Protect your margins, one mix at a time
On most dairies, feed is the largest expense and the biggest opportunity to optimize profitability. Small errors – a wrong pen count, a ration adjusted on the fly or ingredient shrink – may not seem like much in the moment. But over the course of a year, they can quietly drain tens of thousands of dollars from the bottom line.
With the right approach, even small adjustments can add up to significant savings and stronger performance. That’s why more dairies are rethinking how they manage feed. With modern, mobile-based tools like FeedComp from VAS, you can reduce waste, improve consistency and make real-time adjustments, turning one of the most significant expenses on your farm into one of your best-managed systems.
Why accuracy matters
Feeding is a chain of connected steps. When those steps are accurate, the benefits are seen across the farm, helping control ingredient costs, support production and keep cows healthy.
Losses from shrink alone highlight just how costly even a small misstep in feed management can be. The dollars tied up in wasted feed aren’t always obvious, often hidden in bunkers, bins or feed alleys where they quietly erode profitability. By equipping yourself with the right tools and strategies, you can uncover those hidden losses, capture their value and transform them into measurable profit.
Beyond shrink, tracking feed costs in real time is more critical than ever. With tight margins, every load, pound and dollar matters. Knowing exactly what you’re spending on ingredients and how those costs compare to production helps pinpoint where adjustments are needed. Accurate tracking also lets you catch inefficiencies before they chip away at profitability, whether that’s excess feed delivered, ingredient substitutions or overfeeding certain pens.
From guesswork to consistency
That’s something Minnesota dairy farmer Phil Reuter knows firsthand. For years, he relied on Google Sheets and mental math to manage pen counts and dry matter intakes – a tedious process that left plenty of room for error.
Switching to FeedComp changed that. Now, ration changes are calculated instantly, pen counts update automatically and reports track how closely the delivered feed matches the target.
“It’s brought more consistency and efficiency to our ever-changing variables like pen counts, dry matter intake and ingredient changes,” says Reuter.
That consistency keeps cows in a routine and supports production goals.
Visibility that drives profitability
Beyond consistency, FeedComp also helps farms see what was once invisible. Post-mix report cards, inventory tracking and cost-per-cow-per-day insights provide managers clarity to make better decisions. During a haylage shortage this spring, Reuter used the app to substitute dry grass hay in his ration in seconds, saving time, ensuring clarity and keeping the farm running smoothly.
The system’s integration with VAS’ herd management solutions adds another layer of value. By connecting feed and herd data, you can tie ration costs directly to milk production through income over feed cost (IOFC) reporting. That connection helps ensure every decision is grounded in financial impact.
The future of feeding
Margins will always be top of mind and feed costs will always be volatile. But with mobile tools like FeedComp, you can move beyond guesswork, reduce waste and give every cow the right ration at the right time every time.
For farms like Reuter’s, that means confidence – confidence that feeders stay on target, inventory won’t run short and the farm’s largest expense is under control.
Protect your margins with every mix. See how FeedComp can turn your largest expense into your most controlled investment.
There’s never been a better time to simplify your feeding program. Implement FeedComp for free on your farm through the end of 2025.*
