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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. Market Watch: Cattle: (Organizations); Click a link below to see updates on Cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairyman. 2020 Issue 2, 2020: January 19, 2020 Issue 1, 2020: January 1, 2020 2019 Issue 20, 2019: December 12, ...; Created on 16 October 2019
2. Documentary shows struggles of Maine co-op: (Industry News); Watching a new documentary about the 2009 plight of a group of Maine dairy farmers was like eating a Tootsie Pop –I kept counting how many licks it would take before getting into the best part of it. ...; Created on 17 May 2013
3. Immigration reform a good deal for dairymen: (From the Editor); This issue contains updated information about how proposed immigration reform impacts your dairy business. Most dairymen are likely pleased with the proposals in a Senate bill introduced in late April. ...; Created on 17 May 2013
4. Names in the News: Officer John Bradley: (People in the News); Officer John Bradley of the Brookline Police Department in the Boston area is the subject of a recent viral Internet photo. During the citywide lockdown following the Boston Marathon bombing, Bradley ...; Created on 17 May 2013
5. Tom Wall: 3 “must-have” parlor protocols: (Guest Blog); The author of this post, Tom Wall of Dairy Interactive, is a regular contributor to the magazine. He maintains a blog, “The Almost Perfect Parlor” with Paul Peetz, a territory sales manager for Milk-Rite. ...; Created on 17 May 2013
6. May 21, 2013 issue: Export watch: (Organizations); Click here to download the latest export watch, provided by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). PD; Created on 16 May 2013
7. In Focus: National DHI test-day somatic cell count averages 200,000: (Industry News); According to new analysis of DHI test-day records bythe USDA’s Animal Improvement Laboratory, the averagetest-day SCC in the U.S. declined by 17,000 cells per mL in2012 to 200,000. The analysis showed ...; Created on 16 May 2013
8. Analysis: What proposed immigration reform means to you: (Industry News); Note: The following commentary is based on legislative language as it was introduced and does not reflect any changes that may be made during legislative proceedings. Dairy producers and their current ...; Created on 16 May 2013
9. 3 Open Minutes with Diane Charlton: (Industry News); Ed Taylor, Diane Charlton and Antonio Yúnez-Naude recently published new economic research using nationally representative household survey data from rural Mexico that tracks workers over 30 years. Their ...; Created on 16 May 2013
10. Sandberg’s new book encourages even dairywomen to ‘lean in’: (Guest Blog); Have you heard the phrase “lean in” mentioned in the last few months? Most likely it was in regards to women in leadership. It stems from the book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead,” by Sheryl ...; Created on 16 May 2013
11. Everything good takes time, including employees: (Management); For anyone who grows crops for a living or gardens as a hobby, this past “spring” will be hard to forget. Throughout most of the Midwest, it’s been an unusually long, snowy winter and short, wet spring. ...; Created on 16 May 2013
12. Weighted-average price: Know your numbers: (Management); In health and fitness circles, people are often encouraged to “know your numbers.” Key statistics like height, weight, body mass index, cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are often used as basic measurements ...; Created on 16 May 2013
13. Trust in the consumer is its own reward: (Guest Blog); In my last column for Progressive Dairyman, I discussed how lower SCC limits are being put in place by processors and how the system of premiums for quality milk is potentially going to be replaced by ...; Created on 16 May 2013
14. A bet that’s paying off for dairy farmers: (Industry News); Sometimes the most interesting and worthwhile films aren’t the ones on the marquee at your local cineplex. That’s especially the case if you’re a farmer looking for a film you can relate to or are someone ...; Created on 16 May 2013
15. We never win: (Management); After renovating our parlor and updating its equipment, we invested time with each milking shift to retrain workers on proper milking protocols. Our goal, of course, is better milk quality. We already ...; Created on 16 May 2013
16. Safe and sound: The importance of dairy equipment safety: (Management); From tractors to loaders, to machinery in the milking parlor, dairies depend on equipment to run their operations. The use of equipment allows dairies to operate more efficiently. However, equipment required ...; Created on 16 May 2013
17. Getting workers to do what you want: (Management); There is no magic to getting workers to do exactly what you want. It’s possible by simply executing good management. But you’ll need help from a few key workers who can assist if you’ve put them in the ...; Created on 16 May 2013
18. A day in the life of a robotic milking producer: (Management); With an automatic milking system (AMS), producers can work smarter rather than harder. They might also enjoy a better quality of life with added flexibility in their schedule and activities – a clear ...; Created on 16 May 2013
19. Michigan dairies featured in robotic milking panel discussion: (Event Coverage); One of the more unique items on the recent Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference schedule was the robot producer panel. The four different farms represented on the panel were of varying sizes with different ...; Created on 16 May 2013
20. 2012 corn crop: How available is starch this year?: (Feed & Nutrition); The past two years have been a challenge in the dairy industry. Drought conditions have wreaked havoc on feed prices, feed availability and the quality of crops grown, not to mention the nutrient content ...; Created on 16 May 2013
21. Discussion of 400,000 SCC limit dividing the industry: (Event Coverage); Arguably, the most-discussed proposal at this year’s National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) was once again the discussion to lower the somatic cell count (SCC) limit from 750,000 to 400,000. ...; Created on 16 May 2013
22. Use your DHI data to pinpoint profit opportunities: (Management); Although 2012 brought many challenges, some herds saw remarkable improvements compared to 2011. Midwestern states endured record temperatures for a prolonged period of time followed by a drought, impacting ...; Created on 16 May 2013
23. Milk component price trends and your milk check: (Management); The price a dairy farm receives for milk is determined by a system that tries to calculate the value of the milk components based on products produced from milk. The prices for the end products of cheese, ...; Created on 16 May 2013
24. Milk fat depression: An old issue with new insights: (Feed & Nutrition); Low-milk-fat syndrome, commonly known as milk fat depression (MFD), has been studied for approximately 170 years. Many hypotheses have been evaluated in order to explain the biological mechanisms by which ...; Created on 16 May 2013
25. Can you break the 30,000-plus-pounds barrier?: (Management); In order to achieve any goal in life, the first step is to believe it is possible. Perhaps your herd is averaging 26,000 or 28,000 pounds of milk. That’s nothing to shake your head at. But what if you ...; Created on 16 May 2013
26. Feed for peaks and efficiency: (Feed & Nutrition); The most profitable cow on your dairy is the fresh cow. She makes more milk more efficiently than at any other time of the lactation. Feeding fresh cows to maximize their peak milk production is some of ...; Created on 16 May 2013
27. Old ideas vs. current realities in mastitis treatment decisions: (Herd Health); Historically high cull cow values, along with increased scrutiny for residues in milk and meat, should have already advanced your decision process for mastitis treatment by now. A valid veterinary-client-patient-relationship ...; Created on 16 May 2013
28. Treat or cull: What are the options for a chronic mastitis cow?: (Herd Health); Dairy farmers work from sunup to sundown to establish a herd of high-producing cows, but no farmer is thrilled with the risks and consequences that linger in the shadows. As farmers, we have to face the ...; Created on 16 May 2013
29. Heifer pens are no place for mastitis: (Herd Health); Just when you think you’ve done everything you can to grow healthy, robust heifers and avoid health challenges such as respiratory disease and scours, there’s more: heifer mastitis. It can appear in your ...; Created on 16 May 2013
30. Iodine vs. chlorhexidine: Why not both?: (Herd Health); Often, we hear things like, “Perhaps you should change your treatment; maybe the ‘bugs’ on your farm are building up a resistance to what you are using.” I’ve heard arguments that this could happen and ...; Created on 16 May 2013
31. Mastitis prevention and control: A prevention methodology: (Herd Health); Mastitis is a complicated and costly problem for the dairy farmer. No simple solutions are available for its prevention. Some aspects are well understood and documented in scientific literature. Others ...; Created on 16 May 2013
32. Mastitis control on U.S. organic dairies: (Herd Health); Editor’s note: The following information is reprinted with permission from a National Mastitis Council fact sheet. Definition Organic dairy production in the U.S. is regulated by the U.S. Department of ...; Created on 15 May 2013
33. Nutrition and feeding effects on hoof integrity: (Feed & Nutrition); It is common knowledge that hoof health and lameness in dairy cattle is a significant problem for the producer and the dairy industry in general. Research from 2009 reported that as many as 52 percent ...; Created on 15 May 2013
34. Are pedal bones getting bigger?: (Herd Health); Functional claw trimming was devised by Toussaint Raven in the 1970s. The protocol for claw trimming was developed based on animals and housing systems at that time. Today, the housing conditions and the ...; Created on 15 May 2013
35. What is the most misdiagnosed hoof disease?: (Herd Health); In a 2011 article, “Foot rot in dairy cows,” I explained what foot rot is and briefly mentioned the different hoof problems that could be misdiagnosed as foot rot. Lameness seems to be on the rise, and ...; Created on 15 May 2013
36. 5 Things I can't do without: Tyler Dockendorf, hoof health: (Herd Health); Tyler Dockendorf plays a vital role in his family’s 130-cow robotic milking operation. Find out the five things he can’t do without when it comes to hoof health in the herd. Mobile barn cleaner The ...; Created on 15 May 2013
37. Trim heifers for long-term hoof health: (Herd Health); Best management practices allow all the good things for the baby calf that keep her properly nourished and comfortable as she grows from heifer into her first lactation. We like to think these include ...; Created on 15 May 2013
38. Digester meets the needs of a community: (Manure); When a manure spill resulted in a large fish kill, officials in Dane County wanted to be able to address the issue of manure and water quality without hindering the dairy industry. A public/private partnership ...; Created on 15 May 2013
39. Air quality symposium looks at regulatory environment: (Event Coverage); Industry representatives attending the Western Dairy Air Quality Symposium April 17 in Boise, Idaho, described a regulatory environment that’s about as predictable as the weather. The gathering, sponsored ...; Created on 15 May 2013
40. Up to 30 percent more biogas? Yes, by separating hydrolysis: (Manure); Anaerobic digestion is a natural process where solids are broken down into a slurry and gases in an oxygen-free environment. In nature, this continually happens on the floors of bodies of water. Similarly, ...; Created on 15 May 2013
41. HERd management: Tackling the tough questions: (Guest Blog); It happens almost every day. I pull up my Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest and there it is, someone has posted an article, blogpost or something else related to milk and nutrition. Sadly, a good majority ...; Created on 15 May 2013
42. Just dropping by ... Teach your kids freedom isn’t free: (Yevet Tenney); In a society adrift on a raging sea of changing values and uncharted permissiveness, we must take time to teach our children that freedom is not free or they will be lost with proverbial chains around ...; Created on 15 May 2013
43. Mechanics Corner: Preventing shop accidents: (Barns & Equipment); Equipment maintenance and repair is necessary to avoid downtime and to minimize major repairs. However, maintaining and repairing machines can lead to serious injury. Workers should be trained in shop ...; Created on 15 May 2013
44. May 21, 2013 issue: New Products: (Products & Services); Roto-Mix VX single-auger mixers The new VX Series single-auger vertical mixers by Roto-Mix includes three models: the VX-315, VX-415 and VX-515, which provide capacities in 300, 400 and 500 cubic feet, ...; Created on 15 May 2013
45. May 21, 2013 issue: Industry Honor Roll: (People in the News); • John Kappelman of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, has joined the board of the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation. A former dairy producer, he is currently a consultant for Cereal Byproducts Company. Logan ...; Created on 15 May 2013
46. The Milk House: The assessment of land: (Ryan Dennis); Sometimes I am struck by how fields keep their past. No matter how thoroughly a dead furrow seems to be disked before new seeding, you can still find it after every cutting. I can look from the top of ...; Created on 15 May 2013
47. I belong to... PDPW: Keith York: (People); Age: 60 Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin My dairy’s history: I am the second generation of my family that has milked cows at our farm, which began in 1951 with 40 cows by my father and mother, Walter ...; Created on 14 May 2013
48. On the Edge of Common Sense: State of the veterinary profession: (Baxter Black); I’ve been pondering the state of veterinary medicine in the new millennium. These subjects deserve deeper thought or at least a master’s degree thesis:• Why a barber and a surgeon should never say, “Oops!” ...; Created on 14 May 2013
49. On the Edge of Common Sense: A bull ballet: (Baxter Black); Uncle Joe was makin’ his rounds this spring checking the horses and cows to make sure everything had water. When he got to the bull lot, one of his prize young Charolais bulls had managed to crawl through ...; Created on 14 May 2013
50. The View from Here: ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’: (Guest Blog); In December 1968 economist Dr. Garrett Hardin wrote a seminal paper called “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Largely used in the field of economic theory, I believe it has relevance to those of us tasked with ...; Created on 14 May 2013
51. Annual Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference draws 250 producers, exhibitors: (Event Coverage); About 250 calf raisers and company representatives attended the Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference, held April 4-5 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The two-day conference featured several general sessions, a variety ...; Created on 09 April 2013