It is not enough that your dairy cows eat a wholesome, nutritious diet—they must digest it, too. The Diet Digestibility Tool can help you get a clear picture of how well your dairy cattle are absorbing nutrients.

Once dairy cows consume the ration, that ration must travel through a complex biological system. Nutrients might not be fully utilized due to the form of the ingredients or the way they are processed. The rumen mat may be compromised, reducing nutrient absorption. Acidosis can limit digestion of fiber fractions. A thorough understanding of key digestion elements and unique ways to assess digestibility within the cow increases the probability of achieving optimum animal performance and business results.

The manure tells the story

Our consultants utilize a Manure Screener to visually appraise the digestion of ingredients in the cow and a Manure Evaluator to estimate manure fractions and ingredient passage. The results may lead to changes in the processing of ingredients, the physical makeup of the diet, or the management of diet delivery. Connecting the digestibility results from the cow with the diet and ingredient composition leads to a more accurate and consistent diet for your cows. And that can mean more milk with the qualities you expect.

Rumen Health Index system

When formulating diets for high-producing cows, it is essential to maximize energy intake while maintaining proper conditions in the rumen. By giving careful consideration to rumen health and function, we can help optimize microbial activity during digestion. This helps the cow’s own digestive system to extract as much energy as possible from the ration and increase the effectiveness of nutrient delivery.

The rumen health (rH) Index system analyzes both the physical and chemical effects of a diet on rumen function, utilizing the rumen to the fullest extent. With the rH Index system, we can combine nutrient analysis information with physical characteristics to help predict impact on rumen pH.