Update Highlights

• DMC enrollment entering last two weeks
• December 2020 Class I base: $19.87 per cwt
• Dairy cow slaughter pace up a bit in October
• CFAP payment update

The USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) has approved a change in quarterly Dairy Revenue Protection (Dairy-RP) estimated milk yield per cow calculations for California, Texas and Illinois. Effective immediately, the change may make the federally subsidized milk revenue insurance program more financially attractive to dairy producers in those states seeking risk management protection.

The dairy industry’s path toward achieving sustainability goals has and will continue to pass through challenging terrain, but there are opportunities for those who successfully make the journey.

Recently, I came across an article in a local newspaper that raised concerns about cattle as a source of zoonotic pathogens, in particular with regard to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) – the causative agent of Johne’s disease in cattle and other ruminants.

Most dairy feeding studies are conducted in mid lactation, providing vital information regarding the nutritional needs of cows. Since 2000, 28 such feeding experiments have been conducted evaluating canola meal as an ingredient for dairy cows (Canola Meal Dairy Feeding Guide, 2019).

Change is hard – especially for cows, who are creatures of habit even more than we are. Any changes in a cow’s routine can quickly add up to compromise her health and performance. Some of these changes are out of our control, but the more consistency we can build into a cow’s diet and routine, the more she has the resiliency to deal with unforeseen changes.