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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. Margin outlook not as strong for 2011: (Industry News); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
2. 3 open minutes with David Carter: (People); 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. ...; Created on 11 August 2010
3. Matching animal requirements with feeding practices: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
4. High-quality forages: Hay and haylage: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
5. Feed management opportunities in tough economic times: (Feed & Nutrition); 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. ...; Created on 11 August 2010
6. Drought-related issues in dairy cattle nutrition: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
7. Bigger milk checks with triticale in the ration: (Feed & Nutrition); 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, ...; Created on 11 August 2010
8. Get to know about supplementing chromium: Metabolic effects and potential benefits: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
9. What’s the value of your ration ingredients?: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
10. Energy status and transition performance move in lockstep: (Feed & Nutrition); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
11. Time management is not really about time: (Management); 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. ...; Created on 11 August 2010
12. Managing the workers that manage your dry cows: (Management); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
13. Don’t look past the statehouse on issues affecting dairymen: (Management); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
14. Solving water feeding issues: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
15. Is custom heifer raising for you?: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
16. Is your heifer program consistently good?: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
17. Simple steps to measure heifer success: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
18. Colostrum management systems explored on-farm: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
19. Heifer raising defines our success: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
20. Raising healthy replacement heifers: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
21. Dairy replacements are valuable and necessary: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
22. Model developed for manipulating Vitamin D levels in calves: (Calves & Heifers); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
23. Mechanics Corner: Engine brakes and exhaust brakes: (Barns & Equipment); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
24. New Technology: Make bedding with straw a one-step process: (Barns & Equipment); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
25. Winning the war against BVD-PI: (Herd Health); 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, ...; Created on 11 August 2010
26. Team up to help prevent diseases: (Herd Health); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
27. Make the most of a herd vaccination program: (Herd Health); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
28. Johne’s data and DHI: A powerful tool for change?: (Herd Health); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
29. Now more than ever: Check records and talk to your veterinarian before you ship the cow: (Herd Health); “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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
30. Solutions require more than one appearance: (From the Editor); 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, ...; Created on 11 August 2010
31. On the Edge of Common Sense: The last laugh: (Baxter Black); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
32. On the Edge of Common Sense: The udder side: (Baxter Black); 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, ...; Created on 11 August 2010
33. Just dropping by... Teaching teenagers without regret: (Yevet Tenney); (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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
34. The View from Here: It’s my home: (Guest Blog); 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, ...; Created on 11 August 2010
35. Mr. Chairman, Thanks for the meeting, but...: (Guest Blog); 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 ...; Created on 11 August 2010
36. Go big or go home!: (Guest Blog); 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