Dairy Cows Archives - Page 6 of 12 - Cornerstone AG Management

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

June 3, 2021/in Dairy Cows, News /by info

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.

Focus on the Pen, Not Individual Cows, to Deliver Profits

May 28, 2021/in Dairy Cows, Research /by info

Monitoring what’s happening at the pen level, rather than for individual dairy cows, is proving to be the best approach for producers with more than 1,000 cows. It allows them to prevent and predict health or feeding issues cost effectively, and hence, increase farm profitability. The ‘power of the pen’ philosophy is leading to changes in how farms feed, vaccinate and manage their cows. Technology is enabling and in fact accelerating this trend.

Farmers have spent hundreds of years checking up on each cow, making sure they are fed and that workers are following best practices. While this is effective for herds of 20, 100, or even 200 cows, the approach is very time-consuming, requires a lot of labor, and is being replaced by time-saving technologies and innovations which eliminate human errors as farms increase in size.

Activity monitors, robots, milk sensors, and smart cameras in the barn and parlor are just some of the technologies arriving on U.S. Dairy farms, with the promise of monitoring feed, drinking, milk quality, heat detection, and disease.

Read the full article by Aidan Connolly with Dairy Herd Management here.

Dairy Pride Act Reintroduced to Fight Back Against Non-Dairy Products

May 21, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

The DAIRY PRIDE Act would require the FDA to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products within 90 days and require the FDA to report to Congress two years after enactment to hold the agency accountable for this update in their enforcement obligations.

“Dairy farmers in Wisconsin work tirelessly every day to ensure that their milk meets high standards for nutritional value and quality,” says Sen. Baldwin. “Imitation products have gotten away with using dairy’s good name for their own benefit, which is against the law and must be enforced. Mislabeling of plant-based products as ‘milk’ hurts our dairy farmers. That’s why I’m reintroducing the bipartisan DAIRY PRIDE Act to take a stand for Wisconsin farmers and the quality products they make.”

Read the full article by Taylor Leach with Dairy Herd Management here.

Comparisons in the farm “kitchen”

May 11, 2021/in Dairy Cows, Research /by info

Choosing a nutrition plan isn’t a one-size-fits-all mentality. Check out this article for an interesting comparison to your favorite dinner entrée. At the end of the day, selecting the right silage blend warrants a team discussion and budget projections. We’re here to help, contact us to get the conversation started.

Read the full article by John Goeser with Hoard’s Dairyman here.

March negative PPDs continue to climb out of 2020 depths

May 7, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

“Uniform price announcements were released by Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) administrators, April 8-13, covering March milk marketings. As with February milk marketed through FMMOs, uniform or “blend” prices posted small increases from the month before. However, while PPDs improved somewhat, they remained negative in six of the seven orders utilizing multiple component pricing.”

Read the full article by Dave Natzke with Progressive Dairy here.

NMPF moving toward request for limited FMMO hearing | Progressive Dairy

April 30, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

“With the two-year anniversary of the implementation of the change in the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) Class I skim milk price formula near, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is closer to asking the USDA for an emergency expedited hearing to address the issue. Proposals from other organizations regarding the Class I pricing formula and other FMMO reforms may be forthcoming as well.”

Read the full article by Dave Natzke with Progressive Dairy here.

Rumen additive benefits dry cows | The Western Producer

April 16, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

“Getting nutrition right during a dairy cow’s dry period makes a huge difference to her health, the health of her calf, and the milk yield after calving. Now, new research from the University of Illinois has shown that diets that promote consistent energy levels and contain the rumen-boosting supplement monensin are the ideal approach during the dry period.”

Read the full article by The Western Producer, here.

Nutrient Knowledge: Feeding for Components

April 9, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

If you’re looking to bump up the fat or protein levels in your milk to add a few more cents to the final pay price, check out this article for five suggestions for each level.

“Although modifying feed rations to boost components may sound like an easy way to tack on a few cents per cwt. to your milk check, it’s important to understand the give-and-take relationship between milk fat and protein. Increasing fat content typically leads to a decrease in protein content, and vice versa. Therefore, producers should consider altering diets to take advantage of changes in the relative value of milk fat to milk protein, according to the specialists.”

Read the full article from Dairy Herd, here. Looking for help modifying feed rations? Contact us today, we focus on unbiased solutions and advice that are tailored to your Herd.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Lowering Feed Costs | Dairy Herd Management

March 29, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

This article is packed with great Do’s and Don’ts on finding ways to lower feed costs.

DO use a spreadsheet or feed management system

DO make a weekly appointment to review your feed costs

DO make your own feed

DON’T allow your feed to shrink

DON’T overfeed your herd

DON’T cut an ingredient just because of cost

Check out the full article by Dairy Herd, here!

Detect nutrition changes before you can see cow effects

March 19, 2021/in Dairy Cows /by info

“Herd monitoring technology tracks individual, group and herd activity to give farmers a heads-up on how animals are reacting to nutritional changes,” says Tara Bohnert, business development manager at Nedap Livestock Management. “The data empowers farmers to intervene and implement management changes before significant performance is lost.”

Check out this article for a quick overview of some big advantages of herd monitoring such as earlier intervention and quickly finding and addressing issues that might have otherwise been missed.

Read the full article here.