Click a link below to see updates on cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairy.
2021
Issue 2, 2021: January 19, 2021 Issue 1, 2021: January 1, 2021
2020 Issue 20, 2020: December 12, ...
In a whole farm context the focus on high-quality forage has shifted to the right-quality forage for each group of animals on the farm. This, however, is not an excuse to relax goals on producing high-quality ...
I did it. I finished an MBA. And I’ve finally got my nights and weekends back again.
I learned a few things from the journey I hope can be of help to each of you.
One was: You can learn just as much ...
Last quarter’s export-assisted sales were the equivalent of 870,209 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
That’s equivalent to the average annual production of 38,211 U.S. dairy cows.
Click ...
Results of a large, ongoing study of Midwest dairy operations show six factors that separate top financial performance herds from their peers.
Compeer Financial’s dairy consulting team joined forces ...
Although it is easier to strategize about protecting profitability when times are good, a sound risk management plan applies to all margin environments and is especially important when the outlook is bad. ...
When it comes to the “right” amount of debt, farm business owners sometimes feel like “you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Borrowing money can be risky, but on the other hand, not investing ...
While the long-term outlook for agriculture is bullish, dairy producers face short-term financial challenges, Rod Wautlet, Agri-Business Consultants LLC, told producers attending the 2017 Vita Plus Dairy ...
The dairy industry is volatile and unpredictable, and that isn’t likely to change. Dairy managers must embrace and adapt to that mentality to be successful, Michael Swanson, ag economist with Wells Fargo, ...
Most federal tax reform changes signed into law under H.R. 1 went into effect Jan. 1, 2018, meaning they will impact tax returns filed in 2019. However, dairy farmers need to understand how the law is ...
Most dairies I work with utilize dairy software to help organize daily activities such as what cows to breed, treat, etc. While this can be extremely helpful in staying organized, what can make data even ...
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and provide technical support to numerous dairies here in the U.S. and internationally. One of the most common questions asked pertains to feeding ...
Forage and fiber in the diets of dairy cows is critical for their optimal health and milk production. How the fiber in forages ferments, digests and is metabolized is an ongoing subject of discussion and ...
Is your herd’s milk production being maximized? Is lactation performance being limited by a nutrient deficiency such as an amino acid deficiency? The potential for milk production is driven by energy. ...
Feed represents more than half of a typical dairy’s operating costs. When milk prices decline, cutting feed costs is often a tempting first strategy for producers and their nutrition consultants. However, ...
Many of today’s dairy farms have become larger, often without increasing their labor force. The management systems successful on a smaller dairy will frequently evolve into a system no longer best for ...
Low milk prices can have a real impact on dairy farmers. When this occurs, cash becomes short and farmers have to make some tough decisions. They start to look for ways to reduce expenses while also maintaining ...
As another silage season approaches, now is a good time to start preparing for a safe silage season. Unfortunately, when most producers are asked what silage and safety mean to them, their answer usually ...
Traditionally, it has been assumed practical diets fed to dairy cattle provide sufficient chromium to meet their requirements. However, research conducted over the past 20 years has shown chromium supplementation ...
The 2017 growing season was challenging across the U.S. Growers in different regions experienced varied weather conditions that could not only reduce yield, but could also increase plant stress and lead ...
As many hay producers and operators know, one of the most challenging aspects of baling hay is determining its quality and relative feed value (RFV). The feed value of hay crops like alfalfa can vary tremendously, ...
When milk prices are low and the dairy economy gets tough, we all look for ways to cut costs. The feed ration is often one of the first places we turn.
Twenty years ago, feeding local byproducts really ...
I recently saw a very odd thing when I observed a farm adviser balance a ration for some replacement heifers. Based on the analyses of the forage and the trace mineral mixture and his estimate of feed ...
An ideal bedding for dairy cows is clean, provides a certain degree of cow comfort and doesn’t readily support bacterial growth. Sand fits that bill to a tee. Sand-laden manure, however, is the less attractive ...
The dairy industry continues to change as herd size relative to crop acres increases. This creates a need for more off-farm corn silage to be purchased and more manure to be exported off-farm.
A corn ...
Contrary to U.S. dairy cattle inventories, statistics for the U.S. dairy goat population are a little harder to come by. Milk goats have been included in the five-year U.S. Census of Agriculture for some ...
There is little to feel warm and fuzzy about in the U.S. cow dairy industry these days, so it is not surprising some producers are hearing about $35 per hundredweight and higher numbers for goat milk and ...
The criteria for building goat dairies are not well established. Oftentimes, producers take the information they can find and then develop their own design to meet their needs.
Here two Midwest farmers ...
Hidden Pastures Dairy, a dairy goat farm, recently received top honors in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Husband and wife Andrew and Blake Place, owners ...
Jim and Sylvia Parish downsized their dairy operation back in 1998 – but only if you look at the size of their animals. In all other respects, they upsized.
Their Blyth, Ontario-area farm originally ...
When dairy farmers tell their stories of animal care and well-being to the public, there are a few things to consider to make sure those messages don’t fall on deaf ears.
Beth Ventura, assistant professor ...
Training employees in the basics of dairy cattle handling can do more than save hours of labor; it can even save a life.
During the 2017 Vita Plus Dairy Summit, animal-handling consultant Jim Lewis ...
Recently, I finished my book Burn the Boats – Finding the Treasure in Marriage and Family Life. It was ready for publication when I realized I did not have a chapter on one of the most important aspects ...
The auto wrap system is a mechanical operation, and if you understand how the process works, you can tackle repair jobs easier. Here’s how it functions.
As the bale grows, the take-up arm rotates. ...
Not every down cow can or should be saved. It’s a harsh truth, but sometimes euthanasia is in the animal’s best interest. However, euthanizing every down or sick cow isn’t the right answer either.
Shipping ...
Several months ago Ireland braced for Hurricane Ophelia. It was expected to be the worst storm in 50 years. Several days before it was to land, the government decided to close all schools, and the night ...
This is a reminder to all male farmers: Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Just a tip from your adviser here; this is not the time to buy something for the farm and tell your significant other, ...
Although some dairy herds do have excellent reproductive performance, the average Canadian herd is still showing unsatisfactory performance with an insemination rate of 44.1 percent, pregnancy rate of ...
There are plenty of jokes shared among cow dairymen that praise one breed at the expense of another, but at the bottom of the heap in nearly every joke is the lowly goat.
Lowly in stature compared ...
The goal for every cow on every dairy is to have healthy, productive cows that transition well into lactation. About 30 years ago, researchers discovered a way to help cows achieve this goal.
Feeding ...
Wisconsin dairy producers and industry members came in from the bitter cold to hear about hot topics at the fourth annual Dairy Strong conference, held at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center ...
By definition, molds are filamentous fungi that occur in feedstuffs, including roughages and concentrates. They date back to biblical times; however, molds have been gaining more attention in recent years ...
Sitting in our combine, harvesting this year’s corn crop, gives me lots of time to think. On a recent pass back and forth down the corn rows, I started thinking about what the rest of my family was doing ...
Editor’s note: The CEO Corner contains editors’ compilations of business insights and analysis of current news, which they have tailored for the dairy industry. This column inspires million-dollar dairy ...
These days, school is heralded as the only way to get ahead, be considered an expert or learn the cutting-edge way to do something. Not so. Let me save you some money before you decide formal education ...
Feed is the single largest cost on a dairy. So why, then, do we settle for such low levels of accuracy when loading feed ingredients into the TMR mixer?
In a study of 26 California dairies using FeedWatch ...
How do you handle move day? It’s not uncommon to have a big move day once a week. Dry cows move to pre-fresh; new dry cows move to far-off dry pens; post-fresh cows move to high groups. It’s a big merry-go-round. ...
Timely euthanasia is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for farmers and veterinarians. Many times, there isn’t a definite answer. Euthanizing the animal too early could mean a missed opportunity, but ...
Editor's note: The CEO Corner contains editors' compilations of business news from top publications, which they have tailored for the dairy industry.
Don’t tell me you’ve never done this before: It’s ...
If your farm experiences high turnover on a constant basis, it may be time for a self-evaluation to address the reasons why this is occurring. I recently took to social media and asked employees what was ...
Created on 10 July 2017
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