The 22nd annual Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference was held April 23-24 in Ft. Wayne, Ind. at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. This conference each year is hosted by Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue universities. Attendance for the conference was up this year compared to last year. The new workshop held on Monday evening pertaining [...]
We all know that a heifer is a female bovine animal that has not yet had a calf, well at least those of us that work in the dairy industry know that. But then we use the term of “first lactation heifer,” which is not a “heifer “ but a young cow in her first [...]
The adage “keep the best and sell the rest” is always an important principal in managing a dairy farm, but with the high costs of feed and other inputs, following this principle is a must. The act of “culling” animals from the herd usually has a negative connotation because all too often this activity is [...]
Mastitis and lameness are the two most costly health issues on dairy farms today. Cost of treatment for mastitis is certainly important, but the major factor to the cost of mastitis is the loss of milk production and the cow if she has to be culled from the herd.
ou often pay attention to the milk components when you get your milk check, but they also serve as a window into the rumen health and metabolic balance of your cows.
So many changes in life, from politics, technology, cost of living, cost of operating a business, and of course the weather. All of this “noise” should not define your management style, but your management style will define how you react, or don’t react, to many of these changes. If a sound management style is not [...]
A good start on having a profitable dairy farm is a high milk price; however, the fundamental need is astute management of the cows, facilities, personnel, and the flow of funds. Management practices Good managers need information on which to make decisions, rather than it “just feeling right from the gut”. Information can be gathered [...]
Time is like a snowflake — it melts away while we try to decide what to do with it. – Anonymous As we reflect on a new year, some may make resolutions, reflect on occurrences during the past year and make plans for the upcoming year. Most all of us struggle with “having enough time [...]
We sometimes attempt to deny reality as a coping mechanism for an issue we simply don’t want to deal with if accepting the reality is too painful. This behavior sometimes exists relative to the economics of dairy farming.
For a dairy farmer, the fall season is a critical time. Within 45 days, all forage should be harvested. For some areas, forage harvest has already been completed for one to two weeks.
We need to be on our best behavior in the management of the water supply for dairy cattle during the summer.
It is that time of the year when we reflect on “Wow, where did 2010 go?” or begin to make resolutions or set goals for the new year. It is often said that the older you get, the faster time seems to pass. Each of us has 24 hours a day and seven days a [...]
It is always important to monitor the yield of milk and the composition of milk, especially for the individual farmer, because the income of the dairy farm depends on this source of revenue. The yields of protein and fat are the primary determinants of the price received by farmers. And the proportions of fat and [...]
A brain teaser is meant to challenge or stimulate. So, the Dairy Brain Teaser is used to stimulate our thinking and provide some valuable information about the dairy industry and about management of dairy enterprises. You will find the correct answers at the end of the article and use the scale provided to relate to [...]
I have decided to use a new format for my contribution to this column — referring to it as the Dairy Brain Teaser. I think the terms “test” or “quiz” often have negative views, causing us to remember our the school days, which may even challenge the memory for a few of us to remember [...]
In recent years, the explosive changes around us — especially in the technological age we find ourselves — have been described as constant ripples of change or as “white waters” of change. I’m sure all of you all have noted the white water as it splashes over rocks in the rapids of streams. With respect [...]
Monitoring herd feed costs is very critical for increasing dairy farm profitability.
Even when feed costs are much lower than the present market situation, monitoring herd feed costs is very critical for increasing farm profitability. Total feed cost per hundredweight of milk sold is a measure of the effectiveness of management in controlling the largest cost item in producing milk. This measure accounts for all of the [...]
Are you a label reader? Probably not, unless you get bored when you are on “business” in the bathroom and you don’t have Readers Digest or the local daily newspaper in arms’ reach. But take a look at the labels on the bottles of hand or body lotion, sunscreen and skin moisturizer. Very high on [...]
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