This article was #7 in PDmag's Top 25 most-well read articles in 2010.
Summary: In August, Chip Whalen shared how forward profit margins were beginning to deteriorate. Profit margins for Q3 2010 through ...
During a recent trip to New Zealand Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley sat down with New Zealand’s Minister of Agriculture David Carter at Fieldays, the country’s largest ag trade show exhibition. ...
In this article, we discuss the intricate relationships between milk production, dry matter (DM) intake and bodyweight, and how your animals’ nutritional needs are determined by stage of lactation and ...
Putting up high-quality forage is essential to a profitable dairy operation. The high protein potential, and savings, you can gain from producing high-quality alfalfa forages make it well worth the extra ...
No one has to tell dairy producers and their advisers we are facing some very challenging times. Managing dairies in good times is tough; managing dairies in these economic conditions is extremely trying. ...
Adverse weather conditions like drought present the dairy producer with some major challenges. The largest problem is having enough forage available to feed all animal groups. The second significant problem ...
Triticale (trit-e-kay-le) has been a commercial crop for 42 years. At first, most varieties were dual purpose for grain and forage, and the original intent was to develop triticale as a food crop. However, ...
Supplementation of dairy cattle diets with chromium propionate has considerable potential to improve glucose and NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid) metabolism, dry matter intakes and milk yields, particularly ...
What determines the value of ingredients? When do ingredients no longer contribute value to your ration? What exactly are “value” ingredients?
Dairy ration ingredients are a major operating expense for ...
Talking with nutritionists drives home the practical importance of a healthy energy status during the transition period in 2010. Energy status and transition performance move in lockstep in well-managed ...
How many of the following statements apply to you and your farm?
• Working as hard as you can but always one step behind.
• Frequently caught between work and personal/family expectations and obligations. ...
Too often, dry cows get minimal herdsman attention on many dairies. Drying off cows can be accomplished through routine protocols that minimize risk and maximize results when done correctly. When done ...
The Great Dairy Shock of 2008-2009 (and still trembling) created a tremendous effort at evaluating the current dairy policies and designing ones that would eliminate another such shock, or at least limit ...
When I first feed water to my calves, they drink the water and then won’t drink their milk.
This is a very common observation. Some farms do not feed water to calves until they are several weeks old or ...
The statement “youth are the future of the dairy industry” is often used when referring to our future dairy producers. However, this statement is also very true as it relates to the youngstock, as replacement ...
Most farmers thinking about consistency of performance have focused on the milking herd. How consistent is the milking process? How consistent is the dry cow management program? How consistent is the feed ...
Raising healthy replacement heifers must begin with a solid calf-raising program. A strong heifer- raising program must follow so that heifers are allowed to reach their full growth potential. Both time ...
As I travel the West visiting dairies, there is one thing I can say is true: Producers today are much more conscious about their colostrum management programs than in the past. Furthermore, they are always ...
The management practices and nutritional aspects of your heifer-raising program are essential to the long-term success of your dairy operation. A sound nutrition program – coupled with successful management ...
Raising healthy replacement heifers takes time, commitment, skill and knowledge. Today’s dairy economy has put a great deal of pressure on the cost of raising heifers. Since replacement heifers produce ...
In many areas of the country it is currently costing between $1,400 to $1,500 to raise a dairy replacement heifer. The average annual culling per replacement rate for these same dairy herds is around 30 ...
A new model for manipulating vitamin D levels in young calves has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who say it could help establish just how much of this important nutrient ...
Engine brakes are rarely seen on tractors, but in certain regions they are really important to truck drivers. If you use them, you might need to schedule maintenance a little sooner than normal, but we ...
This article was #5 in PDmag's Top 5 most-well read New Technology articles in 2010.
Summary: This new bale chopper mounts right onto a skid loader for a one-step method to bedding with straw. The idea ...
Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) affects cattle of all ages, in every herd size, worldwide and in every U.S. state. This aggressive enemy has infiltrated herds for 60 years. Testing can aid in defeating BVD, ...
The producer/veterinarian relationship is an important piece of the herd health puzzle. One way your veterinarian can contribute to your operation’s success is by putting together the pieces of an effective ...
For more than 200 years, vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented human diseases like polio, measles, mumps and many others. Most people don’t realize that dairy cows are responsible for this ...
Johne’s disease remains a significant threat to the dairy industry worldwide, even though knowledge and tools are available to effectively relegate these bacteria back to their native environment – the ...
“Drug misuse on dairy cows prompts federal warning,” Star Tribune, Nov. 21, 2009
Newspaper headlines such as the above are becoming too common. The Star Tribune published an article in November 2009 recounting ...
When New Zealand holds its annual agricultural exhibition, one of similar size and exposure to our World Ag Expo show, the minister of agriculture makes an appearance. And sometimes more than just a one-day, ...
The owner told Warren that Della had a reputation of being hard to shoe. She was an 18-year-old mare whose foals were sought after for the cutting genes she passed down. He had been offered $50,000 for ...
Many of us use references to help us make decisions, confirm our beliefs or for inspiration. Books (or online versions) like the Statistical Abstract of the United States, the Merck Veterinary Manual, ...
(Click here to listen to the podcast of this column.)
Last November, my niece, Annette, lost her son in an unforeseen accident. He went to bed one night and choked on a piece of candy. A shock like that ...
I departed Iraq nearly two weeks ago. After three days in Washington, D.C., at our USDA national headquarters, I went home to Alma, Michigan.
It’s a stark contrast indeed. As I often wrote about Iraq, ...
The following are responses by producers and industry experts who participated as panelists or provided testimony at the Department of Justice/USDA antitrust hearing in Madison, Wisconsin, June 25.
What ...
A few years ago country music duo Brooks & Dunn released a song called Only in America. The premise is that only in America can a regular kid grow up to be whatever he or she dreams possible. They sing ...
Created on 11 August 2010
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