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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. Community over competition: (Guest Blog); In a recent blog post, Sarah Beth Aubrey wrote that there are almost a million women working as the lead operators on farms, according to the USDA, and increasingly women are seen taking the helm at the ...; Created on 06 November 2020
2. Export Assistance Watch: CWT expands export sales by 29.9 million pounds in Q3: (Industry News); Through August 2020, shipments of CWT-assisted products total 79.7 million pounds. On a milkfat basis, that is the equivalent of 788.6 million pounds of milk, or the average annual milk production from ...; Created on 06 November 2020
3. Progressive Events: Dairy tech startups in the spotlight: (Industry News); More than 700 people logged in from around the world to hear 10 start-ups give their elevator pitches during the first-ever Global Dairy Tech Start-up Spotlight in early October. All of the companies ...; Created on 06 November 2020
4. What happened? What’s next? - CFAP 2, DMC enrollment deadlines approaching: (Industry News); In this column, Progressive Dairy summarizes issues in the news and attempts to describe how they might affect dairy farmers. Look for more extensive background and details at Progressive Dairy. PRODUCER ...; Created on 06 November 2020
5. A dairy’s culture of excellence starts at the top: (Management); As a consultant, when we are called into a dairy, one of the first questions we always ask owners and managers is to describe the culture that exists in their operation. Most of the time, their descriptions ...; Created on 06 November 2020
6. Financial tips for dairy farmers following COVID-19’s volatility: (Management); Ever since the increasing popularity of non-dairy alternatives, dairy farmers have suffered from depressed prices and marginal profitability, causing considerable stress throughout the industry. The ...; Created on 05 November 2020
7. Good housekeeping enhances workplace safety: (Management); Housekeeping is a basic foundation for a safe workplace. Poor housekeeping often contributes to workplace injuries. Housekeeping is much more than just sweeping up or taking out the trash. It includes ...; Created on 05 November 2020
8. Lean principles have applications in calf management, too: (Management); Typically found in manufacturing businesses, Lean principles became popular in the 1990s when Toyota streamlined automobile production processes. However, this idea dates back to the time of Benjamin ...; Created on 05 November 2020
9. A BVDV PI calf is the Trojan horse in your herd: (Calves & Heifers); While bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) persistently infected (PI) calves may look normal on the outside, they are comparable to a Trojan horse in your dairy herd. This is due to the level of virus each ...; Created on 05 November 2020
10. Protect your investment in your heifer crop: (Calves & Heifers); Protecting the investment in your heifer herd has never been more important. We tend to put a lot of emphasis on genetic progress with our breeding programs, but we fail to partner that with a quality ...; Created on 05 November 2020
11. 4 air exchanges per hour: A history of calf barn ventilation and an industry that is slow to change: (Calves & Heifers); When discussing calf barn ventilation, invariably the topic of using four air exchanges per hour for cold-weather ventilation will come up. After all, we wouldn’t want “too much” of that cold air in the ...; Created on 05 November 2020
12. Health protocols for shipping heifers protects their future: (Calves & Heifers); Raising dairy heifers off-site increases the possibility of disease introduction, especially if animals are reared in a facility where they commingle with cattle from other dairies. A well-designed ...; Created on 05 November 2020
13. Key considerations for clean colostrum and a healthy calf: (Calves & Heifers); Successful colostrum management requires careful attention to cleanliness. Colostrum, while it is still in a healthy cow, should have a bacteria count of essentially zero. However, by the time it gets ...; Created on 05 November 2020
14. The light side of calf performance: (Calves & Heifers); Many people know the length of the daily photoperiod signals chickens and other birds to start or stop laying eggs. People are surprised to learn that photoperiod length causes sheep and horses to ...; Created on 05 November 2020
15. Research reveals slim benefits of high-fat diets for calves: (Calves & Heifers); Fat is an energy-dense nutrient that is a major component in calf milk replacers (MRs) and dry feeds. Over the last 15-plus years, there have been an array of studies looking at MR formulas with different ...; Created on 05 November 2020
16. From grief to growth: Jamie Pagel Witcpalek, Pagel Family Businesses: (People); “Grow through what you go through.” Those aren’t just words Jamie Pagel Witcpalek wears on a bracelet; it is a mantra that’s now embedded in her heart. After suffering a loss beyond comprehension, ...; Created on 05 November 2020
17. 5 things I can't do without with Dr. Marissa Hak: (People); Dr. Marissa Hake is a practicing calf veterinarian from northwest Ohio. She obtained her undergraduate degree in animal sciences from Michigan State in 2011 and continued there to finish her master’s in ...; Created on 05 November 2020
18. A day in the life of a dairy cattle photographer: (People); I’ve been a dairy cattle photographer for over 20 years, and one thing is for certain – every day is different. There is no typical day for me. One day I’m photographing dairy cattle at a show in New ...; Created on 05 November 2020
19. Female pioneers: Voices the dairy industry can learn from: (People); For the last year-and-a-half, I have researched, written and shared about female entrepreneurs I admire and the lessons the dairy industry can learn from them. Before I reflect on the series ending, I ...; Created on 05 November 2020
20. IVF investment pays off: (A.I. & Breeding); We’re facing unprecedented times, with many things seemingly out of our control. And we’re looking for ways to trim costs and be more efficient while not losing ground. Reviewing your genetic plan ...; Created on 05 November 2020
21. The key to improved reproduction? Real-time data: (A.I. & Breeding); “Pregnant.” Hearing that word during herd check is music to every dairy farmer’s ears. And it should be. Getting cows bred back in timely fashion delivers dollars to the bottom line. Using activity ...; Created on 05 November 2020
22. Genetic tool for feed efficiency coming in December: (A.I. & Breeding); As dairy producers seek new and additional strategies to improve production efficiency, feed costs are a clear focus, with feed averaging 51% of total dairy farm expenses (USDA Economic Research Services, ...; Created on 05 November 2020
23. 5 ways you are creating infertile cows: (A.I. & Breeding); As an industry, we talk a lot about certain cows or groups of cows being “hard breeders.” Yet rarely do we talk about the fact that, often, human decisions are the reason cows aren’t able to become pregnant ...; Created on 05 November 2020
24. Handle semen mindfully for better pregnancy rates: (A.I. & Breeding); The journey a unit of semen takes from arrival at the farm until placement in a cow is very important. Maintaining maximum fertility weighs heavily on the care and handling it receives from all members ...; Created on 05 November 2020
25. It’s time to re-think your genetic improvement strategy to combat mastitis and lameness: (A.I. & Breeding); The use of beef sires on dairy cows and right-sizing heifer inventories have been some of the most sweeping changes on dairy farms in recent years. Now that many of these changes have been implemented, ...; Created on 05 November 2020
26. Just dropping by ... The ship of gratitude: (Yevet Tenney); ByYears ago, a painting of a pirate ship hung in my daughter’s bedroom. The ship sat on the waters of a ruffled sea. The black spindly masts making stark shadows against the florescent lime-green and yellow ...; Created on 05 November 2020
27. Equipment Hub: Skid-steer loaders: Do you know the best safety practices?: (Barns & Equipment); As a farmer, you know your dairy operation like the back of your hand. But do you know the best safety practices for your compact track loader or skid-steer loader? It’s up to you to communicate proper ...; Created on 04 November 2020
28. The Milk House: Wilson Rawls and the story we all know: (Ryan Dennis); I don’t have the type of memory that allows me to keep track of all the books I’ve read and what happens in them, but I do recall one of the first stories to leave an impact on me. Like in many schools, ...; Created on 04 November 2020
29. HERd Management: It’s time to prioritize your mental health: (Guest Blog); The conversation in agriculture is changing. Some may think it’s a change for the worse, but I think it’s a change for the better. The conversation I’m talking about is mental health in ag. Yes, it ...; Created on 04 November 2020
30. The Manure Spreader: Psychic turkey: (Tim Moffett); Just so you know, I’m writing this article in September, which happens to be about 50 days before the election. This article will hit your mailbox a couple days after the election. I just want to clarify ...; Created on 04 November 2020
31. Valued-added opportunities: Are they right for your dairy?: (Management); Thanks to tight margins on commodities like milk, corn and soybeans, producers are searching for returns wherever they can find them. For some, that means exploring value-added opportunities outside their ...; Created on 23 September 2020
32. How to school from the farm: Lessons we’ve learned in the past year: (Guest Blog); Editor’s note: The author began home schooling her children prior to COVID-19 and the trend of virtual learning. Perhaps some of her tips can apply to dairy farm parents who have chosen to home school ...; Created on 14 September 2020
33. Expanding your voice: Women in Dairy panelists share views on board representation: (People); Serving on boards, both in the dairy industry and beyond, allows dairy professionals to personally impact their communities and shape the future of the industry. For many dairy producers, board representation ...; Created on 15 January 2020