Feed refusals: How low can you go?

According to the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management, the average daily feed cost per cow in 2021 was $7 in the upper Midwest; it was up to about $7.50 in 2022. Continually rising feed prices have tightened margins for dairy farms. In fact, over the last decade, total feed costs of a dairy herd are a better predictor of profitability than milk production. Reducing wasted feed is critical to farm success.