We all know what it feels like to be ‘hangry’ – that dreaded combination of being both hungry and irritable at the same time. But can cows experience that same feeling? If the feedbunk is left empty for too long, then the answer is probably yes.
As cows eat throughout the day, feed is pushed further from the bunk. This makes it more difficult for the animals to reach. To prevent this from happening, feed should be pushed toward the animals regularly.
“Pushing feed is perhaps the simplest and least expensive management strategy dairy operators can implement,” says Michal Lunak, extension educator for Pennsylvania State University. “It is one of the major management factors that explain the differences in milk production between dairy herds. [One study] found out that herds where feed was routinely pushed up produced on average over eight pounds milk more as opposed to herds that did not push feed.”
By TAYLOR LEACH
April 21, 2023
dairyherd.com
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