Feeding by-products from production, postharvest, and processing of foods and other agro-industrial products to dairy cows has been routine practice for decades. Byproducts streamline diet formulation and constitute, on average, 30% of Midwestern dairy diets. But this practice has been of utmost importance to dairy operations these last couple of years. Besides providing options to […]
Feed hygiene is key in minimizing or removing the anti-nutritional factors in feed that can negatively affect animal health and performance. Key factors in reducing feed contamination include: utilizing loader buckets dedicated to feed only placing silage bags on surfaces to minimize soil contamination properly face silage piles and bunks reduce water runoff through silage […]
Producing beef x dairy cross calves has the potential to increase the market value of these calves compared to straight bred dairy bull calves. However, as the supply of beef x dairy cross calves increases, it’s reasonable to assume buyers will become more discerning. Dairy producers can stack the odds in their favor with a […]
As dairy cows produce higher and higher volumes of milk, the need for a higher caloric intake is necessary to help support this huge demand for energy. Dairy cow diets typically contain some form of fat, either from rumen-active sources such as cottonseed, distillers, tallow and roasted beans or from rumen-inert fats such as calcium […]
When you think about the animals who are costing your operation the most money, transition animals usually sort their way to the top. Generally, most production problems can be traced back to the dry or transition period, one of the critical time frames in a cow’s production cycle. According to Michal Lunak, Extension Educator for […]
The standard measure of dairy cow productivity is milk production per cow. But for the purposes of both farm management and larger dairy economic analysis, perhaps a better measure is milk solids production per cow. Peter Vitaliano, Ph.D, Chief Economist for the National Milk Producers Federation explains, “The liquid component of raw milk determines product […]
The 2018 Farm Bill dairy pricing formula change has been costly for dairy producers with more than $750 million in losses under the new averaging method with 74-cent adjuster compared to the previous use of the higher of Class III or IV to set Class I prices. The “Farm Bureau Federal Milk Marketing Order Working […]
Manure is not a liability; it’s an asset. As livestock and cash grain margins narrow for the foreseeable future, producers should start viewing manure with the rose-colored glasses it deserves. “To best do this, producers should track exactly how much of this valuable asset is supplied to the crop to account for its tremendous value,” […]
Getting recently fresh dairy cows off to a sound, eventless start to this lactation pays dividends in improved milk production, reproductive performance, and profit. Research continues to show that management and feeding practices within the first 2 to 4 weeks after calving have a long-term positive or negative impact on not only milk production and […]
The feed costs for dry cows and heifers can affect cash flow as much as the lactating cow. And this is especially true if forage inventories are lacking. Feed costs per non-lactating animal can be very close to what the market is reflecting. This is due, in part, to feeding both purchased forage and grain. […]
