Loss of milk production from heat stress is a huge cost to dairymen. Even with outstanding facilities and management strategies, heat stress can take a toll on a herd of cows. Nutritional strategies can help. Munson Lakes Nutrition has two great nutritional strategies to mitigate heat stress.
Rally®. Rally Dairy Feed provides transition benefits to lactating cows suffering from heat stress. Heat and humidity reduce feed intake, while increasing energy requirements. Reduced feed intake coupled with increased energy demands can quickly depress milk production. Rally efficiently delivers energy to cows when intakes are challenged. Data from the University of Missouri showed Rally Dairy Feed improved milk production potential, increased dry matter intake and feed efficiency, and lowered NEFAs during heat stress. Rally Dairy Feed is best used throughout the summer months for maintaining high dry matter intakes.
Dissipate™. One of the underlying causes of increased energy requirements during heat stress is reduced gut integrity. Dissipate Feed Additive consists of thoroughly researched functional ingredients (probiotics, vitamins, minerals and essential oils) that help to support gut integrity during heat stress. High gut integrity requires less energy for maintenance and allows for the absorption of more nutrients. Dissipate is a short duration feeding product placed in the diet prior to a high heat event and removed once high temperatures subside.
Plan your heat abatement strategy now! Talk to your Munson Lakes nutritionist to strategize your operation’s best option for alleviating the potential effects of heat stress.
“I believe in starting at the bottom of the ladder,” says Tom Konz, who has raised dairy steers for beef for 35 years. That was the philosophy his dad Philip passed on to Tom, and it’s how Tom built his agricultural enterprise, TMS Konz Farms, north of Kimball.
Now you can access your Munson Lakes Nutrition account online. Just click on the FarmerData logo. Registration is easy, but if you encounter a problem, call us at 800-245-7717. We will walk you through the process. We are Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified! The aim of the HACCP program is to address potential contamination points in the food production process.
