FAQ

Are vitamin and mineral cattle supplements needed?
Most veterinarians recommend vitamin and mineral supplementation in order to maximize the health and increase the milk production of the dairy herd. Specific supplements and the quantity required depend on a number of factors, primarily determined by testing the levels of vitamins and minerals in the ration formulation ingredients. Forages, especially, can vary significantly in mineral content. Monthly testing of forage and feed content allows for precise a balance will ensure that the herd gets the needed supplements for improved health, reproduction, and milk production, while saving costs for unneeded supplementation.

What is Precision Nutrition?
Precision Nutrition is Ghost Hollow Consulting's industry-leading system of using the latest technology to maximize performance, income, and flexibility from the dairy feeding program. It includes precise analysis and balance of feeds, premixes, and TMRs, with performance evaluated through our Monthly Herd Evaluation program. The Precision Nutrition system maximizes the efficiency of income over feed cost by allowing for the substitution of less expensive ingredients and lowering intake, while ensuring balanced nutrients.

What is included in the Monthly Herd Evaluation?
Using the CPM Dairy Model, we accurately describe the group of cows, examining lactation number, body condition score, body weight, milk yield, components, current temperature, and the housing system. We evaluate all areas of performance, including production, reproduction, transition health and early culling, overall herd health, and opportunity cost analysis. This allows us to more precisely balance the ration formulation for maximum performance while minimizing costly waste. Our comprehensive monthly report dissects the herd to quickly find issues before they become problems.

What is Ration Modeling Software?
Ration Modeling is a system of predicting outcomes from combinations of feed ingredients. Due to the cow's unique digestive system and the infinite combinations of feed that can alter rumen fermentation, it requires much more data and sophistication to accurately predict outcomes in dairy cows than it does for other livestock. With Ration Modeling Software, we can evaluate the most profitable ration formulation for your herd. It also allows for great flexibility for feeding different formulas based on cost and availability.

What is the best prevention of lameness in our dairy herd?
Lameness and general foot health is a serious issue facing dairy producers resulting in significant economic losses due to decreased milk production and herd longevity, as well as reproductive efficiency. Because lameness can often be due to a number of factors, including nutrition and feeding management, stress, comfort, behavior, and frequency of hoof trimming, our Monthly Herd Evaluation that looks at all of these issues and more can prevent foot issues before they become costly problems.

What can we do to prevent mastitis?
Clinical mastitis in dairy cows reduces both production and reproduction performance, with the greatest negative effect seen in those with mastitis early in lactation. The most common bacteria found in milk samples from cows suffering from clinical mastitis are environmental Streptococcals and coliforms, which can be spread through confinements areas by flies carrying the bacteria from one to another, and human hands and equipment during milking. Environmental management is of primary importance, and preferable to drug management, with excellent nutrition playing a role by maximizing the immune response to exposure.