatly in recent years. Usage has been primarily in dry and transition cow diets and replacement heifer diets, but there is some usage even in diets for lactating cows. The type of straw […]
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Silage Bag Capacity by Brian J. Holmes We frequently get questions about the amount of silage in a silo bag. One way to estimate this value is to calculate the volume in the bag and multiply by its density. The volume of a round bag is calculated as: V = 3.14 × (D2 ÷ 4) × L Where: […]
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Common Poisonous Plants of Concern for Wisconsin’s Livestock by Anders Gurda and Mark Renz Research Assistant and Extension Weed Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Madison While most plants are safe for consumption by livestock, a few plant species can sicken or even kill animals. This publication overviews what poisonous plants are and under what conditions they can be toxic to […]
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Grass Forages and Magnesium Status of Dairy Cattle by Patrick Hoffman and John Peters Introduction Forage grasses are an important source of dry matter in dairy cattle diets. Agronomic practices associated with grass forage production however, can alter magnesium utilization by dairy cattle. Altered magnesium utilization induced when cattle graze lush forage grasses is referred to as grass […]
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Nitrate Poisoning in Cattle, Sheep and Goats by Dan Undersander, Dave Combs, Randy Shaver, Dan Schaefer and Dave Thomas12 Nitrate poisoning is a condition which may affect ruminants consuming certain forages or water that contains an excessive amount of nitrate. Horses are much less sensitive to nitrate toxicity since they are hindgut ferments and do not have a […]
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Interpretation and Use of Silage Fermentation Analysis Reports by Limin Kung and Randy Shaver Introduction Fermentation analyses have long been used in university and industry research trials to assess silage quality. These analyses are now available for evaluating silage quality on farms through commercial forage testing laboratories. Analyses commonly included in silage fermentation reports are pH, lactic, acetic, […]
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Nutrient Composition of Straw Used in Dairy Cattle Diets by Tom Anderson and Patrick Hoffman Introduction Small-grain straw has become popular in dairy cattle diets. There are three principle reasons for including straw in diets fed to dry and lactating dairy cows or dairy heifers: To reduce the nutrient (primarily energy) density of the diet. For dairy heifer […]
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Understanding NDF Digestibility of Forages by Patrick C. Hoffman, Randy D. Shaver, David K. Combs, Daniel J. Undersander, Lisa M. Bauman, and Tina K. Seeger Introduction Recently forage-testing laboratories have begun to evaluate forages for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility. Evaluation of forages for NDF digestibility is being conducted to aid prediction of total forage digestibility. There are […]
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