Buckeye Dairy News: VOLUME 21, ISSUE 3

Dr. Bill Weiss, Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University

The numerous freeze-thaw cycles and wet ground last winter were very hard on alfalfa stands, resulting in substantial winter kill. Numerous stands across the State were completely destroyed. Other stands may have suffered less damage, but first cutting yields will likely be substantially lower than normal. In addition to first cutting yield loss, nutritional quality may also be lower than normal because of increased proportion of grass and other weeds in the stands. To make matters worse, many producers rely on rye or small grains to provide late spring and early summer forages. The wet spring delayed harvest on many farms, turning what usually is a good quality forage into lower quality ‘heifer feed’. This double whammy will put significant pressure on forage inventories and especially high quality forage supplies. Although less than ideal, several options exist that will stretch forage inventory and allow inclusion of lower quality forages without substantial negative effects on milk yield.

1. Estimate inventory of corn silage and determine if you can increase the feeding rate without running out before the new crop is harvested. If increased feeding rate of corn silage is an option, increase inclusion of corn silage and reduce concentrations of other lower quality forages. The concentration of forage NDF should be kept around 20% of dietary dry matter (DM). Diets will likely need more supplemental protein because alfalfa and rye have more protein than corn silage. Cows may also benefit from increased supplementation of potassium and/or sodium buffers. High corn silage diets are usually low in Dietary Cation-Anion Difference (DCAD) which can reduce milk fat yields.
2. Include lower quality forages but keep forage NDF concentration at <20% of dietary DM. At lower inclusion rates, the negative effect of lower quality forage on feed intake is reduced. Keeping forage NDF at 19 to 20% of dietary DM reduces (but does not eliminate) the negative effect of low quality forage on intake. Because the more mature forages have more NDF, the percentage of forage in the diet will decrease which may raise concerns about reduced milk fat yields. However, the amount of forage fiber, not total fiber, is what is important with respect to milk fat. Reducing the amount of forage in the diet means that inclusion rates of other feeds must increase. Be careful about replacing forage with corn grain; maintain diet starch concentrations around 25% as forage is reduced. Byproducts, such as wheat midds, soyhulls, brewers, or distiller grains, can replace some of the forage if excess starch is an issue.
3. Based on cow responses, whole cottonseed can replace normal forage almost on a pound for pound basis. Whole cottonseed has about 40% NDF (similar to average alfalfa) which means replacing 8 lb of alfalfa silage or hay dry matter with 8 lb of whole cottonseed should have little effect on the cow (protein and minerals may need to be adjusted and supplemental fat, if fed, may need to be reduced).
4. If forage inventory is not adequate to last until the end of summer, options for growing more forage include Brown Midrib (BMR)-summer annuals or pea-small grain mixes. Pea-small grain mixes produce good quality forage, but they need to be planted soon, probably no later than mid-May. They should be harvested in about 60 days. The mix has higher nutritional value than small grains by themselves. BMR sorghum, BMR sorghum-sudan, or BMR sudangrass can be planted beginning in late May and early June when soil temperatures are at least 60 to 65^oF and up to late June in northern Ohio and mid-July in central and southern Ohio. They are ready to harvest in 50 to 60 days (early August to late August). The resulting silage from BMR sorghum is almost as good as regular corn silage (although lower in starch) when fed to dairy cows. The nutritional value of BMR sudangrass or BMR sorghum-sudan have not been evaluated with dairy cows but likely is similar to that of BMR sorghum.  Fiber digestibility is very good with the BMR summer annuals and inclusion rates can be high.

Overall, several options are available for using lower quality forages. The key is to limit forage fiber. Because lower quality forages are high in fiber, diets will contain less forage and more concentrate than typical, which will likely increase ration costs, but feeding too much low quality forage will reduce milk yields which is worse than higher feed costs.

Mr. Jason Hartschuh, Extension Educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Crawford County, The Ohio State University Extension

Spring 2019 has been challenging to say the least. Hay fields have disappeared due to winter kill and small grains matured before we could make hay. Making the forages that you have at the highest quality possible will be key. One way to maintain forage quality with small dry weather windows is to make silage or baleage instead of dry hay. The ideal conditions for baleage is to bale the hay between 40 to 65% moisture and wrap within 2 hours of baling. This process uses anaerobic conditions and the acids produced in fermentations to preserve hay. Baleage fermentation is slower than in haylage, often taking 6 weeks. When forage is baled between 25 to 40% moisture, it will not ferment properly and baleage at these moisture levels should be considered as temporary storage. During such situations, preservation is primarily a function of maintaining anaerobic, oxygen-limiting conditions. Mold is very likely at this moisture; higher bale densities and more wraps of plastic is required to better seal out oxygen. Baleage at this moisture will not maintain quality very long in storage, and thus, it needs to be fed as soon as possible. Baleage can be utilized as a plan or as a backup, but the best baleage is a plan and not a rescue.

If you are thinking baleage might be a needed option for you, either as planned or when your dry hay window disappears, start your plan before you are calling around to find a bale wrapper. The first consideration is how fast will you be able to feed the forage? This is a major consideration when selecting the type of bale wrapper you will buy or rent. The two options are individual wrappers, which are usually ideal if feeding 50 head or less from these bales. These machines can usually wrap 20 to 30 bales per hour and use twice as much plastic as a line wrapper.  Line wrappers can wrap 40 to 50 bales per hour using less plastic, but they require uniformity between bales. When bales aren’t uniform, there is oxygen captured between bales, often leading to spoilage within the tube of bales where bales meet. They require higher feed-out rates of ideally two bales per day. With a line wrapper, the end of the next bale is exposed to oxygen when you remove one bale to feed and the spoilage clock begins.

Determining where you will be storing bales ahead of time is very important. Making sure that the plastic is not punctured, allowing oxygen to enter and spoil the forage, due to storage site selection is critical. Ideal storage is in a well-drained location with year around access. Stone pads can work well as long as they don’t puncture the plastic. Be weary of storing on stubble, grassy areas, or under trees. These areas often attract rodents, lead to plastic damage, or have sticks that fall and puncture the plastic. Stored forage should be checked weekly for damage and holes taped as soon as they are found.

While KEEPING OXYGEN OUT is the most important part of making high quality baleage, it starts with mowing. When baleage is the planned storage method, your harvest capacity-limiting factor will be how many bales you can wrap an hour with the ideal goal of wrapping the bales within 4 hours. Based on research done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we recommend laying swaths as wide as your mower will allow, helping preserve forage quality and speeds up drying to 65% moisture by 10.8 hours. When baling, your goal needs to be for the highest density bales that you can make. A study from Penn State shows that by increasing bale density from 6 lb/ft³ to 8lb/ft³, you gain an extra 12 hours of bunk life in the haylage due mostly to better bale fermentation. It is important to wrap bales as soon as possible after baling to avoid spoilage. The temperatures of bales that were wrapped each day from at baling to 4 days after baling are provided in Figure 1 (data from University of Wisconsin). With the temperature on day one representing the actual day of wrapping. These data show that just 24 hours after baling, the  bales that are not wrapped were over 120ºF. While wrapping bales even 4 days after baling stopped the heating process, the quality of these bales still declined.  


Most bale wrap is one mil low-density polyethylene and bales need a minimum of 5 mils of plastic to seal out oxygen, requiring a minimum of 6 wraps. Types of plastic vary greatly in their stretchiness, which can reduce thickness by up to 25%. Some stretch is necessary so that the plastic stays sticky and seals well between the layers of plastic. Be cautious when wrapping in the rain as this will reduce the stickiness and allow more oxygen to penetrate, causing spoilage. Also, be cautious when wrapping forages that poke through the plastic which will require more layers. When oxygen enters the bale, they start to heat and quality declines when temperatures are over 120ºF.  The amount of time until bales are wrapped and the number of mils of wrap significantly effects internal bale temperature. Figure 2 shows that 6 to 12 mils of plastic maintained similar bale quality. With less wraps than this, bale spoilage is often prevalent. The general recommendations for layers of bale wrap are provided in Table 1.

Table 1. General recommendations for layers of bale wrap.

After bales are wrapped, handle them carefully using a squeeze so that plastic is not torn. If plastic is torn in storage, the tears should be taped as soon as you notice them. For this reason, bales should be inspected weekly in storage. Never use bale spears to move wrapped haylage until the day you are going to feed it. It is recommended that bales be fed within a year of wrapping. Haylage that is to wet, over 60% moisture, should be feed within 3 months, and haylage that is below 40% will not ferment well and should be fed within 6 months. Most of the time when we make baleage as a rescue, it falls in the range of needing to be fed within 6 months. When done right, baleage can last a year and make excellent feed that often has 5% better quality than dry hay. When done wrong, haylage can spoil, mold, and grow organisms that will make your animals sick; use your eyes and nose to be sure that the forage your going to feed is of high quality. Don’t force animals to eat forage they don’t want. 

References

Undersander D., “Making Baleage” UW Extension, January 2015, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forages/files/2015/06/Making-Baleage.pdf

Hall M., and J. Williamson, “Bale Density Effects on Baleage Quality” Penn State Extension, May 2019, https://extension.psu.edu/bale-density-effects-on-baleage-quality  Accessed May 2019  

Undersander D., and C. Saxe, “Field Drying Forage for Hay and Haylage” UW Extension Focus on Forage”, April 2013, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/drying-forage-for-hay-and-haylage/ Accessed May 2019

Mr. Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County, The Ohio State University Extension

Applying livestock manure based on nutrient content is one factor involved in using manure more effectively. There are two main challenges to sampling manure for a nutrient analysis, determining when to sample and then collecting a representative sample.  Ideally, a manure sample is submitted before application and the results are used in calculating the field application rate. In practice, this is difficult, especially for liquid manure systems that require agitation before application. In reality, manure is easiest to sample at the time of application, when it is being loaded and hauled to the field.The main disadvantage of this time period is that the results are not available to guide the present application. However, manure nutrient values typically remain fairly consistent and constant within a farm, provided the livestock production system does not change significantly between years. In this case, the analysis results can serve to guide future applications. Annual manure sampling across manure types will allow the farm to establish baseline nutrient values. 

The second challenge is collecting a representative sample to send to the lab. The small sample sent in to the lab must accurately represent many tons of manure in a solid system or thousands of gallons of manure in a liquid system. In order to accurately represent the quantity of manure being applied, it may be necessary to collect several different samples throughout the hauling and application period. Manure sampling guidelines are similar to recommendations for soil and forage sampling. Take several subsamples, combine them together, mix, and take a composite sample to send to the lab. Typically, samples are sent to the lab in either plastic bottles (liquid) or one-gallon heavy-duty zip-lock bags. Often, labs will provide the containers. The next question is how is the sample to be collected? What is the sampling procedure and what tools are needed?

For solid manure systems, sample while the spreader is being loaded or when the manure is being spread in the field. Collect samples that represent the beginning, middle, and end of the process. If sampling during loading, use a plastic bucket to collect a representative sample of what is going into the spreader. Try to collect at least five samples (more is better) during the application process. As each bucket is collected, empty it on to a tarp or a clean surface. Mix all the samples together thoroughly and take a subsample from the composite mix that will be sent to the lab. To sample during spreading, lay out a tarp or sheet of heavy plastic in the field. Collect the manure from the tarp after the spreader has passed over or by it and place the manure in a bucket. Repeat this for at least five loads. Once again, mix the different samples together and then collect a representative subsample from the composite mix to send to the lab.

In liquid manure systems, the pit or lagoon must be agitated to get a uniform sample. Depending upon the size of the pit or lagoon, the agitation equipment, and the objective of the manure application, the agitation process can take several hours or even the better part of an entire day. Without adequate agitation, nutrients are stratified. This has implications for both field application rates and sample results. Sampling directly from the storage structure is usually more difficult and causes more variation in the nutrient analysis results than when sampling directly during loading into the spreader. University of Massachusetts Extension has a publication entitled “Sampling Dairy Manure” (https://ag.umass.edu/crops-dairy-livestock-equine/fact-sheets/sampling-dairy-manure) that describes how to sample dairy manure, including how to make a PVC sampling probe that can be used to sample directly from manure lagoons. The key is to sample from multiple locations around the lagoon and to the full depth of the lagoon. Mix those subsamples in a bucket and collect a representative sample to send to the lab.

Sampling during loading is similar to the procedure for solid manure. Collect at least five samples during the process of loading the spreader. Save these samples in a separate bucket and when finished collecting samples, mix thoroughly and obtain a representative sample to send to the lab. For liquid samples, if the sampling process is going to occur over a period of hours, keep the subsamples on ice to prevent ammonia losses. To sample during spreading for surface application spreaders, place buckets around the field to collect samples. Place buckets to collect samples from multiple spreader loads. Collect samples after each load, keep them on ice to prevent ammonia loss, combine samples, mix thoroughly, and obtain a representative sample to send to the lab.

Penn State University Extension has a very good publication entitled “Manure Sampling for Nutrient Management Planning” that provides information on sampling procedures, sending a sample for analysis, lab test results, and use/interpretation of results. It is available online at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/nutrient-management/educational/manure-storage-and-handling/manure-sampling-for-nutrient-management-planning. Manure sampling requires some forethought and effort to get a reliable nutrient analysis, but it is an important component of a nutrient management plan. 

Mrs. Dianne Shoemaker, Farm Management Field Specialist, The Ohio State University Extension

Occasionally it is nice to catch a break…and breaks have been hard to find in the cow-milking business for a while now.  So, put on your mitt because it is nearly time to play ball.  The Farm Service Agency (FSA) plans to open the sign-up period on June 17, 2019 for the newly renovated Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, re-named and re-configured in the 2018 Farm Bill.  The changes you will see in the DMC Program attempt to fix some of the problems that rendered the Dairy Margin Protection Program largely ineffective until initial adjustments were implemented early in 2018.

Two of the biggest changes that will positively impact farms of all sizes include:  1) adding 3 new margins, $8.50, $9.00 and $9.50, at reasonable premiums, and 2) allowing farms with base production of more than 5 million pounds to make a second margin election for pounds over the first 5 million.  

There are also opportunities to recover program participation net losses from 2014, 2015, 2016, or 2017.  Repayment can be received either as cash (50% of the net loss), or by applying it to premiums for participation in the new program (75% of the net loss).  What does this mean?  If a farm purchased $6.50 margin coverage in 2016, paid a premium of $3,500 and received a total indemnity payment of $500, they had a $3,000 net loss.  The farm can now choose to receive half the difference, or $1,500 as a cash payment.  The other option is to receive $2,250, or 75% of the amount, as a credit toward premiums for DMC Program participation.  If you participated in any or all of those years, you will receive notification from your Farm Services Agency office with your amounts and options.

So why should you step up to the plate?  Just like 2018, when sign-ups were re-opened for the updated program, sign-ups for 2019 will open well after January, but participation will be retroactive to January 1.  When the sign-up period opens on June 17, we will know exactly what the margins will be for January ($7.99), February ($8.22), March ($8.85), and April.  Signups will end September 20, so you could wait and know what the actual margins are through at least July.  As USDA announces new monthly margins, you can find them posted at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/Dairy-MPP/index    

No need to wait

For farms with up to 5 million pounds of base production, indemnity payments for January through March more than cover the premiums at the highest margin ($9.50). 

Example:

Base milk: 5,000,000 lb (about 200 cows)
Farm elects to cover 95% of their base, 4,750,000 lb, or 47,500 cwt
Coverage level selected: $9.50 margin costing $0.15/cwt
The program assumes that production is equal across months, or 47,500/12 = 3,958 cwt/month.

Because we know the January, February, and March margins, we can calculate the current indemnity payments.  These payments are made on the difference between the purchased margin coverage level ($9.50 in this example) and the announced margin, times the monthly cwt covered:

Jan       $1.51 x 3,958 cwt = $5,977
Feb      $1.28 x 3,958 cwt = $5,066
March $0.65 x 3,958 cwt  =  $2,573
Total payments                 = $13,616

Less
6.2% Sequestration        =     $844
Administration fee          =     $100
Premium                         =  $7,125
Difference                       =  $5,547 paid to the farm

Since the signup is retroactive to January 1, we know that not only will the known indemnity payments cover all program costs, we also know there will be net positive dollars to help pay a few bills. 

How many total net dollars for 2019 is unclear and changing.  Two weeks ago, projections indicated that there would be announced margins less than $9.50 well into the summer.  If recent milk market rallies hold and show up in milk checks, then there could few or no further indemnity payments.  We all hope that that will be the case!

Second election for base pounds over 5 million

A major change that impacts farms with more than 200 cows is the opportunity to make a margin selection for the first 5 million pounds of base milk and a different margin selection for any base over 5 million pounds.  The Tier 2 premiums for the > 5 million pounds are substantially higher than premiums for the first 5 million pounds (Table 1).  To be allowed to make a second selection, the farm must purchase coverage at $8.50, $9.00, or $9.50 for the first 5 million base pounds (Tier 1 milk and premiums). 

Table 1. Tier 1 Margins and Premiums for the Dairy Margin Protection Program (2014 – 2018), and Dairy Margin Coverage Program (2019 – 2022).

Tier 2 premiums are the same as Tier 1 premiums for $4.00, $4.50, and $5.00 margins (Table 2).  The premium for the $5.50 Tier 2 margin costs more than three times as much as the corresponding Tier 1 premium, with premiums increasing exponentially until they reach $1.813 for the $8.00 margin.  The higher coverage levels quickly become cost prohibitive and are unlikely to make sense for most farms.

However, with the new 2-election option, farms with base production of more than 5 million pounds should seriously consider maximizing coverage in Tier 1 and electing the $4.00, $4.50, or $5.00 margin coverage on their Tier 2 base for 2019.

Table 2. Margins and Tier 1 and Tier 2 Premiums, Dairy Margin Coverage Program, 2018 Farm Bill.

Long-term commitment = 25% off premiums

Another option for farmers to consider as they sign up this year is the 25% premium discount option.  There is a large string attached to the 25% discount, as you have to commit to your election for 5 years. 

Decision Tool

How to make a decision? Particularly if you are considering the five-year commitment, use the decision tool developed by Mark Stephenson and crew at the University of Wisconsin.  The new DMC Decision Tool, which incorporates the changes legislated in the 2018 Farm Bill, is now up and running at https://dairymarkets.org.  This is a very handy tool that allows farmers to enter their historic production (still starts with the highest of 2011, 2012, or 2013 production – verify your current production history with your FSA office) and explore the cost and potential returns of different coverage percentages and levels.  It will lay out your costs for 2019 participation, expected payment, and also lay out the premium with the 25% discount and total 5-year cost if you want to consider that option.

There is also a button to plug in your MPP Premium Repayment amount supplied to you by your FSA office.  It will tell you how much you could receive as a cash payment and how much of your current selection’s premium would be covered if you chose that option.  The decision tool’s milk and feed price data are updated nearly daily, so you may receive different “expected payment” results depending on what the markets are doing. 

OSU Extension and FSA offices will be working together and offering educational programs before and early in the sign-up period to review the changes and options for farmers.  Look at the options for your farm.  Batter up.