Business Digest Highlights

• New products and services
• Industry news
• Organization news

New Products

Introducing Bovikalc Dry: A new way to dry off cows more comfortably

Dairy producers have a new way to help cows transition into the dry period more comfortably with Bovikalc Dry – an oral mineral bolus designed to decrease dry matter intake and reduce milk production.

The product quickly and efficiently decreases milk production with the simple administration of two boluses at, or eight to 12 hours before, the last milking. The product is a complement to the Boehringer Ingelheim Bovikalc calcium supplement.

Visit Boehringer Ingelheim for more information.

Agri-Plastics releases Dual XL Hutch and updated Large Grain Feeder

Agri-Plastics has released the new Dual XL Hutch for pair housing calves and updated the Large Grain Feeder.

The new hutch boasts a larger inside growing area to achieve this efficiency and comfort. This hutch supplies the space that allows calves to commingle at a young age. Buddying two calves in one hutch promotes companionship and competitiveness, which research has proven to help achieve optimal growth.

The new hutch is available in both Deluxe and Rancher options.

The hanging attachment on the feeder now allows producers to hang the feeder on the outside of a wire fence. When the feeder hangs on the outside of the fence, the calf has easy access to the feed as well as having more living space.

This feeder’s large capacity holds a large portion of feed, which will serve your calves for up to three days. This gravity feeder has an adjustable inner grain flap and dispenses the feed as needed. And the lid keeps the feed dry.

Visit Dual XL Hutch for more information on the hutch and Agri-Plastics for more information on the feeder.

Dura Bilt Calf Pen System: Convert single-calf stalls to group pens

ADA Enterprises, Inc. has introduced the new Dura Bilt Calf Pen System. When isolating calves is required, this larger pen design can be converted to single-calf stalls by removing the two dividing sides.

Included with the system are Dura Trac coated expanded metal or woven wire calf flooring and removable calf stall dividers, buckets, bucket holders and all necessary hardware. The dimensions for the standard pen system are 61.3 inches deep by 102 inches wide. Each individual stall is 30 inches wide and 60 inches long when the dividers are used.

Visit ADA Enterprises, Inc. for more information.

Industry news

Clean Energy breaks ground on renewable natural gas dairy digester in joint venture with TotalEnergies

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has broken ground on a renewable natural gas (RNG) digester at Del Rio Dairy in Friona, Texas, its first in a joint venture with TotalEnergies to produce the ultra-clean transportation fuel which will be negative carbon-intensive. All the RNG fuel produced at Del Rio Dairy will make its way into the company’s nationwide network of RNG stations.

When completed, the digester project will capture the waste from more than 7,500 milking cows and generate an anticipated 1.1 million gallons of RNG annually. RNG helps Clean Energy’s customers achieve their sustainability goals by dramatically reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation operations. Clean Energy has a target to provide RNG at all its U.S. stations and for the carbon intensity of the fuel to be zero by 2025.

Visit Clean Energy Fuels Corp. for more information.

GEA advances DairyRobot R9500 with new features

GEA’s intelligently designed DairyRobot R9500 just got smarter.

The robot features the In-Liner Everything process, which completes all milking procedures in one attachment. Cleanliness and attention to milk quality continue after the teat cups are removed between cow milkings. After each milking, the inside and outside of the teat cups undergo a backflush and rinse, and the attachment camera is cleaned.

Now the process is further refined with the largest, most extensive update since the introduction of the company’s robots. New software logarithms further optimize post-milking cleaning procedures by allowing some functions to occur simultaneously, shaving seconds off the process.

These robots use a removable service module. The service drawer can be removed and replaced with a fully serviced spare unit to minimize downtime. Many wear components now feature an extended service life.

The robot features an operator pit with rear access to the udder, just like in a parlor for a safe environment to dry treat cows or manually attach teat cups. The new software includes a separation mode, allowing you to milk a series of special-needs cows, without an intermediate box cleaning between each cow.

One supply unit can now support up to four milking robots.

Visit GEA Dairy Robot for more information.  

Organization news

Spanish online dairy worker training

This self-paced Spanish dairy worker training certificate program is designed to develop the workforce skills needed on a modern dairy farm. Each module focuses on common dairy worker areas of responsibility. All materials are presented and written in Spanish. There is no charge for this certification. Modules available for certification:

• Manejo de Vacas | Cow Handling

• El Movimiento de Vacas Hacia y Desde La Parla | Movement of Cows to and from Parlor

• Trabajando con Becerras | Working with Calves

• La Nutrición de Vacas Lecheras | Dairy Cow Nutrition

• Los Básicos de la Alimentación del RTM | The Basics of TMR Feeding

• Alimentación de Becerras | Feeding Calves

• La Salud del Rebaño | Herd Health

• Monitoreo de Vacas Frescas | Monitoring Fresh Cows

• Video: Cojera en Vacas Lecheras | Lameness in Dairy Cows

• La Calidad de Leche y El Sistema del Ordeño | Milk Quality and Milking Systems

• Rutinas de Ordeña | Milking Routines

• Mastitis I – Sacando Muestras y Tipos de Mastitis | Culturing and Types of Mastitis

• Mastitis II – Tratamiento Basado en el Tipo de Mastitis | Treatment

Certification of each module in this program consists of viewing a series of pre-recorded videos and completing a short quiz. Visit Pro-Dairy Cornell Cals online courses for more information.

WDE Dairy Cattle Show exhibitors designate official judges

World Dairy Expo announced the official judges selected to evaluate North America’s finest dairy cattle during the 2022 World Dairy Expo, scheduled for Oct. 2-7. The Dairy Cattle Show will begin on Oct. 3. The group of official judges for the 55th World Dairy Expo is as follows:

• International Ayrshire Show: Chad Ryan, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

• International Brown Swiss Show: Gerrit DeBruin, Lake Mills, Wisconsin

• International Guernsey Show: Phillip Topp, Botkins, Ohio

• International Holstein Show: Pierre Boulet, Montmagny, Quebec

• International Junior Holstein Show: Pat Conroy, Angola, Indiana

• International Jersey Show: Keith Topp, Botkins, Ohio

• International Milking Shorthorn Show: Joe Sparrow, Worthville, Kentucky

• International Red & White Show: Pat Lundy, Granville, New York

Visit World Dairy Expo for more information.

Discount available for dairy producers interested in ‘Farm Spanish Basics’ course

To assist dairy farm families in enhancing communication and building rapport with Hispanic employees, the Center for Dairy Excellence is once again offering $100 discounts to Pennsylvania dairy producers who sign up for Katie Dotterer’s “Farm Spanish Basics” online course this winter.

Led by Katie Dotterer, the online Spanish course will be held live on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from Jan. 18 to March 10. All classes are recorded and readily accessible to accommodate dairy producers’ schedules. The course is available in both beginner and intermediate levels. Pennsylvania producers who sign up will receive $100 off the cost of registration and access to 16 online, interactive classes along with all the resources the instructor provides.

Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/spanish-basics to learn more about the discount and the course. Sign up by Jan. 11 to receive the discount. Visit AgvoKate 8 week spanish course information to learn more about the course.

CPDF accepting Dairy Innovators Grant program applications

The Central Plains Dairy Foundation (CPDF) is accepting applications for the Dairy Innovators Grant through Jan. 10.

The CDFP grants support projects addressing economic, community and workforce development or that promote the dairy industry. Grant awards range from $500 to $10,000 and will be awarded to projects focusing on Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota or South Dakota.

Visit Central Plains Dairy Foundation for more information.

DCHA 2022 trade show and Youngstock Alley and Sponsorships

The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association announced that the 2022 annual conference and trade show will be held April 12-14 in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The conference committee has focused on three areas of calf raising when creating the program and optional tours. The tracks include:

• Wet-calf/weaning

• Post-weaning/reproduction

• Beef on dairy

The general sessions are sure to inspire attendees to return to their operations with a renewed energy to share with staff and colleagues.

Visit Dairy Calf & Heifer Association for more information.

Free farm safety videos and signs available for dairy producers

The Center for Dairy Excellence and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) recently launched a farm safety video series to help dairy producers share simple safety reminders with farm employees. The “Seconds for Your Safety” videos, designed to be approximately 60 seconds in length, are available in both English and Spanish and can be watched and shared easily on a computer or cellphone. They will cover topics such as safety around animals, fall prevention measures, tractor and truck rollovers, youth on the farm and more.

The first video in the series is now available and shares quick tips and precautions dairy producers can take around horizontal silos. Visit Center for Dairy Excellence - farm-safety to view the English and Spanish versions of the video. New videos will be released each month for producers to share with their dairy teams.