Feed prices climb but cows don’t change
“Change is happening,” said University of Illinois’ Mike Hutjens during the April
Hoard’s Dairyman webinar, “Feeding cows with $5 corn and $450 soybean meal.” He went into more detail on prices for the major ingredients used to feed dairy cattle.
Earlier this month, corn grain price had reached $5.40 per bushel. Soybeans were at $14.20 per bushel, and Hutjens said soybean meal was up $100 per ton compared to last summer. Prices for high-quality hay are also moving upward, reaching $200 a ton. Similarly, the price for distillers grains was climbing due to the high corn price and growing exports to China and other countries.