All Eyes on the Milk Price

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“Within dairy specifically, all eyes are on the milk price into the coming months, with values falling slowly but steadily recently. This price pressure, coupled with still high cost of production, will mean that some dairy farmers might struggle to achieve profitability this year. Data shows that cows’ numbers began to contract in November and December, and if margins remain tight, Rabobank expects additional declines in the herd size.”

“Even if cow numbers contract, Rabobank still expects stronger milk supplies this year versus 2022, likely climbing around 1% during this calendar year. This additional volume, coupled with a return to stronger production in the EU as well, means that demand will need to keep pace to avoid further milk price declines.” –

Read the full article by Lucas Fuess with Dairy Herd Management

Costs Hit Organic Livestock Farmers

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Organic dairy and other livestock farmers are seeking emergency federal aid as they grapple with skyrocketing organic feed costs, steep fuel and utility expenses as well as the consequences of drought in many parts of the country.

Two dozen U.S. senators and representatives wrote to U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for emergency assistance for these farms. National and regional organic farming groups have also reached out to the department and the heads of the congressional committees.

Read the full article by Lisa Rathke with Wisconsin State Farmer

Straw Is The Farm’s Multi-tool

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“Straw originates as a by-product following small grain harvest. It’s used for both bedding and as a feed ingredient. As a feed ingredient, straw is multifaceted, with nutritionists bringing straw into diets for both functional fiber and low-energy nutritional aspects. Straw also can bring anti-nutritional factors, beyond what the eyes can see.”

Read the full article by John Goeser, Rock River Lab with Hoard’s Dairyman

Should you delay oral calcium bolus supplementation for fresh cows?

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“Subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) is an invisible threat to both the dairy cow and producer. As nearly 45 percent of multiparous cows experience SCH during the early lactation period, producers can implement dietary strategies such as feeding negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) rations in the late dry period or administering prophylactic calcium treatments to fresh cows to minimize the risk of SCH.”

“The results of our study support previous reports suggesting that oral calcium supplementation benefits a subgroup of cows. Taking this into consideration, administering calcium boluses to high-producing, lame, or older cows may be financially advantageous for producers as blanket treating every cow is costly and the financial gains from improved milk production are only realized in select groups.”

Read the full article by Claira Seely and Jessica McArt with Progressive Dairy

Methionine and omega-3 fatty acid feeding for transition cows.

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“Our study shows that feeding transition cows a diet adequate in Met and with calcium salts enriched in n3 FAs can enhance lactation performance by increasing energy-corrected milk yield over the first four weeks of lactation and improve liver function by altering liver methyl donor metabolism.”

Read the full article by Joseph McFadden and Tanya France with Progressive Dairy

Five Ways to Dry Off Cows More Comfortably

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1. Use an appropriate dry cow antibiotic.
2. A teat sealant is a must no matter your dry cow antibiotic protocol.
3. Ensure high-producing cows are ready to be dried off.
4. Vaccinate. Cows vaccinated during the dry period are more likely to enter the next lactation with a robust immune system to fight off infectious disease threats.
5. Work with your veterinarian. The right dry-off program varies from farm to farm.

Read the full article by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health with Wisconsin State Farmer

Reduced Lignin Alfalfa can Improve Digestibility

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Alfalfa is known for its high nutritional value, and that makes it a valued forage source. However, alfalfa is often hindered nutritionally because of the indigestible lignin components in the cell wall. Using technology to improve fiber digestibility in alfalfa can provide opportunities to improve feeding flexibility and enhance animal performance. Importantly, high-quality alfalfa can be used to improve cow efficiency, production, and enhance an operation’s economic value.

Alfalfa has a number of beneficial nutritional characteristics that make it a high-quality feedstuff for dairy cows. Alfalfa is sometimes overlooked or left out of the diet because of its high expense relative to other forages. This includes its high establishment and harvest costs. This situation has led to less overall alfalfa production in the United States in the last 20 years. Incomplete fiber digestion reduces animal performance by limiting intake, and that also cascades to more manure production. When that takes place, a dairy farm’s profit potential also drops.

Read the full article by Hannah Wilson and Kenneth Kalscheur with Hoard’s Dairyman

Do you use Calcium Boluses in your Herd?

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Administering calcium boluses to fresh cows has become a widely adopted practice to prevent hypocalcemia on U.S. dairy farms.

But are all calcium boluses equally effective? According to a study by a group of Canadian researchers: no.

Verhoef and his team concluded that calcium chloride/calcium sulfate boluses were more effective at generating serum calcium response than boluses containing high amounts of calcium carbonate. They also suggested that administering two boluses together within 12 hours of calving may be more effective than the traditional treatment of giving two boluses 12 hours apart.

Read the full article by Maureen Hanson on Dairy Herd.

The Cows Even Have Their Own Nutritionist?!

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Learn about the cows’ diet and how important it is on a dairy farm. Special guest appearances from Tom VanderWall and Harrison Hobart. Watch Harrison use the Penn State Shaker Box and also catch Tom’s biweekly checkup here at Five Star Dairy

What you can lose when your cows are bunching | Progressive Dairy

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Have you ever watched your cows stand in a big group and wondered what kind of secrets they’re sharing or how much they’re costing you by standing and socializing instead of producing milk?

According to research done at the University of California (UC) – Davis, a conservative estimate for milk production losses due to bunching could be close to $11.60 per lactating cow per year.

Read the full article by Progressive Dairy Editor Matti McBride here.

To learn more about this study or to contact the researchers, visit the UC – Davis website or read their paper.

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