How much does a tonne of feed cost? Until recently, this might have been one of a farmer’s first questions. Today, however, a growing number of farms are taking a different approach. What matters is not just the price per tonne, but how much feed is needed to produce a litre of milk or achieve a kilogram of liveweight gain. The role of feed manufacturers is changing too: they are expected to provide not only a product, but also expertise, data-driven solutions and support that helps farms achieve better results.
According to Šarūnas Valys, Head of the Animal Wellbeing Business Portfolio at Kauno grūdai, this shift is also being driven by generational change on farms. Younger farmers are more likely to approach farming as a business, factoring in the value of their own time alongside raw material and feed costs. They are also more willing to entrust tasks requiring specialist knowledge to professionals.
“In the past, many farms made their own feed because they believed it was the cheapest and most reliable option. That view is now changing. Farmers also consider how much time and other resources the process requires. After all, the ultimate goal of a dairy farm is not to produce a tonne of feed as cheaply as possible. What matters is the cost of producing a litre of milk and the farm’s overall performance,” says Valys.
Growing demand for commercially manufactured feed also reflects this trend. Over approximately 14 years, Kauno grūdai has more than doubled its feed production volumes and is now one of Lithuania’s largest feed manufacturers.
No single formulation suits every farm
As farms’ needs evolve, individually formulated feeding rations are becoming increasingly important. Knowing the protein, fat and other nutrient content of a particular compound feed is not enough: the animal’s entire diet and the farm’s production goals must be considered.
Dairy farms, in particular, need to account for numerous factors. A cow’s ration includes not only manufactured feed, but also feed produced on the farm, such as grass silage, maize silage and ensiled grain. The quality of these feeds varies between farms, so no single formulation works for everyone.
“Our consultants regularly visit farms, test forage, assess its quality and monitor milk test results. We use this information to formulate the ration and only then determine which compound feed the particular farm needs. We cannot assess our own product in isolation, because the final outcome depends on the animal’s entire diet and the conditions on the farm,” explains Valys.
He notes that relatively simple changes can sometimes make a significant difference. In practice, farmers sometimes adjust feed formulations according to the raw materials available at the time, but frequent changes to the ration are not necessarily beneficial to livestock. Stabilising the ration can therefore often improve milk yields.
A higher price per tonne does not necessarily mean higher costs
According to Valys, focusing on the final outcome helps answer a seemingly paradoxical question: can more expensive feed actually cost a farm less? If a properly formulated ration improves feed efficiency and productivity, the price per tonne alone does not reveal which option offers better value for the farm.
This is why increasing attention is being paid to the animal’s entire ration, rather than the price or composition of an individual feed. Formulating that ration requires an assessment of the raw materials available on the farm, their quality, the animals’ nutritional requirements and productivity indicators, followed by ongoing monitoring of results.
“Farmers need to know what their animals are being fed and what results it delivers. Our goal is not simply to sell feed, but to find the right solution for each farm. Sometimes that may mean using less feed, if greater efficiency allows the farm to achieve the desired result,” says Valys.
Farms have more data than ever
Digitalisation is also changing how decisions are made on farms. Increasing amounts of information about feed, animal nutrition and productivity can now be collected and used to plan further action.
The company’s Feed2Farm digital platform is being developed with this in mind. It currently allows farms to view their feed formulations, the raw materials used and their prices, monitor agreed quantities and access other feed-related information in one place. Previously, this information may have been scattered across Excel spreadsheets, emails and other sources.
However, the platform’s current functions are only the first stage. There are plans to incorporate more farm data in the future, including milk yield and quality indicators, as well as forage and compound feed test results. Over time, the aim is to use this information not only to monitor performance, but also to inform decisions.
“Today, farms receive vast amounts of data from milking and feeding equipment, as well as milk and feed testing. But that data still needs to be understood and put to use. Our vision is to move gradually from presenting data to supporting decisions: helping farmers see where something has changed, what deserves attention and what action to take,” notes Valys.
Fewer resources for the same result
More efficient feed use matters for both farm profitability and sustainability. The more precisely a ration is balanced and the more efficiently nutrients are used, the better a farm can make use of its available resources.
Various feed additives associated with emissions reduction are also available on the market. However, Valys notes that their effects are not always easy to measure accurately under real farm conditions. He therefore believes the immediate priority should be to find ways of using existing resources more efficiently.
“If you can achieve the same or a better result while using fewer resources, you are already operating more efficiently and sustainably. Feed is not an end in itself. It is one of the tools that, together with specialist expertise, farm data and a properly formulated ration, helps deliver better results,” says Valys.