Abstract #M150
Section: Extension Education
Session: Extension Education
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Monday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall B
Session: Extension Education
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Monday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall B
# M150
Feed management practices and corn silage quality effects on income over feed cost.
T. J. Beck2, R. C. Goodling*1, M. M. Haan3, V. A. Ishler1, R. D. Weaver1, H. A. Weeks2,4, 1The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 2Penn State Extension, Carlisle, PA, 3Penn State Extension, Leesport, PA, 4AgChoice Farm Credit, Mechanicsburg, PA.
Key Words: feed cost, milk price, profitability
Feed management practices and corn silage quality effects on income over feed cost.
T. J. Beck2, R. C. Goodling*1, M. M. Haan3, V. A. Ishler1, R. D. Weaver1, H. A. Weeks2,4, 1The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 2Penn State Extension, Carlisle, PA, 3Penn State Extension, Leesport, PA, 4AgChoice Farm Credit, Mechanicsburg, PA.
Feeding and cropping management practices are critical to the profitably of a dairy business. In a 2015 cash flow plans summary, dairy farm breakeven milk price ranged from $12.23/cwt to $38.72/cwt (n = 107). Between 2013 and 2015, 60 farms were sampled 4 times over 2 years for corn silage, fecal starch, and milk urea nitrogen (MUN), and surveyed about best management practices. 44 of those farms provided actual income and expenses for their dairy enterprise for all 3 years. The objective of the project was to determine the affect corn silage quality and feed management practices on income over feed cost. Table 1 depicts the average, standard deviation, and range of gross milk price and total milk cow feed cost (purchased and home raised) per cwt for each year and the 3 year average. Gross milk price and total milk cow feed cost varied both within years and across years. There was greater variation in total milk cow feed cost among the 44 farms than in gross milk price. The next step was to evaluate the top and bottom 25% herds for income over feed cost and their feed management practices and corn silage quality. The top 25% had the highest percentage of implementation of feeding management practices as compared with the bottom 25%. The top 25% tended to have slightly better corn silage in terms of higher average dry matter percent, 7 h starch digestibility, and 30 h NDF digestibility both in the fall and spring sampling periods. During the next phase of this project, a more complete analysis of corn silage within rations will be analyzed with the addition of actual dry matter intakes and an analysis of the total mixed ration.
Table 1. 2013-2015 average and range of gross milk price ($/cwt) and total milk cow feed cost ($/cwt) for 44 Pennsylvania dairies
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 3-year average | |
| Gross milk price | ||||
| Average (SD) | $21.24 (±1.00) | $25.05 (±1.30) | $18.13 (±0.88) | $21.47 (±3.03) |
| Range | $19.35 to $24.17 | $20.83 to $27.48 | $16.53 to $20.41 | $16.53 to $27.48 |
| Total milk cow feed cost | ||||
| Average (SD) | $9.85 (±2.49) | $9.90 (±1.94) | $8.48 (±1.49) | $9.41 (±2.11) |
| Range | $3.29 to $15.75 | $6.70 to $14.82 | $5.47 to $13.21 | $3.29 to $15.75 |
Key Words: feed cost, milk price, profitability
