Australian dairy farmers Casey and Bonnie Taylor are noticing the difference after changing their cows' diets from Freddo Frogs and low G.I. bars.

US ranchers are letting cows gorge in feedlots for up to 60 days longer than usual.

Quality silage is a stable feed made from quality pasture preserved in the absence of oxygen by quality fermentation to minimise any loss of feeding value, says DairyNZ.

The challenging milk payout will have many farmers scrutinising budgets for ways to reduce spending.

Animal nutrition company SealesWinslow says weaning calves from milk when they reach 65kg could add to the bottom line if a good value meal and pasture is added to the diet early on.

Sheep and beef farmers need to focus on feeding their best stock well, according to Martin Walshe, practice manager of Hunterville Vets.

Many farms are running with lower than target average pasture covers (APC) this time of the year. The months of June and July were cooler than normal so pasture growth rates have not been where they would normally be.

Last month we discussed the importance of colostrum, the consequences of insufficient colostrum feeding and how to assess colostrum management on farm.

Ensuring every calf goes into the herd at target weight makes sure a Patea, Taranaki, dairy farm is running at full capacity, even on once-a-day (OAD) milking, says calf feed maker Fiber Fresh.

Australian farmers Trevor and Anthea Saunders are dedicated Jersey breeders. Anthea controls the calf rearing on their farm in Warragul, Victoria, determined to give them the best possible start.