There have been some concerns lately in the dairy industry about low milk fat levels, something that has left many dairy nutritionists scratching their heads.

Dr. Scott Bascom, a nutritionist with Cooperative Plus in Wisconsin, says 2009 was one of the worst years he has seen for milk fat tests, which had a significant financial impact on some of his clients on top of the already poor price situation. “It was very frustrating. I have a PhD so I’m supposed to have all the answers,” Scott told me during an interview at World Dairy Expo in the Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition booth. The animals appeared healthy with no signs of acidosis and he had no luck finding issues with starch or oils in the diet. Then he started looking at the DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) balance and struck pay dirt when he started adjusting the diet using DCAD Plus.

“The results we saw were pretty impressive,” said Scott, who brought the actual results to show people because they’re so amazing. “In one farm, in mid-May to early June, we were struggling to get to a 3.5 fat test, with lows of 3.39. It was about the fifth of June when we put a new diet in place balanced for DCAD. Between the 5th and the 19th, we averaged 3.68 in this herd with some days a little bit over 3.7.” That resulted in 40 cents more per hundredweight of milk. Another herd had similar results and Scott says he had happy clients. “With the quick response we saw to the DCAD Plus, it was almost an immediate increase in their milk check, just from the added fat.”

Scott says his experience with Arm & Hammer has been a positive one, ever since he was a little kid on the farm and his grandfather was feeding sodium bicarb. “Not only is it the value of the products at Arm & Hammer, it’s the value of the people and their concern and compassion for the dairy industry,” he said.

A&H developed a new web-based DCAD calculator to help producers more effectively balance their rations. More information can be found on the home page for AH Dairy.

Listen to or download my interview with Scott here: Scott Bascom Interview

Watch my interview with Scott here on YouTube.

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