Long-term growth and short-term fluctuation are the new norm for commodity markets. In Kansas this past weekend, my relatives woke up to a blanket of snow. Almost 3 inches fell there overnight and greeted...
Don't blame the bugs. "When it comes to calf health, most of the time it's not the bugs that are the problem," Daryl Nydam, Cornell University, said as a way of introducing his presentation on calf health...
Attentiveness and observation are still important to success in automated calf feeding systems. Just like many management areas on the farm, calf feeding requires careful attentiveness in order to be successful
Don't let your feedbunk be "Hell's Kitchen." The popular TV show "Hell's Kitchen" positions emerging chefs against one another in a winner-take-all competition. This is the analogy Rick Grant, Miner Institute,...
There is no one-size-fits-all in feed centers, but all farms can benefit from reduced feed costs realized by measuring and managing inefficiencies. It's no secret that feed costs make up a significant...
by Maggie Seiler, Associate Editor The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) orchestrated the sale of more than 300 U.S. heifers to Pakistani commercial and research farms, reopening that export market...
Approach farm meetings prepared and with a goal in mind. Growing up, my favorite farm meetings occurred around the breakfast table. Specifically, I remember chowing down on some bacon prepared by my grandfather...
Answer the down cow's 911. The sight no dairy producer or worker wants to see when he or she arrives to the farm early in the morning is a cow that can't get up. According to a recent Miner Institute Farm...
Another tight year for dairy producers raises the question, how does one best manage break-even costs? Managing fluctuation is an important part of today's global economy. Farms that successfully direct...
When stepping to the milk case, we all have preferences that weigh heavily on our selections. The same is true across the globe. The Chinese market is one that saw tremendous growth through the early part...
It's as important in human nutrition as it is in dairy cows. As dairy producers and industry people, we spend a lot of time worrying about the tiny bugs located in our cows' digestive tracts. We focus...
It is no easy feat to manage labor on farms today. Owners sometimes struggle to recruit and keep talented employees, just as many businesses and industries across the country face the same challenges
Locomotion scoring can help detect lame cows and gauge overall herd health. When it's not a problem, foot and leg health is something that flies under the radar on a many dairies, but soggy spring conditions...
The reasons for following a vegetarian diet are as diverse as the more than 7 million Americans who subscribe to some form of vegetarianism. That number is only expected to climb, as a 2011 study reported...
A good herdsperson not only observes but takes action. In college, I fielded many questions about my agricultural communications degree that went something like this, "So you're studying to be a cow whisperer?"...
When is the last time you updated your vaccination program? Vaccinations are a great weapon against common ailments faced by dairy animals from pneumonia to mastitis, and they can be effectively used on...
Young calves demand much care and patience. My two siblings and I grew up showing Holsteins, and from the time I was pretty young, I seemed to be the one who always ended up showing the flighty animals....
For cows transitioning from dry period to lactation, ketosis is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders as it causes reduced feed intake, depressed milk production, weight loss and susceptibility...
The Holstein breed would look different without the influence of Roy Ormiston. As dairy producers, we can all appreciate the power of a single generation or a single cow to alter the course of genetic...
Sometimes we are blind to opportunities before us, especially in areas we work around everyday. The effectiveness of a total mixed ration (TMR) revolves around its ability to integrate all the cow's requirements...
