With low milk prices, it is not the cheapest kilogram of feed that counts, but how efficiently milk is produced from it. Those who cut back on meeting the nutritional requirements of high-yielding cows risk performance, animal health, and fertility. A targeted high-energy concentrate based on rumen-stable fat can help secure energy supply and feed efficiency.
Do not cut back on the cow's requirements
Feeding accounts for more than 50% of production costs. When the milk price falls, it is tempting to save here. However, the approach of “expensive components out, cheaper ones in” falls short. This is because the cow’s requirements do not change with the milk price.
Undersupply can impair performance and animal health. Furthermore, diseased animals are less feed-efficient and can increase costs per kilogram of milk. Therefore, the decisive factor is not the price of an individual feedstuff, but its contribution to an economical total ration.
Operating data from the cattle specialist advisory service of the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture (Mahlkow-Nerge, 2026) show: Economically more successful dairy farms achieve higher milk and forage yields, better animal health, and lower costs per kilogram of ECM.
For your farm: Not "What does the feed cost?", but "What does its use bring me per kilogram of milk produced?"
High performance requires sufficient energy
As milk yield increases, energy and nutrient requirements rise. However, feed intake does not keep pace proportionally. Especially with high-yielding cows, a supply gap can therefore arise.
A negative energy balance can occur particularly in the first half of lactation. The cow mobilizes body fat to partially compensate for the deficit. This can have a negative impact on health, milk production, and fertility.
In the long term, it is therefore not just the current milk yield that counts. A high lifetime daily yield requires that cows remain healthy and productive over several lactations.
When is a high-energy concentrate worthwhile?
If the energy density of the total ration is insufficient for the performance level, a high-energy concentrate based on rumen-stable fat (BEWI®-SPRAY) can provide targeted support for the energy supply.
Its use is beneficial if it contributes to:
- supplying high-yielding cows with energy according to their requirements,
- securing performance and feed efficiency,
- maintaining health and fertility
The decisive question is: Does a saving actually reduce the costs per kilogram of milk, or does it only make the ration look cheaper on paper?
Conclusion: Efficiency instead of cheaper feeding
When milk prices are low, feed costs must remain in focus. However, cutting back on meeting nutritional requirements can ultimately prove more expensive.
Feeding is economical when it provides supply according to requirements and secures performance, animal health, and feed efficiency. A high-energy concentrate based on rumen-stable fat can be used specifically for this purpose. Ultimately, the decisive factor is not the lowest feed price, but the economic result per kilogram of milk.
