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. […]
Wet feedstuffs derived from the food and ethanol industries are valuable additions to cattle diets, when available within a reasonable distance from the farm. They not only provide required nutrients, but their moisture content helps condition total mixed rations (TMRs), increases their palatability and reduces feed sorting by livestock. Depending on their water content and […]
The 2021 climate of high feed costs and tepid milk prices are creating a tenuous financial scenario for most U.S. dairy farms. Penn State Dairy Extension specialist Virginia Ishler said current conditions are mimicking those of 2012, when feed prices soared to unprecedented highs. “Using farm financial data from 2020 and projecting costs into 2021, […]
The USDA’s latest World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, released Aug. 12, reduced 2021 and 2022 milk production forecasts slightly on expectations of lower cow numbers going forward. Price projections were also reduced for both years due to larger supplies and weakening demand. Read the full article by Progressive Dairy here.
Now that it is summer, we are starting to think ahead to fall harvest. Minimizing ensiling losses or shrink can maximize the profitability of our corn silage harvest. Many publications have shown typical losses of 10% to 20% shrink from harvest to consumption by the cow. Read the full article by Dairy Herd Management here.
Check out these phrases: carbon neutral, reducing your environmental footprint, carbon credits, climate change, carbon offsets, producing products sustainably, sustainability. Unless you’ve been doing your best Rip Van Winkle impersonation for the past several months, it’s virtually impossible to read much in the ag media without being bombarded with these terms, all under the umbrella […]
At the center of any well-managed nutrition programs lies these three components: Forages Feeds found in the ration Feedbunk management According to Donna Amaral-Philips, a dairy Extension agent for the University of Kentucky, producers need to prioritize the three “F’s” in order to build an efficient nutrition program for their animals. Read the full article […]
Like many dairy farms, La Luna Dairy struggles to find enough workers to keep their 1,400-cow Colorado dairy humming. Not too long ago it did not matter how many help-wanted ads they put out, they only had 23 of their 28 full-time positions filled. “Labor shortage is a big challenge,” owner Jon Slutsky says. “Although […]
Don’t buy water. Moisture is the water present per pound, bushel, or ton. This may seem rudimentary, but the point here is that water in purchased feed brings no economic value and dilutes out a valuable dry matter. When comparing commodity feed options, we have to first exclude the water and look at the price […]
