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, ...
We’ve been surveying readers lately – both in print and in person. One of the most intriguing things I’ve learned is: You don’t have much time to read, if you have any time for it at all.
Most of this ...
See A Need
“I don’t want to be a dairy farmer.” These are not the words dairy farmers want to hear from their children.
“We have spent a lifetime building our dairy business, and now we do not know ...
More than 2,000 dairy farmers and allied industry representatives from 39 states attended the Professional Dairy Producers 2017 Business Conference, March 15-16 in Madison, Wisconsin.
The theme for ...
One of the most beneficial outreach strategies we can do as a dairy industry is to put ourselves into situations where people aren’t expecting us to be.
I recently joined eight other dairy farmers ...
Immigrant labor is a necessity on today’s dairy. From small farms that employ one milker to dairies with hundreds of workers, producers are watching the Trump administration with caution and facing the ...
Last year, the nation’s dairy farmers produced in excess of 30 billion pounds more milk than they produced 10 years ago. In a recent publication (Agricultural Projections to 2026), the USDA suggests milk ...
To start your farm succession plan, you’ve formed a limited liability company (LLC), signed your estate plan and maybe even transferred some interest in the LLC to your successors. Hopefully, you have ...
If you watched the men’s or women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, you witnessed extreme strategy at work. Coaches game-planned to attack opposing defenses and put points on the board while shutting down ...
What do the words “tax return” bring to mind? For many people, fear, dread, disgust and overall dislike are the first thoughts. Accompany these feelings with the average person’s innate inclination of ...
Too often, farm kids return home to the farm because they’ve been told there is always a place for them. However, this can create a sense of entitlement. They feel they are entitled to a spot on the farm ...
When identifying milk quality issues, a standard plate count (SPC) test isn’t enough. Elevated SPC could indicate dirty equipment, poor cooling, contaminants from the environment or a variety of other ...
As I was standing in the headlocks of the hospital barn, holding an IV bottle in my hand while it was draining, I remember staring at the treatment cart with four more IVs to give.
I looked at the ...
The definition of “high milk quality” and standards for acceptable udder heath are continuously becoming more rigorous, and dairy producers who wish to remain competitive must meet or exceed these evolving ...
Making it to the top in the ultra-competitive world of Holstein genomics is a tough game. Do it once, and they might call you lucky. But rank among the best year after year? That’s another thing altogether. ...
There’s no other dairy farm in the world exactly like yours. So it should be logical that no single standard genetic index will fit the goals of all dairy producers.
You could use one of the U.S. industry ...
Genetic selection is not a quick fix for reducing occurrences of prevalent diseases facing today’s dairymen. Nevertheless, it demands to be a part of the discussion. Genetic selection should be viewed ...
If you feed dairy cows, at some point, in some way, you will deal with the negative effects of mycotoxins on animal health and performance. The challenge often lies with the degree, since symptoms of mycotoxin ...
Genetic theories are complicated. Choosing a package of genetics to create more profitable cows doesn’t need to be. The dairy genetics industry has done a nice job creating an overwhelming number of traits ...
Today, there are many tools a dairy producer can use to influence the rate of genetic change and have lasting effects on the performance of their herd. Over the last decade, the use of assisted reproductive ...
With no let-up in the need to cultivate profitability, dairies constantly seek ways to manage expenses while increasing income opportunities.
As a result, most farms emphasize getting heifers bred ...
On average, only 36 percent of calf raisers in the U.S. weigh calves to determine rate of gain. Since rate of gain can provide valuable insight into how well your calf program is working, many dairy producers ...
Feeding practices affect the performance of the dairy heifer and the time necessary for the animal to be bred and to attain an optimal size, age and mammary development. It is extremely important that ...
When I was young, back in the time of the dinosaurs, we had this saying: “You can’t get a million-dollar answer to a 10-cent prayer.” That is so true, but what is a million-dollar prayer, and how do I ...
Whenever I am around a group of high school-aged boys, eventually the subject of pickup trucks seems to arise. Which one is best? Whose is the stoutest? Which one do I prefer?
After all the cussing ...
What was the first thing the farmer did with his lottery winnings? Farm until it was gone.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard that joke, I could buy a pocketful of lottery tickets myself.
Farming ...
A couple of months ago, I had an amazing opportunity. On a beautiful February morning I got up early and headed to Ford Field. For those of you unfamiliar with what Ford Field is, it is where the Detroit ...
Last week, I opened the mailbox to find an entire envelope of coupons, just for me. Apparently, these select merchandisers were giving discounts to their favorite customers. I opened the coupons as fast ...
Created on 14 April 2017
advertisement
Serving Dairies Nationwide
Progressive Dairy regularly delivers relevant industry news, cow health and dairy management info to you at no cost.