Nutrition Fundamentals

Nutrition Fundamentals is a practical two-day course designed to help dairy farmers, farm employees and dairy service providers build skills and confidence in managing dairy cow nutrition.

The course is delivered over one classroom day and one on-farm day, combining foundational theory with practical application. It is suited to those with little or no experience in dairy cow nutrition, as well as those wanting to refresh and strengthen their understanding.

Participants will develop an understanding of the key principles of dairy cow nutrition and gain access to practical tools and information to help make informed, profitable feeding decisions within their own farm system.

Topics covered include:

• Feed budgeting
• The digestive system of the cow
• Understanding DM (dry matter), ME (metabolisable energy), CP (crude protein) and fibre in feed
• Seasonal nutritional requirements of the cow
• Stock feed ingredients and feed quality
• Minimising feed waste
• Using field observations to monitor diets
• Young stock nutrition
• Profitable feeding of a balanced diet

The on-farm day will focus on putting theory into practice through practical discussions and observations in a dairy farm setting.

Lunch will be provided on both days.

Please wear farm-appropriate footwear for the on-farm day that can go through a Virkon footbath for biosecurity purposes.