No one need say more about how bad the dairy industry’s situation has nose-dived in the last two months.Since the U.S. economic fallouts began in October, dairy markets have underperformed seasonal averages ...
Since October 2008, the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has purchased approximately 110 million pounds of non-fat dried milk (NFDM). In terms of milk equivalency, it represents almost 1.25 billion ...
Almost 50 years ago the growing number of mastitis cases and accompanying costs sparked the need for producers, allied industry professionals and researchers to join together in an effort to reverse this ...
When crossing a river to engage the enemy, Oliver Cromwell was quoted as saying to his troops, “Put your trust in God; but mind to keep your powder dry.” These words, which directed and readied his troops ...
Success on a dairy can be measured in many ways. It could be found in pounds per cow, herd growth over time, percent of Excellent-scoring cows or year-end profits.For dairyman George Mueller of Clifton ...
It’s been said that “time is money,” but have you ever considered how much your time is worth to your dairy business? “Time is the only commodity that matters,” said the late computer science professor ...
Exposure to cold can lead to serious illness, so it is important to be aware of the temperature and how to protect yourself against it. Cold exposure can occur in weather that is not freezing. Wind, humidity ...
Think about the last time your organization went through a major change. Maybe you added a new product or service line and your business began to grow. Maybe you came upon hard economic times and downsizing ...
It wasn’t the 87,683rd Jersey registered last year that is credited with an amazing feat, nor was it the last one recorded on Dec. 31, 2008, but it was all 94,774 animals, their owners and caretakers, ...
Today’s economic downturn requires a long-term perspective and a focus on efficiency in modern dairy operation systems. Raising quality replacement dairy heifers provides an excellent opportunity for improving ...
Editor’s note: In a previous Progressive Dairyman article, veterinarian Bruce Hoffman discussed the importance of identifying and eliminating persistently infected BVD animals. The following article by ...
No matter how carefully a manager recruits and selects employees, they will not come to their new jobs with all the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities. Training is essential if employees are to ...
Dairy owners, managers, industry directors, processors, marketers and distributors will develop the “mind of a manager and heart of a leader” at Managers Academy Jan. 20-22 in Orlando, Florida.Attendees ...
Dairy women across Pennsylvania gathered for the third Women in Dairy Conference, held at the end of November in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The conference, which was first held in 2004, convenes every other ...
Q. What’s new for dairy producers at World Ag Expo this year?
SIMON: Dairy producers will have the opportunity to search our new digital showgrounds and plan their own agenda from more than 600 dairy ...
The following nine products were chosen by a committee of industry professionals and dairymen as the newest, most innovative dairy products and will be showcased during World Ag Expo Feb. 10-12 in Tulare, ...
Everyone has those fixer-upper projects in their operation that they would like to get finished one day. Sometimes those projects are just things you’ve put off getting around to; other times, they are ...
Hoof issues leading to lameness (failure to have a normal locomotion gait) is recognized as a problem in the dairy industry, prevalent in herds of all sizes and facility type. Despite awareness of the ...
Dairy producers should be prepared for cold weather conditions that can affect young stock and lactating cows, a South Dakota State University specialist said.
SDSU Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro ...
There is a growing body of evidence that associates cow cleanliness, or hygiene, and mastitis. Cleaner cows are a lower risk for a mastitis incident than dirty cows.
Klebsiella, a leading cause of ...
The U.S. ethanol industry will continue to grow in 2009, creating a substantial increase in the supply of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), according to presenters at the 2008 International ...
Feed prices have moved like a roller coaster over the past year, and we continue to see feed markets and futures change almost daily.The ups and downs in feed costs have been the result of economic instability, ...
Escalating feed costs are changing how we feed dairy cows and heifers, or at least they are making us step back and reevaluate feeding programs.Corn, soybean meal and other grains have almost doubled in ...
As the unrest in the nation continues to unfold, I turn more often to the Holy Scriptures searching for answers to life’s challenging questions. Many of us wonder where the next dollar is coming from, ...
'Always be ridin’ yer horse'
A good cowboy passed along that bit of wisdom. He learned it from his dad.I have since passed it on to young or inexperienced riders as regular as the car dinger reminds me ...
The record milk prices of 2007 were nearly $7 per hundredweight higher than 2006 and were a welcome relief for every dairy producer.
Current pricing also provides producers with an opportunity to generate ...
The health and management of replacement animals are important components of total herd profitability.The productivity of the herd can be negatively impacted by impaired growth of calves, decreased milk ...
Providing proper nutrition to dairy cows is important for health and optimal milk production. Dairy cow rations must contain good- quality forages, a balance of grains and protein sources plus minerals ...
Feeding high-producing cows continues to challenge dairy farmers and nutritionists. Also, dairy profit margins vary as milk prices and feed costs shift yearly.Feed costs represent the largest input cost ...
It was one of those weeks when I felt like Forrest Gump. In the movie, he frequently found himself in the company of presidents, Hall of Famers and kings.In my week at the National Finals Rodeo in Las ...
My good readers, you have been with me through many articles. Many of them reflect my thoughts of science and art, a recurring theme. Many of them are stories, written in the form of a lesson. Perhaps ...
Any dairy producer will tell you that when it comes to getting a dairy cow pregnant, sooner is better than later. The sooner she’s bred, the sooner she’ll calve and the less time she’ll spend out of the ...
Created on 14 January 2009
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