The Center for Animal Health and Productivity at New Bolton Center has been actively involved in the development of computer software that will control feed cost, promote animal health and production, and help minimize environmental pollutants. The Center for Animal Health and Productivity, in conjunction with Cornell University and the Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, NY, will be releasing a new dairy ration evaluation and formulation computer program. The new program is called CPM-Dairy in recognition of the collaborative efforts of faculties at the three institutions. At Penn, the development of this program was coordinated by Dr. William Chalupa and Dr. Ray Boston and evolved from concepts learned in various spreadsheet versions that have been used in the field over the last several years. Passage rate is the speed at which a feed ingredient leaves the rumen and determines how long it is exposed to the resident microbial population.
Digestive rates determine how quickly nutrients are assimilated from feed ingredients.
By using these attributes of feed ingredients, rumen function is modeled in a manner that allows for a better estimation of ruminal microbial yields from various feed combinations. Through this process and along with other metabolic and anatomical adaptations, the cow's digestive system plays a vital role in the conversion of feed ingredients unusable to man into useful products. To feed the cow, the rumen must be fed in a symbiotic fashion so that maximal efficiency can be achieved. CPM-dairy models this process. Samples of the feed ingredients are then sent to a forage testing laboratory for analysis of nutrient content.