By Paul Dyk, Regional Sales Manager & Dairy Technical Sales Manager.
QLF Commercial Dairy Heifer 33 and 66 products were introduced in the Fall of 2018. These products have 33% and 66% protein, respectively, and contain complete liquid mineral and trace supplementation with options to add Rumensin, Clarify or other customizations.
What are the advantages of liquid heifer products?
a) Consistent nutrient dispersion: Research shows that nutrient dispersion variation was reduced by 15-50% when using liquid supplements compared to dry supplements. In addition, the liquid supplements adhere the diet together and prevent minerals from falling out of the TMR. In the feedlot cattle industry, there is wide use of liquid VTM products to improve feeding consistency and feed efficiency. Heifer raisers have similar goals. Pay particular attention to the Rumensin, as keeping ionophore intake consistent will improve gains and feed efficiencies.
b) Shrink: Loose mineral or bagged mineral can be subject to 15 to 20% loss due to handling, wind or storage challenges. In contrast, very little shrink occurs in liquid feeds.
c) Easy to use: The initial response from producers who start to use liquid feed is how easy it is to implement. The easy adjustment to liquid feed is what most feeders appreciate the most.
d) Flexibility: Liquids are easily customizable for the farm depending on the needs of the operation or the season. Ionophores can be added and nutrient specs can be adjusted for the needs of the farm.
e) Cost-effective: The new QLF Dairy Heifer 33 and 66 products are price competitive, especially given the low feeding rate. The recommended rate is 0.75 lbs/head/day for a 1000 lb heifer.
As always, diets with replacement heifers are usually based on available forages and concentrates. QLF Dairy Heifer 33 is a good fit for a diet with protein coming from a forage source, while QLF Dairy Heifer 66 is a good fit when there is more corn silage or another lower protein forage. Please consult your nutritionist or dealers to build a customized solution.
| NUTRIENT DISPERSION | |||
| NUTRIENTS | Dry Supplement Range 95% CI | Liquid Supplement Range 95% CI | REDUCED VARIATION |
| DM, % | 74.70-75.60 | 73.00-73.70 | 27 |
| CP, % | 8.30-8.70 | 8.20-8.40 | 37 |
| Ca, % | 0.35-0.47 | 0.28-0.34 | 50 |
| Zn, ppm | 42.40-54.50 | 49.90-57.10 | 40 |
| Rumensin, g/ton | 19.80-24.20 | 17.20-20.90 | 15 |