Develop a Forward-Thinking Management Plan for Your Fresh Dairy Cows | Dairy Herd

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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 health of cows throughout the lactation, but as importantly on fertility and early embryo survival. Throughout the year, one should review management and feeding programs for these cows to avoid compromising their performance, especially when larger numbers of cows are fresh than on average.

Read the full article by Donna M. with Dairy Herd Management here.

Trickle effects of high dairy feed costs

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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. Examining feeding strategies for all animal groups is warranted considering the continued high feed costs this year.

Read the full article by Virginia Ishler with American Agriculturist here.

Evaluating wet feedstuffs for dairy cows

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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 price, however, their purchase can turn into a questionable economic decision.

Where your farm is in the U.S. determines which wet feeds are readily available close enough to justify their hauling to the farm. This article addresses the wet form of beet pulp, brewers grains, distillers grains, gluten feed, and grape pomace (also known as grape marc). We will discuss their composition and what factors to consider when evaluating their incorporation into dairy cattle diets.

Read the full article by Progressive Dairy here.

Feed Cost Per Cow Per Day: Today’s Critical Metric

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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, most operations will be extremely vulnerable to maintaining a positive cash flow, especially if high feed prices continue,” she stated in a Penn State Dairy Extension bulletin.

Ishler and her team have developed a cash-flow analysis comparing a range of breakeven cost of production to cash flow from milk revenue. “Operations with cost of production exceeding $19.00/cwt. will have an uphill challenge in keeping feed costs below their projected maximum,” said Ishler.

Drilling down to the per-cow level can help keep a tighter handle on overall cost of production. Ishler said even using cost numbers for home-raised forages, most operations exceed $5.50/milk cow/day during periods of “normal” feed costs.

Read the full article by Dairy Herd Management here.

USDA cuts 2021-22 milk production outlook but also reduces price projections

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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.

Know the 3 “F’s” of Your Nutrition Program

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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 by Dave Natzke with Progressive Dairy here.

Tackling Labor Shortage on Your Farm

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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 we are doing better for the moment, even though we are frequently at least one employee short.”

The struggle is felt far beyond the Colorado dairy farm. Labor shortage is a top concern and a constant headache for many dairy farmers from coast to coast.

“Attracting and keeping employees is a shared challenge for dairy farmers facing competitive labor markets and labor shortages,” Nicole Ayache, senior director of sustainability initiatives for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says.

Read the full article by Dairy Herd Management here.

Check out HR and Labor Resources here.

Hilmar Cheese Company to Open New Cutting-Edge Facility in Dodge City, Kansas

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Hilmar Cheese Company, founded in 1984, is one of the world’s largest producers of high-quality American-style cheese and whey products, with customers in more than 50 countries.

The new facility is expected to create 247 new jobs and represents $460 million in capital investment. The project is estimated to bring an additional $550 million in capital investment and 750 new jobs within a fifty-mile radius of Dodge City by late 2023.

Read the full article by Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. here.

The milk price dynamics changed last year

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“Dairy markets have a new driver at the wheel: demand. Before 2020, dairy markets hinged mainly on the dynamics of milk supply. Milk prices hinged primarily on weather events, feed costs, and other factors that altered farm-level decisions. Demand was a relatively stable part of the equation, and demand shifts tended to happen gradually over time.”

Read the full article by Ben Laine with Hoard’s Dairyman here.

Cheese Makes Comeback as U.S. Restaurants Reopen, Lifting Prices – Bloomberg

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As restaurants reopen in the U.S., Americans are once again eating food laden with more butter and cheese than most home cooks would dare to use. The extra consumption is sending prices higher.

Cheese sold on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 500-pound barrels is up 18% so far this year. That’s the processed kind you’d top a burger with and find at most restaurants. Cheese sold in 40-pound blocks, the sort used in party platters and consumed in homes, has risen 9%.

“We are seeing a very healthy trajectory on volumes” of dairy products going to restaurants, said Beth Ford, Chief Executive Officer of Land O’Lakes Inc. “It’s accelerated even more rapidly than we expected.”

Read the full article by Breanna T Bradham and Kim Chipman with Bloomberg here.

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