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How Sustainability and Economics Intersect on Farm
- Dairy
The dairy industry is becoming increasingly complex, and farmers face new challenges every day. Producers must balance resources, maintain animal health and welfare, reduce environmental impact, and still improve herd performance while sustaining profitability. This is no small task—every decision made on farm directly affects the animals and the success of their business.
Making informed decisions starts with accurate data. Collecting information on farm is one thing but using it effectively in daily management is another. Accessible, well-organized data provides a clear view of the herd's needs, making it easier to implement strategies that align with the farm’s goals.
Precision Nutrition and Feed Efficiency
Feed costs are one of the largest expenses on a dairy farm, often representing 45–60% of total production costs. Because feed quality can vary widely, it's essential to know the exact nutrient composition through laboratory analysis. With this information, our Trouw Nutrition/Shur-Gain advisors can make confident nutrition decisions that improve productivity, animal health, forage efficiency, and ultimately, farm profitability. These ingredient analyses are also integrated into Trouw's Nutrition ration balancing software, Newton®.
For more than 40 years, Newton has created customized rations based on farmers’ goals. It accounts for the energy dynamics of rumen digestion and key amino acids for protein metabolism, providing a precise estimate of the nutrients cows truly receive. It can also evaluate the nutritional impact of specific rumen modifiers or additives. This allows cows to be fed more accurately, ensuring strong productivity while supporting long-term farm sustainability.
Reproduction and Longevity for Sustainable Dairy Farming
Sustainable dairy farming encompasses many areas, with reproduction management being particularly important. Practices such as lowering the age at first calving, improving production per lactation, and extending the number of lactations per cow all contribute to sustainability. The goal is to increase cow longevity and production efficiency, which leads to higher lifetime output, better returns on feed costs, and a lower carbon footprint. Since health issues can reduce production by up to 30%, keeping more healthy, mature cows in the herd is key.
Trouw Nutrition/Shur-Gain advisors are here to support farmers with practical, sustainable solutions that combine animal production, technology, and precision nutrition
