Search - Progressive Dairyman

1. Market Watch: Cattle: (Organizations); Click a link below to see updates on Cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairyman. 2018 Issue 11, 2018: July 1, 2018 Issue 10, 2018: June 12, 2018 Issue 9, 2018: May 25, 2018 Issue 8, ...; Created on 29 June 2018
2. Confessions of a ‘ready-state’ disciple: (From the Editor); I recently heard a story (from a pulpit) regarding the deadly nature of the hippopotamus. Due to their territorial nature, hippos are extraordinarily aggressive. Depending on which list you read, hippos ...; Created on 21 February 2017
3. Policy Watch: What will change in Washington in 2017, and what will not: (Industry News); The inauguration of Donald Trump represents a dramatic stylistic change in the way the nation’s government will be managed. The extent of the changes he will bring about depends to a large degree on ...; Created on 21 February 2017
4. Progressive Events: Dairy Strong: (Event Coverage); The Dairy Business Association’s (DBA) annual “Dairy Strong” conference was held Jan. 18-19 at Madison, Wisconsin. Under the theme “The Journey Forward,” the event brought together more than 700 farmers, ...; Created on 21 February 2017
5. Back to my old job: What changed and what remained the same?: (Management); In 2010, I retired as the CEO of Southeast Milk Inc. (SMI), a Florida-based regional dairy cooperative. From July to November of last year, seven years after retiring, I returned to SMI as the cooperative’s ...; Created on 21 February 2017
6. How to make policy changes painless: (Management); 2017 is a year of changes for the dairy industry. An upgraded Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, activation of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), recombinant bovine somatotropin ...; Created on 21 February 2017
7. Continuation of low feed prices will require another record crop: (Management); When you think about price potential for feed in 2017, it’s important to look back at where we’ve been lately. The last four years have ended with record-breaking or near-record-breaking corn production ...; Created on 21 February 2017
8. The value of an engaged veterinarian-client-patient relationship: (Herd Health); Our industry is constantly exposed to increased regulation and consumer scrutiny, but there is one thing that hasn’t and won’t ever change: the importance of having a strong partnership with a veterinarian. ...; Created on 21 February 2017
9. Genetic mutation from one bull caused loss of 500,000 calves: (A.I. & Breeding); Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, or Chief for short, is responsible for 14 percent of the current Holstein genome in the U.S. While many of Chief’s genes have benefited the breed, a recent study in the Journal ...; Created on 21 February 2017
10. Is selecting for A2/A2 right for you?: (A.I. & Breeding); Pick up the latest sire directory from any of the major bull studs, and you’ll see that the “bull book” contains more information than ever. More indexes, more traits, more numbers; it’s quite a job to ...; Created on 21 February 2017
11. Harnessing the power of hybrid vigor: (A.I. & Breeding); Increase profit. Reduce management inputs. Design a cow that eats less, doesn’t know what a hospital pen is and rarely gets the “open” diagnosis at pregnancy check. This can be accomplished in a single ...; Created on 21 February 2017
12. Can dairy reproduction be too efficient?: (A.I. & Breeding); Pregnancy rate is a standard measure of the success of a dairy reproductive program. It is the percentage of females eligible to become pregnant in a 21-day period that actually become pregnant. The good ...; Created on 21 February 2017
13. How I work: The cow-milking, embryo-transferring sales and marketing manager: (A.I. & Breeding); One of the things I like about my job as sales and marketing manager for Simplot Animal Sciences is the variety of activities I can be involved in. My office is located on a 400-acre Idaho ranch stocked ...; Created on 21 February 2017
14. Two ways to improve your herd’s fertility: (A.I. & Breeding); We’ve all heard the statement, “Genetics don’t matter without first creating a pregnancy.” This insightful truth has shifted our global breeding strategy to a stronger focus on fertility. When improved ...; Created on 21 February 2017
15. Chitosan microparticles: A potential alternative treatment to antibiotics: (Herd Health); Faculty at the University of Florida are exploring an alternative treatment for infections from an unlikely source: crustaceans. The shells of lobster, shrimp and crab are treated with an alkaline substance ...; Created on 21 February 2017
16. 10 steps for a successful transition period, part 1: (Herd Health); Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series featuring the steps to a successful transition period. Dry cow nutrition and management of the dry dairy cow has been extensively researched ...; Created on 21 February 2017
17. Best practices for calving assistance: (Herd Health); Every dairy producer’s goal is to have uncomplicated calving. But their practices aren’t always conducive to reducing dystocia risk. Eutocia, or normal birth, requires prevention and preparation and is ...; Created on 21 February 2017
18. The ‘Goldilocks Diet’: Feeding dry cows just right: (Feed & Nutrition); “If you look at modern, large or expanding farms, the ‘big three’ headaches are transition problems, excessive calf death loss and mastitis,” points out James K. Drackley, professor of animal sciences ...; Created on 21 February 2017
19. Managing hypocalcemia in dairy cows: (Herd Health); What have we learned in the last five years? In this first of a two-part series, the authors detail the challenge of subclinical hypocalcemia. Click here to read part-two in this series Optimal preventio ...; Created on 21 February 2017
20. Four actions to break the cycle of ‘mastitis of the foot’: (Herd Health); How to control digital dermatitis (DD) is probably the most frequently asked question a hoof trimmer gets. The quick answer is: DD will always have to be dealt with, and your trimmer and trim day can do ...; Created on 21 February 2017
21. A closer look: Digital dermatitis and hoof conformation: (Herd Health); When severe cases of digital dermatitis (DD) are identified in the field, it is common to find “square” feet, characterized by overgrown heels and shortened claws. These animals typically exhibit visible ...; Created on 21 February 2017
22. Four factors that are bad for your soles: (Herd Health); Few things hurt a dairy producer more than sending a pregnant cow milking 100 pounds of milk a day on a trailer to slaughter because she is severely lame, but in herds that battle thin soles. However, ...; Created on 21 February 2017
23. A comparison of common cowside ketosis tests: (Herd Health); Ketosis has garnered a lot of interest in the last few years. Recent research has pointed to the role of ketosis as a gateway condition for transition cow health events and loss of milk production. Fundamentally, ...; Created on 21 February 2017
24. Four ways to reduce the risk of transition cow problems: (Herd Health); It is estimated that out of every 100 calvings, about half of the cows will develop one or more fresh-cow problems, including displaced abomasum, ketosis, dystocia, retained placenta or others. But ...; Created on 20 February 2017
25. Manure handling doesn’t have to be a dirty job: (Manure); The weather. A short application window. The volume you have to handle. When it comes to manure handling, whether you’re a smaller operation milking 50 cows and using a skid steer to load your spreader ...; Created on 20 February 2017
26. Two dairies install manure management systems to meet their needs: (Manure); For all dairy farms, big and small, managing and disposing of manure is a never-ending job. It’s bothersome to have around and the odor can be offensive, by far the number one reason the non-farming public ...; Created on 20 February 2017
27. Just dropping by ... ‘Laughter is the best medicine’: (Yevet Tenney); According to a recent article in Psychology Today, laughter is the best medicine: It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort. It reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics ...; Created on 20 February 2017
28. Mechanics Corner: Ballasting your tractor for fuel efficiency: (Barns & Equipment); Most tractor operators know proper ballasting is important to transfer as much engine power as possible to the drawbar. Exactly how to accomplish this ballasting, however, frequently remains a mystery. ...; Created on 20 February 2017
29. HERd Management: Let them make mistakes: (Guest Blog); Constantly looking over your shoulder, criticizing every little detail, never being happy with your efforts, creating additional un-needed stress – these are just a few things micromanagers do to others. ...; Created on 20 February 2017
30. The Milk House: That which was marked by squirrel tails: (Ryan Dennis); It was the usual rite of a rural upbringing, and the time had come for my father and me to take part in it ourselves. When I was 11, he took me to the end of the cornfield, set up a hubcap and had me shoot ...; Created on 20 February 2017
31. Advancing connections between genomics and fertility: (A.I. & Breeding); “I now say that the world has the technology – either available or well advanced in the research pipeline – to feed on a sustainable basis a population of 10 billion people. The more pertinent question ...; Created on 20 February 2017
32. The deal with metritis: Don’t let it cost your herd: (A.I. & Breeding); Metritis is among the most common and important diseases that strike the dairy farm. While there are many effective treatment options available, cows with even mild cases pay a considerable price during ...; Created on 20 February 2017
33. The Manure Spreader: Farm day care: (Tim Moffett); Let’s face it, farmers need money – more money – and more time. Seems like I can never get enough done in the day, and I’m always trying to cut some milk production costs too, so I had the bright idea ...; Created on 20 February 2017
34. Two keys to achieving high milk yields and pregnancy rates: (A.I. & Breeding); With more herds achieving outstanding milk yields, more questions are raised about how these high yields impact reproductive performance. If your herd is achieving a high milk yield average per cow, do ...; Created on 10 February 2017
35. Computer vision technology tested on California dairy: (Management); Technology that informs a self-driving car what a pedestrian looks like or that alerts you which of your friends are in a photo you posted on Facebook is coming to dairy farms. The technology could soon ...; Created on 31 January 2017
36. Reduce liquid manure storage with wastewater irrigation system: (Manure); Liquid manure can be costly to handle and haul long distances, causing dairy farms to consider alternative options to just storing everything in a lagoon. One option offered by Terry Mescher, an agricultural ...; Created on 10 January 2017
37. Lifelong learning and why engaged employees help a farm to progress: (Guest Blog); My parents always pushed us to be lifelong learners. We watched my dad reading industry magazines. We saw my parents going to meetings about all different business, agriculture and dairy topics. That instilled ...; Created on 19 December 2016
38. Green Mountain Dairy: Manage for optimal cow comfort: (People); When Brian and Bill Rowell built Green Mountain Dairy in 1999, they focused on cow comfort and efficiency. Since then, these brothers have won numerous awards for milk quality and reproduction, as well ...; Created on 27 September 2016