let’s talk agronomy in the Feeding Fundamentals column to start this new year. While an agronomy discussion may seem out of place in a nutrition-focused column, it shouldn’t be. In last June’s...
The historically high price for butter is causing some market tribulations on the cheese pricing front.“There’s another consequence of high butter prices . . . its impact on Class III prices,”...
“Efficiency is where it’s at right now. We’ve got to make sure every dollar invested in feed works for us,” said Steve Martin, a nutritionist who works with dairy farms across the...
This October, dairy product sales continued to grow both at home and abroad. This has taken place despite relatively high retail product prices when compared to historical levels.In the United States
In many ways, the inflationary society we have been living and running our businesses in for more than a year now is a wakeup call. One of the shocks has been the climbing cost of borrowing money as t
“Forward thinking will make the artificial insemination process go smoothly and allow us to retain the fertility inherent in the straws we purchase to generate those pregnant cows and heifers we...
Dealing with a standalone year of high fertilizer prices means one thing when trying to balance costs with soil health and fertility. Following that up with another year of expensive fertilizer means
These days, disruption in business and everyday life is beginning to feel like the norm. Threats from extreme weather and vulnerabilities from a stretched workforce add stress to the usual variables f
Inflation. Interest rates. Recession.Those are among the many elements that business and government leaders are trying to balance to keep the economy moving forward. Earlier this week, the U.S. Labor
One major difference between a stack of manure and a compost pile is that the composting process takes place under controlled conditions. “That is the key distinction,” said field ag engineer...
In the winter months, people often take extra precautions against illnesses like the flu or the common cold because they understand the benefits of staying healthy. Every farmer knows that simple on-f
In a cow’s perfect world, over 80% of rumination should occur when the cow is lying down. The technical terms would be sternal recumbency and recumbent rumination. Resting with the sternum, or breas
In 2021, cheese and butter absorbed 60.5% of all dairy fat in 2021. Cheese topped the list, according to USDA data, at 42.1%. Meanwhile, butter accounted for 18.3% of all dairy fat coming from U.S. da
Staphylococci are the most prevalent bacteria isolated from bovine mammary secretions. In the past, we would call them CNS, as in coagulase-negative Staphylococci. However, another classification sche
One of the greatest blessings Duane and I received this year was during one of the most difficult times. My mother had been ill for a few years, so her passing was not a total surprise. Her 91-year-ol
For both crops and animals, timing often means everything on a farm. Following the appropriate timeline can be the difference between a healthy outcome and one that fails. On the cow side, that means
What do you think the fastest growing segment is among the U.S. population?If you guessed Gen Z . . . you’d be wrong. Instead, it is the other end of the age spectrum – adults 85 and older....
