Dealing with heat stress is a constant struggle for Florida dairyman Sutton Rucks of Milking R in Okeechobee. This 1,350-cow dairy is located in one of the United States’ hottest regions where average highs range in the upper 80s to low 90s from May through October.

At the advice of his nutritionist, Dr. Bruno do Amaral, Rucks started feeding Rally® Dairy Feed to fresh cows in early August 2013, when temperatures were hottest. Milking R also utilizes sprinklers/soakers on their feed lines and in the holding pens as well as in the milking parlor exit lane. In addition, they run 125 fans in each 600-cow free stall barn.

“We started seeing nice gains on fresh-cow milk production just three weeks after adding Rally to the ration,” notes Rucks. “Second-lactation cows were up 6 pounds of milk; and we had a 9-pound increase on cows in their third or higher lactation. The most amazing thing is that we saw the greatest production growth during our harshest month – September.”

Rucks is earning a 3.3:1 return over his Rally® Dairy Feed investment on second-lactation cows and 5:1 return on third-lactation animals. Rally® Dairy Feed is fed to all mature fresh cows at Milking R for approximately 60 days as an aid for increasing peak milk production.

“We’re striving for higher milk weights on a cow’s first test,” Rucks points out. “If we keep the front curve higher to get more milk throughout her lactation, then even her low curve will be higher than before. Since we’re acquiring more milk from our fresh cows right off the bat, this translates to improved feed efficiency as well.”