Evaluation of Fodder Production Systems for Organic Dairy Farms.

Sprouted grains have gained renewed interest among organic dairy farmers in response to high grain prices, grain scarcity, limited supplementation options and challenges in producing high-quality forages. This interest has been spurred by high-profile sales pitches and farmer testimonials. Little scientific data exists on feeding sprouted grains in the temperate regions of the country such as the Northeast or Upper Midwest. While fresh weight increased 327% when barley grain was sprouted for 7 days, we found a net loss in nutrients (17% loss in dry matter and 21% loss in energy). Nutrient digestibility of fodder was also not as good as with high-quality pasture. These results suggest a net loss of digestible energy available to the animal, which could negatively impact animal performance and increase feed costs. When 9 kg (as fed) of fodder replaced 2.7 kg of a corn-based concentrate in a feeding trial, milk production, milk fat, body weight and body condition score of organic lactating dairy cows were not affected by fodder. Cows fed fodder had greater milk urea N (16.5 vs. 13.5 mg/dl for fodder and no fodder, respectively), suggesting that cows fed fodder were not as efficient in utilizing protein. Income over feed costs favored not feeding fodder except when grain prices increased by 50% over those used in the study ($11.77/bushel for organic corn), giving fodder a slight edge ($0.44/cow/day). However, initial investment in the fodder system was not included in the economics, therefore the actual cost of producing fodder would be even higher. In an on-farm study, farms that produced high-quality forage saw no advantage to fodder. Each farm must put pencil to paper to determine if implementing fodder in feeding management is economically feasible, or whether the money could be better spent growing or purchasing high-quality forage.