Rumen Impacts of Fiber and Starch

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Courtney Humphries, PAS

Loren Daentl, PAS

As nutrition consultants, we take careful consideration in balancing your farm’s diets specifically to your individual herd and farm goals. At this point in the year, on-farm forages are fully fermented, and nearly stabilized. Many nutrients that change over fermentation may be reaching their full potential. It is important to point out that soluble protein, lactic acid, and pH reduction will not reach the maximum levels until four months after ensiling, and the digestibility/availability of starch will continue to increase six months after ensiling.

A healthy balance between digestible fiber and fermentable carbohydrates is key to maximizing rumen health and ultimately milk solids production. Using the right balance of digestible starch and digestible fiber will allow your herd to reach its energy needs without altering rumen acid production. As a result, cows will be healthier and will reach greater levels of productivity.

Negative effects of overfeeding fermentable starch can lead to poor feed efficiency at the bunk, higher instances of metabolic disorders and a reduction of solids produced. Ultimately, these negative affects increase feed costs, increase vet bills, and take away from the milk check.

Reach out to your local Insight FS Feed Representative and let our team of nutrition consultants check in on the state of your on-farm forages. We will ensure your herd is effectively feeding on-farm forages and optimizing forage quality this year.