Would you like another 1.5ppl on your milk price? Alterations in your milk components could give you that value within weeks…if not days.
If you are on a compositional contract, the mechanism for your milk price is largely based on your fat and protein values. The big question is…are you getting the most out of the contract or are you missing out?
The calculator below allows you to quickly explore the value that manipulating milk composition might bring. The tool focusses on just the fat and protein part of the milk. So the milk price won’t include the base payment, SCC, seasonality etc.
Simply enter the values you receive for milk fat and protein and alter the fat and protein from your current position. Some values are included to get you started.
What would the increased value mean to your business?
Manipulating milk components doesn’t need to cost the earth. The tool above has an ‘Estimated cost per cow per day’ that can be added before the final calculation. This might be something as simple as adding a yeast to the diet to aid digestion and improve milk fat. The cost of the yeast might be something like 8p per cow per day, but it could deliver a multiple return on that investment (ROI). Likewise, using direct supplemented fats can boost milk fat%, again giving a ROI.
No-cost solutions might include:
- putting the straw or hay in the mixer wagon in a different load order and not over processing it.
- Adding a splash more water to reduce sorting of the ration.
- Providing more feed space – this will help the herd exhibit more natural feeding behaviour and reduce slug feeding.
If a feed rep/nutritionist/consultant is rationing your cows, challenge them on how you can improve. You could also ask why they haven’t come to you with some options before now 😉
At a time when the milk price needs all the help it can get, milk components is an area with great potential.
Further posts on manipulating milk composition will be posted shortly.