Most dairy producers use commodities in the ration to either lower total feed costs or to extend the amount of feed on the farm. Both of these purposes can justify the use of commodities. For individual commodities, factors affecting their use on the farm include the nutritional composition of the commodity, the availability of the product, the relative value of the commodity in relation to other feeds, shipping costs, storage of the feed and the amount of the commodity that can be used daily which will also relate to the amount of time that the commodity will be stored. An additional factor affecting the use of commodities is the effect on milk production. A commodity feed must provide nutrients that are needed in the ration before it should be considered for purchase.
Some feeds can be in more than one classification.
The type of commodity feeds selected should be feeds that complement the remainder of the ration, usually the forage in the diet. Back To Top Table 1. Instead, the use of high-energy feeds, such as hominy or whole cottonseed, may better complement the remainder of the diet. A more detailed list of feeds and their composition can be found in FSA3043, Composition of Some Beef Cattle Feeds , and FSA3047, Alternative Feeds for Beef Cattle . After determining that a commodity feed provides nutrients needed in the ration, one of the first factors to consider when selecting commodities is availability of the product.