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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 Dairy. 2021 Issue 2, 2021: January 19, 2021 Issue 1, 2021: January 1, 2021 2020 Issue 20, 2020: December 12, ...; Created on 07 December 2020
2. Make – don’t just take – a picture: (From the Editor); I recently attended a small conference involving several people I have associated with for years. There came an awkward time in the day’s agenda when we were directed to pair up with someone we didn’t ...; Created on 04 May 2017
3. Market watchers are becoming market searchers: (Industry News); It started out as a year dairy farmers optimistically thought they would see milk prices rise. For some, it’s now turning into an urgent search to find markets for their milk. Upper Midwest Efforts ...; Created on 04 May 2017
4. Checkoff Watch: Success with partners takes the dairy checkoff global: (Industry News); When your dairy checkoff changed its basic strategy from simply doing generic advertising and promotions to working with partners that handle your milk, very few people probably realized what a huge impact ...; Created on 04 May 2017
5. In Focus: Mapping the 2017-2018 landscape of dairy policy: (Industry News); Although the 2014 Farm Bill doesn’t expire until Sept. 30, 2018, the 115th Congress has already begun work on its reauthorization. A piece of the 2018 Farm Bill likely to most directly impact the landscape ...; Created on 04 May 2017
6. The five C’s of credit: (Management); Funding the startup of a new dairy operation or the transition of an existing farm can be a tall task for any producer. Remember the “five C’s of credit” – a checklist of factors for producers to consider ...; Created on 04 May 2017
7. Dairy owners: Leadership is a privilege: (Management); The words and actions of leaders shape the culture of businesses, families and even societies. Leaders have powerful effects on individuals too, instilling thoughts and behavior patterns that may last ...; Created on 04 May 2017
8. When should you name someone an owner?: (Management); I began working with Jim, Karen and their three sons (Abe, Brett and Chad) last spring. The five had been partners* (joint owners) for the last six years. They knew they needed a buy-sell agreement, but ...; Created on 04 May 2017
9. Tremendous opportunities await dairies that increase efficiencies: (Management); Dairy producers must be efficiency experts at every phase of the game. And while it is “all about the cows,” dairy operations that focus on improving economic efficiencies as they manage their books have ...; Created on 04 May 2017
10. Find and eliminate your dairy’s pinch points: (Management); Pinch points – every facility has them. They are the areas in your existing operations where efficiencies die. Daydreaming about new robots, innovative irrigation systems or a new rotary parlor can be ...; Created on 04 May 2017
11. Minnesota dairy to test-drive BCS camera: (Management); A 450-cow dairy in Hawley, Minnesota, will be test-driving a body condition scoring camera in 2017 as soon as its remodeled freestall barn and new milking robots are installed early this summer. Blumenfeld ...; Created on 04 May 2017
12. Building consumer trust: Are we on the right track?: (Management); Why? Why do consumers choose to buy a particular product? Why do they avoid others? What motivates their food-buying decisions? Where are consumers having conversations about food and who is leading those ...; Created on 04 May 2017
13. Getting stocking density right for your cows: (Barns & Equipment); Providing a comfortable environment for the animals under our care is fundamental to what it means to be a good dairy farmer and is something we take pride in as an industry. This is one reason why cow ...; Created on 04 May 2017
14. Robots five years down the road: What’s different, what’s next?: (Barns & Equipment); “Sixty-five percent of today’s students will be involved in jobs that don’t exist yet.” Sounds crazy, right? But the 2013 U.S. Department of Labor report that made this claim is likely closer to the truth ...; Created on 04 May 2017
15. Enhance parlor efficiency: (Barns & Equipment); Parlor efficiency is critical to the profitability of all dairies regardless of size. A recent study showed the pounds of milk harvested per parlor stall per hour is one of the three most important factors ...; Created on 04 May 2017
16. Prevent mastitis through proper management and monitoring of the milking system: (Barns & Equipment); Preventing mastitis is no easy task due to the many risk factors that can be present on any given dairy. The variation in the biology of the cow, the bugs and the humans performing the tasks can make it ...; Created on 04 May 2017
17. Does your pulsation system need a check-up?: (Barns & Equipment); A healthy heart is the central system keeping your body alive and functioning properly. The same is true with your milking system. The pulsator acts as the heartbeat of the entire milking system to ensure ...; Created on 04 May 2017
18. Challenging nutrition models: (Feed & Nutrition); Nutrition models often don’t result in the performance expected when they are put into use on the dairy, said Jim Tully of Pine Creek Nutrition Services during the Penn State 2016 Dairy Nutrition Workshop. ...; Created on 04 May 2017
19. 3 open minutes with Don Jaquette and Dwain Bunting: (Feed & Nutrition); Heat stress is a concern for dairy producers across the U.S. In fact, the Journal of Dairy Science estimates heat stress costs U.S. dairy producers over $1 billion each year. ADM Animal Nutrition ...; Created on 04 May 2017
20. Histidine – a limiting amino acid for lactating dairy cows?: (Feed & Nutrition); Methionine (Met) and lysine (Lys) are the two most studied essential amino acids (AAs) and have been shown to be limiting output of milk protein in dairy cows fed North American rations. Histidine (His) ...; Created on 04 May 2017
21. Sorting negates effective fiber in rations: How to avoid it: (Feed & Nutrition); Much has been said about the importance of maintaining adequate levels of effective fiber in lactating dairy rations to support normal chewing behavior and rumen function and maximize dry matter intake ...; Created on 04 May 2017
22. What’s robotic milking worth to you?: (Barns & Equipment); Making the move to a robotic milking system can have a big impact on the finances of a farm as well as the well-being and quality of life of the animals and people involved. To help producers make ...; Created on 04 May 2017
23. Forage storage strategy: How to better plan for the long term: (Feed & Nutrition); What is a reasonable value to place on your forage inventory? A dairy producer recently pointed out the value of his stored forages each year is worth more than the cost to build another freestall barn. ...; Created on 03 May 2017
24. Early season planning for your 2017 silage crop: (Feed & Nutrition); Delivering high-quality forage for your ration starts long before you open the bag or dig into the pile. Now is the time to plan ahead, get it right in the field and focus on quality goals so you and your ...; Created on 03 May 2017
25. Growing your own forages must be well planned: (Feed & Nutrition); A question faced by many dairy farmers is whether or not they should grow their own forages. In most cases, dairy farms already own or have access to many acres on which they spread their manure. It makes ...; Created on 03 May 2017
26. Got quality from your cover crops?: (Feed & Nutrition); Cover crops are planted to increase health and fertility of soils and to benefit the surrounding environment. In systems producing either beef or dairy cattle, cover crops are also grazed or harvested ...; Created on 03 May 2017
27. Avoiding clostridic fermentation in alfalfa haylage: (Feed & Nutrition); Alfalfa haylage is a staple in the diets of high-producing dairy cows due primarily to its significant contributions of crude protein and physically effective fiber in most TMRs. However, it remains one ...; Created on 03 May 2017
28. BMR sorghum and oat silage as dairy cow feed: (Feed & Nutrition); Corn silage and alfalfa haylage are great forage sources for dairy cattle. However, there are other forage alternatives available to dairy producers. Increasing the variety of forages grown on a farm can ...; Created on 03 May 2017
29. Just dropping by ... Confessions of a grateful daughter: (Yevet Tenney); On March 12, 2017, we celebrated my parents’ 75th wedding anniversary. Many people don’t even live that long, let alone be married to someone for that long. Jay and Charlotte Crandell attended the same ...; Created on 03 May 2017
30. Mechanics Corner: The lowdown on mowing hay: (Barns & Equipment); When mowing hay, numerous management decisions contribute to total yield, forage quality and stand longevity. This includes whether you’re harvesting grass hay or alfalfa hay, your preferred cutting ...; Created on 03 May 2017
31. Life on the family farm under an open heaven: The two monsters: (Guest Blog); I always look forward to spring after a long, cold, snowy winter. There is something about the longer daylight and the warmth it brings. But what is really good is to see the earth come alive again. It’s ...; Created on 03 May 2017
32. How environment affects forage digestibility: (Feed & Nutrition); Forages continue to be the “backbone” of successful dairy rations. Crude protein used to be the “focus” nutrient, but the focus has shifted to fiber digestibility for several reasons: digestible neutral ...; Created on 02 May 2017
33. Fully electric tractors: Is that really where we’re headed?: (Barns & Equipment); Uber, Lyft, Google’s self-driving car, smartphones – each of these is the outgrowth of a rapidly evolving and disruptive trend often referred to by its acronym, “CASE.” No, we aren’t referring to the trusted ...; Created on 02 May 2017
34. HERd Management: Why I had to go dairy-free and what it taught me about the importance of food choices: (Guest Blog); Every Sunday after church, we go to the grocery store as a family. When I’m on top of things, I have a meal plan and a comprehensive list organized by aisle. Most weeks, we wing it and try to buy all of ...; Created on 02 May 2017
35. The Milk House: Typecast: (Ryan Dennis); Back in my mid-20s, I dated a German girl from a rich family. Her father was appalled she was with someone not wealthy. I eventually learned that he often said, in German, I looked like a homeless person. ...; Created on 02 May 2017
36. The Manure Spreader: Scissor races: (Tim Moffett); I ran to the end of the road to catch the mailman. Well, it was more like a jog. Actually, it was a fast-paced walk. In all honesty, I strolled to the end of the road as if on a Sunday drive and yelled ...; Created on 02 May 2017
37. Father, son develop automatic teat dipper: (Barns & Equipment); It begins with an idea Brian Devereaux of Orem, Utah, grew up around the dairy industry working for his father at TDLogix Inc. His father, Todd Devereaux, is a dairy equipment dealer and still is an ...; Created on 04 April 2017
38. Nutrition profile for a high-performing Wisconsin herd: (People); On 850 acres in Lublin, Wisconsin, Doug Syryczuk milks 300 Holstein cows and raises alfalfa (300 acres) and brown midrib (BMR) corn silage. He says, “Granted, there is a little tonnage difference in the ...; Created on 13 February 2017
39. Use robot reports to proactively manage your herd and equipment: (Barns & Equipment); Robots have made their way to the farm and are trending in rapid rates as dairy producers adopt the new technology to efficiently produce high-quality milk. Dr. Rick Watters, a senior extension veterinarian ...; Created on 25 January 2017