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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. 370,000 of anything is too much: (From the Editor); Well, with one exception: That many dollar bills would be nice. And dairy producers could use a stack of money about that high right now. I can always tell when milk prices are painful, as the number ...; Created on 08 August 2016
2. Reaching millennials: The strategy behind checkoff’s ‘Acres and Avenues’ video series: (Organizations); Millennials are a critical audience for the dairy industry. These consumers (born between 1981 and 1997) have surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, numbering 75.4 million, according ...; Created on 08 August 2016
3. NMC meeting offers firsthand look at how quality milk is made: (Event Coverage); The 2016 National Mastitis Council (NMC) Regional Meeting was held June 29-30 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Nearly 200 milk quality professionals attended the event, along with three Wisconsin-based Progressive ...; Created on 08 August 2016
4. Consumers are drinking more whole milk: (Management); Much of the news about fluid milk focuses on its declining sales and per-capita consumption. However, there is good news to report. Whole milk sales were 4.5 percent higher in 2015 than 2014. Almost ...; Created on 08 August 2016
5. How often should you check CME prices?: (Management); Dairy farms come in all shapes and sizes. Each one is unique and each dairy producer has his or her own management style based on personal strengths and preferences. They have different habits or routines ...; Created on 08 August 2016
6. Dairy cull cow hedging integral to a sound business plan: (Management); Dairy farmers consistently face decisions that will materially impact their operation’s financial performance. In a period of low milk margins, these decisions are much more critical to the dairy’s ability ...; Created on 08 August 2016
7. What help do we need with talent management?: (Management); First off, I want you to depart from the premise that one of the critical strategic components for your dairy to operate and achieve results is its people. You have read through the articles on management ...; Created on 08 August 2016
8. Do you have a family-first or business-first dairy business?: (Management); Family first or business first? That is a trick question: Your answer should be “neither” and “both.” An entirely “family-first” family business won’t last. The business will be crushed under the weight ...; Created on 08 August 2016
9. The future of dairy: What is the ideal dairy farm?: (Management); “I am trained as a natural scientist,” Marina von Keyserlingk, professor at the University of British Columbia, said. “But the more time that I’ve been working in animal welfare, I have been humbled because ...; Created on 08 August 2016
10. What is the dairy processor’s role in animal welfare?: (Management); In June 2014, Saputo was attacked. Someone started a petition on The world's platform for change. It had 130,000 signatures and encouraged people to stop buying Saputo products until the company did ...; Created on 08 August 2016
11. 7 common forage storage myths: (Feed & Nutrition); Growing and storing forage is something people have been doing since the beginning of agriculture. Many practices and beliefs have been passed from one generation to the next, leading to common misconceptions ...; Created on 08 August 2016
12. China: The elephant in the dairy barn: (Industry News); Editor’s note: The full version of this article is available in a downloadable ebook format. China has been the elephant in the dairy barn for the past 20 years. Robert Collier, professor and former ...; Created on 08 August 2016
13. Silage quality and aerobic stability: (Feed & Nutrition); Each year, many thousands of tons of forages – corn and hay crops – are harvested and put up into bunkers, silos and piles for silage. A crop of ensiled forage represents a sizable investment in time and ...; Created on 08 August 2016
14. Corn silage, feeding management, economic effects, part 3: (Feed & Nutrition); Editor’s note: This is the third part of a three-part series. Management practices related to cropping and feeding can be major factors affecting the animal performance to maintain a sustainable profit ...; Created on 08 August 2016
15. Feeding silages containing butyric acid: (Feed & Nutrition); This and last year’s cool, wet springs added to the challenge of making high-quality forage. With higher moistures than desired, low sugar content and higher ash levels sometimes resulted in poor fermentation ...; Created on 08 August 2016
16. Managing and preventing mycotoxins in the field: (Feed & Nutrition); “Mycotoxin” is a general term used for secondary metabolites, which have been shown to have some associated toxicity issues and are produced quite naturally by some fungi (molds). Mycotoxin production ...; Created on 05 August 2016
17. Crack your corn: (Feed & Nutrition); Corn silage kernel processors are referred to as “crackers” by many in South America, where less than one-third of dairies feed corn silage that has had the kernels processed. Kernel processing is much ...; Created on 05 August 2016
18. Strategies based on 2016 milk prices and feed situation: (Management); Dairy farmers are facing a financial challenge as milk prices have dropped more than 40 percent since 2014. Future milk price increases may be several months away with excess milk production from the European ...; Created on 05 August 2016
19. Feeding for low weigh-backs in high-producing herds: (Feed & Nutrition); Feed continues to be the highest individual cost in confined dairy production systems. According to the USDA Economic Research Service (2016), during 2015 feed costs represented 56 percent of the total ...; Created on 05 August 2016
20. Prioritizing nutrition recommendations on a dairy: (Feed & Nutrition); If you are a dairyman or a dairy nutritionist, you’ve been there. You open up a new silage pile, bunker or silo, or begin to feed a new crop of hay and you pull the first samples, take them by the lab ...; Created on 05 August 2016
21. ‘Omics’ are revolutionizing our approach to dairy nutrition: (Feed & Nutrition); Transcriptomics, proteomics, microbiomics, metabolomics ... If you have read any scientific articles lately, chances are you have heard of one of these cutting-edge approaches. The development of technologies ...; Created on 05 August 2016
22. Dairy ration copper concentrations: Should we be concerned?: (Feed & Nutrition); According to Dr. Jeremy Schefers of the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the rising levels of copper concentration in liver samples of dairy cattle received at the diagnostic lab ...; Created on 05 August 2016
23. Self-propelled forage harvester adjustment for better quality: (Barns & Equipment); Nowadays, everyone wants to know what to adjust on a self-propelled forage harvester to maximize forage quality and minimize fuel consumption. A lot of manufacturers have been able to design machines ...; Created on 05 August 2016
24. Autonomous tractors could soon save dairymen dollars: (Barns & Equipment); It’s no secret dairies use a lot of electricity and, up to this point, dairymen have simply had to bite the bullet and pay the fees electrical companies charge in order to keep the milk flowing. Terry ...; Created on 05 August 2016
25. How do I lock out and tag out the bull?: (Barns & Equipment); Most of us are required to hold regular documented safety meetings. The idea is that when safety matters are discussed and there exists a functioning safety committee, property damage and injury accidents ...; Created on 05 August 2016
26. Brake chatter: Prevention and remedies: (Barns & Equipment); Many of us have experienced a growling chatter emitting from the brakes of our tractors when we apply either brake independent of the other or both together. I had been having this trouble on an older ...; Created on 05 August 2016
27. Managing calcium status, preventing hypocalcemia in fresh cows: (Management); In baseball, team batting average is a great indication of how successful a team will be. The major league teams that play in the World Series have some of the best batting averages in the league. Interestingly, ...; Created on 05 August 2016
28. The VCPR: What it means and why it is important: (Management); Jan. 1, 2017, will bring about two big changes for the dairy industry. First, the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) will go into effect, requiring a VFD from a licensed veterinarian for all medically important ...; Created on 05 August 2016
29. 3 open minutes with K. Fred Gingrich II: (People in the News); Incoming executive vice president American Association of Bovine Practitioners For the first time in 11 years, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) will have a new executive vice president. ...; Created on 05 August 2016
30. Making on-farm culturing work for you: (Management); Mastitis represents a major economic challenge for dairy farmers. Additionally, it’s no secret that antibiotic usage in food animals is a hot-button issue with consumers. For dairy cattle, mastitis treatment ...; Created on 05 August 2016
31. Update and review your vaccination protocols: (Management); “It is important to sit down with your veterinarian at least twice a year to review vaccination protocol,” said Patrick Gorden, DVM, with Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Gorden ...; Created on 05 August 2016
32. Rehydrate the post-calving cow for a quick recovery: (Herd Health); For the fresh cow, the entire transition period is a series of stress events. From decreased dry matter intake close-up to challenges with rehydration and re-establishment of feed intake post-calving, ...; Created on 05 August 2016
33. Discover an untapped resource: Enhance the role of your farm’s veterinarian: (Herd Health); “When it boils down to it, as one veterinarian put it at AABP, ‘Veterinarians have made our living responding to death, disease and destruction.’ We need to change that model,” Jennifer Walker said at ...; Created on 05 August 2016
34. Just dropping by ... Masks: (Yevet Tenney); Back in the day, I studied Greek theater. As many of you know, the Greeks performed in huge outdoor amphitheaters, so they used gigantic masks equipped with megaphones to portray their characters. The ...; Created on 05 August 2016
35. Mechanics Corner: Preserving your machine’s hydraulic system: (Barns & Equipment); It’s no secret that a healthy machine translates to increased uptime and efficiency on your farm. Therefore, implementing a strong maintenance strategy and preserving the machine’s hydraulic system are ...; Created on 05 August 2016
36. HERd management: Break free from your silos: (Guest Blog); Working in silos. No, not the kind that hold feed – the metaphoric kind we do unconsciously where we stay in our comfort zone, in our own little area of the world, doing the daily grind in the same place ...; Created on 05 August 2016
37. The language of nutrition: MUN: (Feed & Nutrition); In laymen’s terms, what does MUN stand for? MUN stands for milk urea nitrogen and is commonly found on every farmer’s bulk tank readings. MUNs of 5 or lower should be of concern, as the protein being ...; Created on 05 August 2016
38. The Milk House: Rabbit people: (Ryan Dennis); The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association or, more commonly, ARBA. If you say ARBA out loud enough, you realize it sounds like a sect. Little did I know – it was an even more dangerous organization. I ...; Created on 05 August 2016
39. The Manure Spreader: Training day: (Tim Moffett); Rodeos are a showcase for cowboy abilities. Everyday work on the ranch is put on display, including the new guy they dressed up in a clown suit and put in a barrel for his initiation. However, people are ...; Created on 05 August 2016
40. Becoming the ‘A Team’: How a consultant’s repeated advice got our farm back on track: (Guest Blog); Have you ever picked up the phone to call a consultant and upon asking your question and hearing the answer you feel like the dumbest person on the face of the earth? Well, for those of you who have not ...; Created on 31 May 2016