Improve dairy farm profitability by measuring feed efficiency

Feed efficiency is an important indicator for your dairy farm, because it measures how effectively cows convert feed into milk. Given that feed costs are the biggest expense for dairy farms, optimizing feed efficiency can directly impact a farm’s bottom line. However, not all farms actively monitor this metric, often due to limited tools and data challenges.

In this article we’ll talk about what feed efficiency means for your dairy operations, the challenges of measuring it accurately, and how Connecterra can help streamline this process to boost your farm’s productivity and profitability.

What is feed efficiency?

Feed efficiency quantifies how well dairy cows transform consumed feed into milk. The basic formula is: Feed Efficiency = Milk Yield / Dry Matter Intake  

For example, if a cow produces 95 lbs. of milk daily while consuming 52 lbs. of dry matter, the feed efficiency is 1.8. This means that each pound of feed generates 1.8 pounds of milk.  

But this basic calculation doesn’t account for all factors that can affect efficiency. Milk volume doesn’t measure the true economic value of milk production, as fat and protein content are not reflected in raw milk yield alone.

Energy corrected milk (ECM), which is adjusted for solid components, is a more meaningful metric. It reflects the milk’s energy value, providing a more accurate measurement of its market value and nutritional content.

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Why is it important?

Feed efficiency goes beyond simply tracking milk volume and feed consumption. It helps evaluate performance and uncover opportunities for improvement.

Efficient feed conversion means less feed is needed per pound of milk, resulting in reduced costs. Moreover, this also results in reduced methane emissions, which are a byproduct of digestion, and aligns with the industry’s sustainability goals.

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Tips for measuring feed efficiency  

Though feed efficiency is a powerful metric, it can be challenging to measure accurately. We’ve highlighted some key considerations to ensure your efficiency values are not skewed or misleading:

1. Using ECM over raw milk yield

Relying solely on milk yield can be misleading, since a high-yielding cow’s milk may still have low fat and protein content, resulting in lower-value milk. ECM addresses this by considering fat and protein levels, offering a clearer representation of your milk’s true value.  

2. Accurate Dry Matter Intake (DMI) data

DMI measures the actual amount of feed cows consume, excluding refusals. If farms only track the total amount of feed offered, rather than actual intake, efficiency calculations can be distorted. Ideally, refusals should be weighed and accounted for. It’s worth making this additional effort to keep better records and understand your herd’s efficiency.

3. Integration of multiple data sources

Dairy farms commonly pull milk yield data from the milking parlor, milk quality data from the milk processor, and DMI data from feeding software. Aligning and consolidating these different sources to produce accurate feed efficiency metrics can be challenging without an integrated system.

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How Connecterra helps you simplify feed efficiency tracking

To help dairy farmers overcome the common challenges in feed efficiency tracking, the Connecterra Platform offers an integrated approach that brings multiple data sources together in one place. The platform enables more accurate and efficient calculations, allowing farm owners to get a fuller picture of feed efficiency without additional manual steps.

The platform calculates feed efficiency based on ECM, to account for solid components, but also from milk yield, allowing you to compare the two values. The calculation draws DMI data from the feed software, daily milk yield data from the milking parlor and adjusts for fat and protein levels based on data from the milk processor.

This streamlined data collection and calculation allow farmers to monitor feed efficiency with minimal manual intervention.

The benefits of tracking feed efficiency with Connecterra

By simplifying the tracking and analysis of feed efficiency, our platform empowers dairy farmers in multiple ways:

• Increased profitability: More precise data on feed use and milk yield supports better resource allocation, reducing unnecessary feed costs and maximizing milk revenue.

• Improved decision-making: Real-time insights allow farmers to make adjustments promptly, optimizing feed efficiency in response to herd health, feed quality, or seasonal changes.

• Better herd health management: Early detection of efficiency drops can signal health issues, enabling preventative measures that support animal welfare and reduce veterinary costs.

• Sustainability benefits: As feed efficiency improves, farms can achieve more milk output with less feed, directly lowering emissions associated with milk production.

• Data-driven farm management: Consolidated data from various sources streamlines management practices, saving time and enabling a more proactive approach to farm operations.

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Start accurately measuring feed efficiency  

Actively monitoring feed efficiency allows dairy farmers to make data-driven decisions to lower costs and improve profitability. Connecterra can help simplify this process by consolidating farm data and providing daily data on feed efficiency with easy-to-read charts and notifications.

But don’t just take our word for it. Try out the Connecterra Platform for 60 days for free!