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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. Be a great dairy owner; be these 4 things: (From the Editor); You may not think of yourself as the CEO for your dairy because you don’t wear a tie or have a corner office, but you are a chief executive officer. Once you’ve come to terms with your C-suite status, ...; Created on 26 May 2017
3. Policy Watch: The NAFTA story features a contrast in characters: (Industry News); During the last year, the topic of trade policy has been part of nearly every major political discussion, both on the 2016 campaign trail and on Capitol Hill. For America’s dairy community, the conversation ...; Created on 26 May 2017
4. In Focus: Somatic cell counts show small improvement: (Industry News); The 2016 summary of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) test-day results revealed somatic cell counts (SCC) were down compared to a year earlier. Nationally, average 2016 test-day herd SCC was 203,000 cells ...; Created on 26 May 2017
5. Economic analysis shows California FMMO is positive for most dairy producers: (Industry News); The effort to bring the California dairy market under the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) umbrella started in 2015 and will certainly end in 2017. The proposed USDA “Recommended Decision” (Milk ...; Created on 26 May 2017
6. Day-to-day labor management challenges: A panel perspective: (Management); “Human resource management has to be recognized as a very important part of what we do,” said Rick Zimmerman, executive director of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance. Employees are “not ...; Created on 26 May 2017
7. There’s more to hedging than locking in milk: (Management); The most common question asked by a dairy farmer to his or her broker is some variation of, “Should I lock in my milk price?” At face value, this seems like a simple question. By analyzing the current ...; Created on 26 May 2017
8. Rating the effectiveness of reproductive program bonuses: (Management); The basis of a dairy’s profitability – calvings and subsequent milk production – depends on the successful detection of cows in heat and correct insemination (technique plus time). This means dairy ...; Created on 26 May 2017
9. Will your buy-sell agreement fare well in the face of uncertainty?: (Management); The landscape of dairy operations and the dairy industry as a whole are much different today than they were even a few decades ago. Operations are becoming larger, and multiple farms are being consolidated ...; Created on 26 May 2017
10. Do you have a ‘yes-man’ adviser on your farm?: (Management); The expertise dairy producers need to have today to be successful is overwhelming. Everything from genetic selection, futures pricing, employee management, nutrient management and succession planning – ...; Created on 26 May 2017
11. What should I do?: (Management); I recently learned a former employee is on Facebook and other social media sites pushing an animal rights agenda. This individual no longer works for us (they worked for us two years ago), but their page ...; Created on 25 May 2017
12. Optimal prevention of hypocalcemia: (Herd Health); Editor’s note: In this second of a two-part series, the authors review best management and prevention practices for subclinical hypocalcemia. Click here to read the first-part of the series, Managing ...; Created on 25 May 2017
13. 10 steps for a successful transition period: (Herd Health); Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series featuring 10 steps to a successful transition period. Steps 6-10 are discussed in this article. In our previous article (Progressive Dairyman, ...; Created on 25 May 2017
14. Lost milk, lost money: The case of lost milk quality: (Herd Health); Recently, a client of mine had been losing what little premium co-ops are still offering for milk quality – to the tune of around $50,000. With this past year’s milk price, this extra cash for achieving ...; Created on 25 May 2017
15. How to work more efficiently with your herd veterinarian: (Herd Health); In my grandfather’s day, everyone milked cows before and after work. My grandfather milked eight “dairy” cows that resembled polled Herefords, traded the cream for corn meal, and my grandmother cooked ...; Created on 25 May 2017
16. How the efficacy of your teat dip is tested does matter: (Herd Health); Choosing the right teat dip for your farm can be an overwhelming process. There are several germicides in varying concentrations available in the market today. When choosing a teat dip, however, it is ...; Created on 25 May 2017
17. Metabolic factors affecting the immune system of the transition dairy cow: (Herd Health); Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series about how transition cows’ immune systems are impacted by metabolic factors. Read part 2 More metabolic factors affecting the immune system ...; Created on 25 May 2017
18. Optimize starter ration management for a more successful calf program: (Calves & Heifers); The most successful calf programs begin with this end objective in mind: healthy, productive animals ready to enter the milking string in a timely fashion. Meeting that goal depends on providing each ...; Created on 25 May 2017
19. Fatty acids cushion calves from heat stress: (Calves & Heifers); Summer is here, and with 2017 predicted to be warmer than normal, heat stress management on dairy farms should be a top priority. However, heat stress doesn’t just apply to cows. All livestock experience ...; Created on 24 May 2017
20. Jersey nutrition: Small size doesn’t mean small appetite: (Calves & Heifers); As the saying goes, good things come in small packages. This is especially true when it comes to raising Jersey calves. Just because they are small in stature doesn’t mean we should short-change Jersey ...; Created on 24 May 2017
21. What additives are available in milk replacers and what should they do?: (Calves & Heifers); Have you ever found yourself reading a milk replacer tag and trying to understand what additives are included, what those additives do and whether or not they are right for your calf program? If so, ...; Created on 24 May 2017
22. Dairy replacement heifers – weaning to freshening: (Calves & Heifers); Naturally occurring turnover in dairy herd population necessitates the availability of a supply of high-quality replacement animals to maintain herd population and milk flow. For a majority of dairy operations ...; Created on 24 May 2017
23. Crank up your fans to improve summer calf performance: (Barns & Equipment); Heat stress is a major concern for calves. Research has proven calves suffer from heat stress in much the same way cows do. A calf’s temperature threshold can be easily reached during summer months. A ...; Created on 24 May 2017
24. Improve your calf health: Focus on 4 key areas: (Calves & Heifers); In 1975, I learned a valuable lesson in newborn calf health. It was the first spring after my father passed away, and I was solely in charge of calving our beef herd in northern Minnesota. Things went ...; Created on 24 May 2017
25. Rosy-Lane Holsteins avoids antibiotic treatments for 46 months and counting: (Herd Health); For the owners of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, healthy cows are the heart of a profitable dairy operation. “Healthier cows make more money and reduce vet costs, foot trimming costs and overall herd health ...; Created on 24 May 2017
26. When milk is not enough . . . and it isn’t for some vitamins: (Calves & Heifers); I do not need to convince dairymen that milk is the most nutritionally complete food source, but I would like to make the point here that milk does not always provide adequate supplies of vitamins and ...; Created on 23 May 2017
27. Protein and bypass protein for calves and heifers: (Calves & Heifers); Protein and amino acids are the most expensive nutrients for raising young calves and heifers. For the growing calf and heifer, protein can be supplied in several different ways. The animal’s stage of ...; Created on 23 May 2017
28. Injectable trace minerals: Enhancing immune response: (Calves & Heifers); Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes significant economic losses in dairies across the U.S. While vaccination is available and necessary, it isn’t always effective. Delivering trace minerals via injection, ...; Created on 23 May 2017
29. Are you asking the right questions regarding heifer raising?: (Calves & Heifers); Many agree raising quality, healthy heifers is one of the most important goals for any dairy producer. It is surprising, though, that most discussion regarding heifer raising immediately gravitates toward ...; Created on 23 May 2017
30. 3 open minutes with David Darr and Bill Jorgenson: (Organizations); Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national farmer-owned dairy cooperative, and Vanguard Renewables, a Massachusetts-based renewable energy developer, formed a strategic partnership to help bring anaerobic ...; Created on 23 May 2017
31. Toxic manure fumes kill: Make sure it doesn’t happen to you: (Manure); Farm fatalities from toxic manure fumes occur every year. Some appear in the news; some do not – but each one is a heart-wrenching loss for the family and friends the victims leave behind. There is ...; Created on 23 May 2017
32. Just dropping by ... Rules of engagement: (Yevet Tenney); “Rules of engagement are rules or directives to military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree and manner in which the use of force ... may be applied.” —Source: ...; Created on 23 May 2017
33. Mechanics Corner: The energy-efficient dairy system: (Barns & Equipment); Is your farm energy-efficient? How can you tell? If you add up all of your electricity use for a year that is used for milk harvesting or cow housing and divide by the number of milking cows, you will ...; Created on 23 May 2017
34. The Milk House: Japan and its milk modernity: (Ryan Dennis); The history of agriculture in most Western nations follows the same pattern. Humans on the European continent domesticated the aurochs early on in their evolution and eventually produced the dairy cow. ...; Created on 23 May 2017
35. The Manure Spreader: Cow chips: (Tim Moffett); Life in the country can sometimes get a little boring. History reveals how boring things have gotten by the games we have invented (out of pure boredom) while doing our daily chores. The common denominator ...; Created on 23 May 2017
36. 4 ways to refresh your calf housing ventilation: (Calves & Heifers); No matter which type of calf housing system you use, it’s easy to let your ventilation system get stale. Proper ventilation can have a major impact on calf health and well-being. Whether you are looking ...; Created on 23 May 2017
37. Disasters happen: How to create a crisis plan: (Management); An unplanned catastrophe can strike a dairy of any size at any time. A tornado or fire could level facilities and kill livestock in a matter of minutes. A death or serious illness could remove key ...; Created on 22 May 2017
38. Endres Jazzy Jerseys: All-in, all-out calf barn minimizes death loss: (Calves & Heifers); Building the right calf barn may mean looking outside the dairy industry for inspiration. For Dave Endres, owner of Endres Jazzy Jerseys, a 900-cow Jersey dairy in Lodi, Wisconsin, this meant borrowing ...; Created on 02 May 2017
39. Insurance shortcomings may leave you exposed to costly environmental liability: (Management); Ninety-nine percent of farm insurance policies sold today have fundamental coverage flaws when it comes to dealing with environmental liability. Those gaps in your general farm liability insurance coverage ...; Created on 18 April 2017
40. Real dairy wives: A calf in the house: (Guest Blog); Every day, dairy farmers go to great lengths to care for their cows. In this series from Dairy MAX, Jodi Jackson of Bentwood Dairy in Texas shares her story about caring for a calf with a broken leg. Can ...; Created on 27 February 2017
41. Improving milk quality by training the trainers: (Herd Health); The Quality Milk Alliance (QMA) and the Southeast Quality Milk Initiative (SQMI) are two USDA projects focusing on improving milk quality in the U.S. The two projects are similar but use different methods ...; Created on 13 January 2017
42. Toxic manure fumes kill: Make sure it doesn’t happen to you: (Manure); Two Wisconsin farm families are grieving the loss of two young men, one a 29-year-old farmer from Amherst, the other a 16-year-old boy from Owen. Mike Biadasz, 29, of Amherst, Wisconsin, allegedly ...; Created on 27 September 2016