2009 has been draining if not even depressing. Bad news and less-than-expected projections are announced daily. The mental and spiritual energy required to preserve hope does tax and drain even the most ...
Our website has grown in popularity, and it’s all because of producers like you that are getting on and sharing pictures and thoughts with others. We have 24 of the 50 states represented in our membership. ...
Late last year, the Secretary of California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) reduced the minimum Class I price plants must pay by 35 cents. This decision followed a prior hearing where CDFA also ...
The current economy has many business managers on the edge of their seats. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do, and even once a course of action has been determined, there is hesitance to act ...
We all know the old saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” When it comes to milk in 2009, the market may be handing us the proverbial lemon. For many producers, milk prices may barely come ...
The dairy industry is in uncharted waters with the rollercoaster feed and milk prices over the last 15 months. Given the high feed prices and sudden decrease in the milk price, farmers may be tempted to ...
Have you ever thought of yourself as a navigator? The Webster’s Dictionary definition I will use for navigator is, “To operate or control the course of” (i.e., your dairy). The waters rise and fall with ...
Good help is hard to find and often painful to lose. Hispanic workers have proven to be a much-wanted source of hardworking, dependable labor for employers. Under the shadow of increased immigration enforcement, ...
From diaryeditor's BLOG • May 2, 2009 Train workers better
I have seen a remarkable increase in requests for training workers, with more dairymen worrying about losing milk quality bonuses. A dairyman ...
The following comments were made in testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. “With confidence in financial markets weakened and the ...
After visiting and analyzing data from thousands of dairies in her career, Pamela Ruegg, DVM, MPVM, Dipl. ABVP (Dairy Practice), can attest that there is no better way to deal with mastitis than through ...
Today’s milk price environment has everyone looking to reduce expenditures and improve efficiency. We’re constantly challenged to offer suggestions for calf and heifer nutrition programs. Cutting costs ...
Over the past few months I’ve heard producers asking, “Where can I make cuts in the parlor to lower my cost of production?” While the need to cut costs is top-of-mind in these tough economic times, it’s ...
Feed cost evaluation is an important part of managing your dairy business, especially in these economic times of low milk prices and high input costs. Of these input costs, feed expenditures represent ...
The answer to the question “Why artificially inseminate heifers?” is quite simple: to increase the number of genetically superior heifers available for herd replacement and sale. Certainly there are many ...
As dairies look to become more efficient in all aspects of their operation, the industry’s major breed organizations have answered the call by providing online cattle registration. In doing so they are ...
Crossbreeding has recently gained a lot of attention in popular press articles; however, in 2008, the amount of semen from non-traditional breeds (Swedish Red [SR], Montbeliarde [MO], etc.) imported into ...
Anyone who has spent time breeding dairy cows over the years has seen the reproductive changes that have occurred. Cows no longer exhibit signs of heat like they did just a couple of decades ago. A certain ...
The doubling of milk production per cow in the U.S. in the last 50 years did not happen by chance. Research data since the use of A.I. in dairy herds enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) program ...
Cows are known for their big, beautiful dark eyes. But University of Guelph researchers have discovered it’s actually the whites of their eyes that are important when it comes to determining their temperament. ...
World Wide Sires 2009
With the release of the April 2009 genetic evaluations, World Wide Sires adds 15 new Holstein bulls to our line-up, sired by 10 different sire fathers. These new graduates include ...
It’s curious why more cows aren’t featured on America’s Funniest Home Videos. Maybe it’s because we cow guardians always have our hands full of hay forks, reins, twine cutters, squeeze chute handles, syringes ...
Achieving a high, accurate heat-detection rate (HDR) is a major challenge to dairy producers. There are management issues affecting HDR such as labor constraints, commitment to effective heat detection ...
Synchronization and artificial insemination (A.I.) are effective tools to build a better herd. However they are only as effective as the planning and implementation put into both of those programs. This ...
As we move into the hottest time of the year, it is important to reevaluate the effectiveness of your cooling system. Research from the University of Florida has shown 15 to 22 percent reductions in milk ...
Feeding and management practices for dairy calves directly impact not only their survival, but just as importantly, their future milk production. Recent studies which have followed calves through their ...
Lameness continues to be a major welfare issue for dairy cows. In addition to the reduction in performance, the visual image of lame cows on farms can lead to a negative public perception of dairy farming. ...
Most business operators would agree that it’s getting tougher out there – every day. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the local grocery store, a machinery dealer or your own farm operation – an environment ...
Lameness is a common and costly disorder affecting dairy cattle. Freestall housing systems are designed for ease of management but are also associated with a greater risk of hoof injury and disease leading ...
Depending on where your dairy is located this may be a hot weather season for you. It is always challenging to maintain good gains under these weather conditions. What is “hot” weather for calves? Thermoneutral ...
I was at coffee shop communion with a couple of Nebraska wise men. After we had outlined, opined and refined solutions for the deficit, global warming, the ethanol fizzle and the movement to hold the next ...
I am standing near the stainless steel doors of Annex One. This is the office complex I work in at the U.S. Embassy Compound. The Chancery is next door. Annex Two is at the other end of the compound. Today, ...
In the old days, we expected to get a 50 to 55 percent conception rate (1.9 to 2 services per conception) with milking cows. We have done a great job of breeding high-producing Holsteins. Unfortunately, ...
It isn’t easy to face yourself and see your weaknesses, but sometimes it must be done. Last month in our women’s organization, I gave a lesson on virtue. I had a chance to look into my heart and to pray. ...
Rachel Kaehler
Dairy Cattle Show Coordinator at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin Territory: U.S. and Canada
Education
I am pleased to put my years of experience growing up on a farm and showing ...
Created on 24 April 2009
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