Peak milk management refers to the practices and strategies that dairy farmers use to optimise milk production during the peak lactation period. During this time, dairy cows reach their highest level of milk production, typically occurring 4-8 weeks after calving. The goal of peak milk management is to maximise milk yield while maintaining the cow's health, fertility, and overall wellbeing through strategic feeding and management decisions.
Good peak milk management:
- Provides a well-balanced diet that meets energy, protein, vitamin, and mineral needs to support high milk production
- Monitors cow health to prevent disease and lameness, which can significantly affect milk production
- Maximises milk production without sacrificing the health or welfare of dairy cattle
- Maintains longevity and fertility by ensuring healthy body condition scores
- Improves efficiency, sustainability and profitability of the farm
- Utilises both feed and non-feed strategies to optimise performance
- Implements pasture-first approaches that balance profitability with sustainable grazing practices
This module will:
- Establish clear objectives for peak milk management and define what good performance looks like.
- Provide practical tools for feed analysis, including feed budget calculators, reproductive cycle checkers, and protein analysis tools.
- Demonstrate how to monitor and evaluate peak milk performance using milk protein curves, conception rates, wearable data, and body condition scoring.
- Explore both feeding and non-feeding strategies, including Once-a-Day (OAD) milking and preferential mob management.
- Cover supplement strategies, including substitution principles and response calculators for balancing energy intake.
- Implement pasture-first management principles, focusing on optimising grazing intervals, residual management, and maximising dry matter intake.
Topics
1. Objectives
and Performance Indicators
- Defining
peak milk management goals
- What
good performance looks like
- Key
performance indicators and benchmarks
2. Pasture-First
Management
- Round
length optimisation and key drivers
- Residual
management and grazing intervals
- Leaf stage considerations
and timing
- Heading dates and seeding
strategies
- Pre
and post-mowing management
- Maximising
pasture intake strategies
3. Nutrition
101 for the Peak Milk Period
- NDF
- ME and Protein
- Milk Demand
4. Monitoring
and Analysis Tools
- Milk
protein curves and milk yield tracking
- Conception
rate and pregnancy graphs (including phantom cow management)
- Body
Condition Score (BCS) monitoring
- Feed analysis and
interpretation
5. Feed
Strategy and Tools
- Feed
budget calculators and planning tools
- Dry
Matter Intake (DMI) optimisation
- Reproductive
cycle impact on feeding
- Protein
requirements and analysis tools
6. Supplement
Management
- Substitution principles
and economics
- Response calculators for
supplement decisions
- Balancing energy intake
with supplements
- Cost-benefit analysis of
supplementation
7. Non-Feed
Strategies
- Once-a-Day
(OAD) milking considerations
- Preferential
mob management
- Environmental
and management factors
Case
Study Applications
- Real-world
examples and problem-solving
- Practical
implementation strategies
- Troubleshooting
common peak milk challenges
- Integration
of feeding and management strategies