If the ridge is visible, energy intakes will need to be increased before calving season to build up fat reserves. Once a cow begins to lactate, it is difficult to feed them enough to gain weight. This is why condition scoring now, during the last trimester, is important. Ten-percent ethanol blends are available at most gas stations, but at the Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, automotive students are studying the effects of running vehicles at even higher ethanol mixtures. These studies could mean lower maintenance costs at higher blends.
Blended ethanol has lower emissions, burns cleaner, and unlike finite fuel, is renewable.
Almost 700 million bushels of corn are used in ethanol each year. If the ethanol industry could double that number, it would mean tremendous price increases for corn. High oil corn can boost some animals performance efficiency, but in other animals, the feed is not as effective. SDSU researchers are running tests at the Southeast Experiment Farm in Beresford to weigh the costs versus the benefits of the ration. High oil corn should not be a blanket ration for all livestock.