Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
December 1, 2015
A Mycogen Seeds representative can help estimate silage hybrid profit potential by using the CornPicker® tool.
Market conditions are motivating dairy producers to look closely at their income over feed cost (IOFC) to stay profitable in 2016. However, cutting costs may limit milk production and profit potential. Fine-tuning inputs to maximize milk production can help dairy producers achieve greater returns.
Selecting the right silage corn hybrid can help cows reach their peak milk potential. As the main ingredient in dairy cow diets, a silage corn hybrid can affect dairy profitability by thousands of dollars each year. Trevor Baier, Baier Creek Farms in Durand, Wisconsin, invests in bm3 brown midrib (BMR) corn silage to meet his farm profitability goals.
“With milk in the mid-15s, it’s important to get every pound of milk that we can out of our cows,” Baier says. “With bm3 BMR hybrids, we are seeing a 5-pound increase of milk per cow per day. Even though there is a higher initial investment to plant BMR, the returns far surpass that. We’re putting more money in our pocket by planting BMR.”
Higher fiber digestibility leads to more milk
A recent University of Delaware trial* compared the effect of hybrid type and dietary proportions on the lactation performance of high-producing dairy cows. The study compared a silage-specific hybrid at a 35 percent inclusion rate, a bm3 BMR hybrid at a 35 percent inclusion rate and a bm3 BMR at a 50 percent inclusion rate. The cows showed a higher milk response when fed the bm3 BMR diets.
When IOFC was calculated for each diet, the 35 percent and 50 percent bm3 BMR diets showed a $0.37 and $0.56 per cow per day advantage, respectively, over the silage-specific hybrid. For a 200-cow dairy, the IOFC advantage realized in the study would result in an additional $34,160 per year.**
This study echoes the positive milk response seen in 20 university lactation trials using bm3 BMR since 1999. Cows fed bm3 BMR have averaged 5.2 pounds more energy-corrected milk (ECM) per cow per day than cows fed other hybrids. Researchers cite higher fiber digestibility as a significant factor. Baier agrees.
“Too often, I hear of dairy producers who are concerned about yield per acre,” Baier says. “The fiber digestibility is what really matters, so we continue to select bm3 BMR hybrids.”
Selecting silage hybrids for greater profitability
Forage quality and yield factors make corn silage hybrid selection a complex and important economic decision. Mike Allen, Ph.D., dairy cattle nutrition professor at Michigan State University, developed CornPicker® as a tool to help dairy producers evaluate a silage corn hybrid’s effect on farm profits. The tool uses a partial budget to help dairy producers better understand their IOFC.
“Selecting corn hybrids for silage production is confusing at best,” Dr. Allen says. “However, the initial time it takes to calculate accurate inputs for CornPicker will pay off by identifying hybrids that will maximize profit for your farm.”
Local Mycogen Seeds representatives can help dairy producers use CornPicker to compare silage corn hybrids for their farms.
“The silage hybrids you choose now will affect the farm’s bottom line for the next two years or more,” says Kathleen Emery, DVM, PAS, dairy nutritionist with Mycogen Seeds. “By running a partial budget analysis with tools like CornPicker, we can help you make more-informed, profitable silage hybrid decisions.”
Visit Mycogen.com to find your local Mycogen Seeds representative and learn more about bm3 BMR hybrids.
* Lim, J. M., K. E. Nestor Jr., and L. Kung Jr. 2015. “The effect of hybrid type and dietary proportions of corn silage on the lactation performance of high-producing dairy cows”. J. Dairy Sci. 98: 1195–1203.
** Prices used in the above economic analysis: alfalfa haylage $260/DM ton; grass hay $220/DM ton; normal corn silage $150/DM ton; bm3 BMR corn silage $165/DM ton; dry ground corn $150/ton; whole cottonseed $350/ton; SBM 47.5% $375/ton; other ingredients priced at 4/15 market prices; ECM price for this IOFC estimate is $17/cwt.
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