By Dr. Wayne Coblentz, USDA-ARS, and Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The goal of management programs for dairy replacement heifers is to consistently rear heifers at a low economic and environmental cost without compromising their future performance as lactating cows.
Generally, this can be accomplished with forage-based diets, but a key to success is understanding the role of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in regulating both the energy density as well as the voluntary intake of diets consumed by dairy heifers.
The post The Importance of NDF in Constructing Dairy Heifer Diets – Dr. Wayne Coblentz, USDA-ARS, and Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin-Madison appeared first on Vita Plus.