Since 2003, the U.S. has lost more than half of its licensed dairy operations, now just shy of 32,000 dairy operations.
In contrast, milk production per cow has steadily increased approximately 11.5% from 2011. In 2021, USDA predicts that daily output per cow will increase nearly 1.7%, which would be the highest rate of growth since 2014.
Read the full article by Michael Nepveux of Wisconsin State Farmer.
Michael Lormore, the current director of cattle technical services at Zoetis, led a 2014 study identifying the drivers of financial success for a dairy, using data from 110 farms between 2007 to 2018. The farms were in the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. Check out this article for one variable worth keeping a close eye on.
“The bulk tank somatic cell count, to me, is the most important variable out there,” Lormore said.
Cell counts connect to milk production, cow turnover and longevity, and pregnancy rates, all of which affect net farm income.
“The revenue opportunity should be obvious,” Lormore said. “For every 100,000 increase in bulk tank somatic cell counts, it is a 5.7-pound decrease in milk production per cow per day. There’s a huge opportunity to continue to improve the quality of the milk we produce.”
“According to the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association’s Gold Standards, 50% of lifetime stature growth and 25% of lifetime weight gain occur in the first 6 months of a dairy calf’s life. That means the weeks after weaning are just as critical as those before.”
Check out this article by Maureen Hanson of Bovine Veterinarian for Seven Tips to Avoid Post-Weaning Slump.
1. Make one change at a time
2. Ease into dietary transitions
3. House in small groups
4. Make facilities user-friendly
5. Feed for their needs
6. Include a coccidiocide
7. Give the rumen its due
“Think of fiber in a dairy or beef diet in the same way. Fiber provides bulk to diets — it’s the most important factor to account for when evaluating forages and developing dairy or beef diets. Despite the many different discussions around fiber digestibility and undigestible fiber, total fiber content is always my starting point in evaluating forage quality.”
If you need help adjusting your herd’s nutrition plan, we offer custom and unbiased consulting and hands-on support, contact us for more information.
“Chief financial officer of Pagel Family Businesses Brian Dolski said during a virtual panel discussion at the Dairy Business Association’s Dairy Strong conference Jan. 20 that farmers could receive a potential of $1,200 per cow per year if they install a digester. He also noted that while much of the compressed natural gas industry is in California, that shouldn’t stop Wisconsinites.”
“There is plenty of room in the industry to support projects from Wisconsin dairy farms,” Dolski said.
If you need help adjusting your herd’s nutrition plan, we offer custom and unbiased consulting and hands-on support, contact us for more information.
“2020 was a year like no other. Following a year dominated by Covid-19, what can dairy farming expect moving forward? Covid-19 forced U.S. dairy producers to rethink the U.S. milk business, especially its dependency on fresh milk sales and foodservice cheese. It also exposed the vulnerability of dependence on external labor. Longer-term emerging trends include the impact of veganism and the climate discussion. Here some of the trends that should shape the industry in 2021.”
1.) Rise of the milk alternatives
2.) China and the global milk market
3.) Covid-19 effect on dairy consumption
4.) The climate debate
5.) Farm technology adoption
If you need help adjusting your herd’s nutrition plan, we offer custom and unbiased consulting and hands-on support, contact us for more information.
“As dairy producers transition into newly fermented corn silage it’s important they pay attention to the potential for higher-than-average levels of molds and mycotoxins, according to Anthony Hall, MSc MSB, PAS, Technical Services – Ruminant, Lallemand Animal Nutrition.
The first step to evaluating the risk your silage will have a high level of mycotoxins is to assess the conditions during harvest, Hall says. “
If you need help adjusting your herd’s nutrition plan, we offer custom and unbiased consulting and hands-on support, contact us for more information.
“Feed and forage costs make up the largest single cost of milk production, therefore, controlling these expenses is essential to the profitability of any Irish dairy farm. In order to minimize feed costs per liter or kg of milk solids produced, optimizing the feed efficiency of the herd is critical.
With many spring-calving herds now starting to calve down, farmers should focus on easing the transition from the dry to the lactating stage. How well cows adapt to the many changes occurring during this crucial period can affect performance for the rest of the lactation, and ensuring that freshly calved cows get enough nutrition from an energy-dense and well-balanced diet is critical in achieving this.”
If you need help adjusting your herd’s nutrition plan, we offer custom and unbiased consulting and hands-on support, contact us for more information.
“Every silage pile poses the potential for serious, even fatal, incidents caused by tractor rollovers, equipment runovers, falls from the silage pile or bunker, crushing and engulfment by collapsing silage, and more.”
“Identifying silage safety principles is one of the aims of the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health. This University of Nebraska Medical Center group conducting two research projects funded by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health that are designed to make a positive impact on the sustainability of cattle feed yards through increased safety and health efforts.”
Be sure to check out this article by The North Platte Telegraph
“After months of negotiations, Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package with much-needed financial relief for agricultural producers, funding for food assistance programs, enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program and funding for enhanced broadband access, as well as additional financial resources for agricultural research and farmer stress assistance programs, among others.
The package provides an estimated $13 billion directly to agricultural programs, with $300 million allocated to the Commerce Department for assistance to fisheries. Today’s article highlights many of the direct agricultural provisions in the bill.”
