Nutrition management

Nutrition management

Integrate pasture, forages and crops with supplementary feeds into your herd’s diet for optimal productivity, feed conversion efficiency and health.

Please note – the links below are pdfs, they may take a few seconds to open.

Planning & budgeting

Plan for profit: feed budgeting        Develop a monthly feed budget, allow for waste 
Nutritional values of common feeds Look up tables 
Nutritional values - fibre sources       Alternative fibre options when forage is limited 
Coping with fodder shortage  Options & strategies to close the fodder gap 

Feed lab testing

Feed lab testing  Collect feed samples for analysis 
Feed labs servicing the dairy industry List of labs & links to websites 
Rapid feed lab testing RAPID feed analysis pilot service in Victoria 
Understand feed lab results  Turn feed lab results into action on your farm 

Feed conversion efficiency & herd health

Feed conversion efficiency                Measuring against targets, improvement strategies
Feed wastage - overview Trade offs, ways to reduce, payback calculations
Feed wastage - study Summary report on study of 50 farms
Ruminal acidosis - risk assessment Understand & assess the risks
Ruminal acidosis - quick checks Is rumen stable?
Ruminal acidosis control Use of feed additives to help control
Ruminal acidosis management Review for vets & nutritionists
Transition cow management Review for nutritionists, vets and farm advisers
Transition cow management Farm checklist
Transition cow management Cow health problems at calving tally sheet
Transition cow management  Review sheet 
Heat stress Impacts on cow production, fertility, health & welfare
Summer nutrition strategies Drinking water
Summer nutrition strategies Fibre, starch, protein, minerals & buffers

Formulating, mixing & delivering feed to herd

Formulating diets                              High production diet guidelines  
Mixing & delivering feed to herd  Options, different mixer wagons, the human factor 
Nutrition models - review For nutritionists, 11 computer-based models  
Nutrition models - how they work  Technical details for 11 models 

On-line tools

Cool Cows tools

  • Action Generator
    Identify actions you can take on your own farm to improve your heat stress management.
  • Cost Benefit Calculator
    Estimate the likely return on investment and payback period for a new cooling infrastructure item on your farm.
  • Weather forecaster - active 1 October to 31 March
    Monitor the daily heat stress risk level in your local area and adjust your cooling strategies to suit.
  • Heat Stress Alert Service - active 1 October to 31 March
    Subscribe to receive e-mail alerts of potential 'meltdown' events forecast for your area.