Early this year, Mack Drees of Peshtigo, Wis., was contacted by Holstein USA leadership to ask if he would represent the United States as part of an international group invited to Japan to promote dairy
“If you can feed B vitamins at an economical price, do it!” encouraged Mike Hutjens. That was one of the messages viewers received as the University of Illinois nutrition icon
Mastitis is one of the most common diseases of dairy cows. There are two principle types: clinical and subclinical. Clinical mastitis is when there are obvious changes to the milk and udder. Mil
The cropping enterprise is an integral component to the success of the dairy enterprise and the whole farm in generating profit. Purchased feed costs are usually monitored regularly by producers
With the milk price component of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) calculation climbing for the tenth consecutive month in October, and margin levels above the $9.50 threshold since August, the fact that...
Lameness is one of the most expensive diseases a dairy cow can get. But, have you ever thought about the cost of lameness being different for different cows?
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an update in late June to their farm program-spending baseline. This CBO baseline is a critical component of the farm bill discussion
We were shopping around for aftermarket tractor mirrors but were not impressed by the price or small size. Instead, we picked up two combine mirrors for $10 at a salvage yard
Few things in life are free. Unfortunately for dairy farmers, even incidences of unwanted disease, like lameness, come with a price. The most obvious costs of lameness are associated with treatment
Delaying a herd's age at first calving to 25 months has the potential to cost $45 to $90 per heifer. Age? Weight? Height? If you ask three dairy producers what criteria they use to breed heifers, each...
Herds are getting bigger and more productive, but the cost of employees is rising faster. Everyone who milks cows knows that the dairy industry is struggling with a labor crisis that is only getting worse....
After a milk price year for the ages in 2014, producers knew 2015 would be worse. And it has been so far.But low feed and high beef prices have made it manageable, and indications are growing that this...
Living and childrearing expenses continue to climb. Family living costs are up for urban and rural residents alike. In a survey of over 1,300 farm families, Illinois farmers reported that their cost of...
Dozens, if not hundreds, of variables make a single precise answer impossible for all farms, but there is one statement that applies to everyone: It was expensive. According to income and cost data for...
