Dairy producers who achieve reasonably good pregnancy rates can always benefit from improved heat detection. Even for those who apply timed A.I. protocols to program ovulation before first or repeat inseminations...

Oh, how things have changed in the last 125 years! Although no one now living was alive in 1885, we have good evidence that dairy cattle reproduction in 2010 is very different - not the biological processes...

Higher culling rates have appeared to stem the robust buildup of dairy replacements by trimming inventories 41,000 head in January compared to last year's 4.57 million heifers. While that is welcomed news,...

Hip, hip hooray! Now let's do it again. Class III producer milk prices set an all-time record average of $18.37 per hundredweight in 2011. The old record was $18.04, set in 2007. Unfortunately, record...

Genetic evaluations are at a crossroads. Both the science of genomics and government's funding limitations are reshaping the field. As decisions are being made on a new structure to fund and calculate...

The dairy industry can be unpredictable at times, but the milk production trend from the major states is one of the most predictable, even at the month level. With genetic progress and new management techniques...

Herby Lutz of Chester, S.C. and his associate, Andrew Vander Muelen of Brighton, Ontario, Canada, selected Pine Have SSM Marmie as Grand Champion of the 59th All American Jersey Show. The winning 4-year-old,...

Herby Lutz of Chester, S.C. and his associate, Andrew Vander Muelen of Brighton, Ontario, Canada, are serving as officials for this year's 59th All American Jersey Show

Chocolate milk, and other dairy products, has been a highly contested portion of school lunch programs this year. The key concern has been that the extra calories from added sugars are a contributing factor...

The program, with the help of local farmers, aims to teach school children about where their food comes from. Earlier this year, the USDA introduced a new version of the food pyramid known as MyPlate

As Halloween approaches, we are all wondering if 2012 milk prices will be a "trick" or a "treat." The "trick" would be a continuation of the three-year milk price cycle - two years of good milk prices...

Summer always meant fairs and shows as a youngster. As an exhibitor, I looked forward to the shows, especially showmanship – where my ability to work with my heifer or cow as one team could be put...

Cash receipts from milk marketed last year totaled $31.36 billion. That was a 24 percent rise over 2009's $24.34 billion. Milk sales totaled $34.85 billion 2008. These numbers come from USDA's annual publication...

Any doubt that the U.S. is once and for all a major player in global dairy exports can be put to rest by its record achievements in 2010. According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council: • Total milk solids...

Only 1,805 fewer dairy farms last year Dairy producers proved they are a resilient lot. Despite tough economic conditions during the past two years, most producers kept milking cows as only 1,805 licensed...

Dairy producers proved they are a resilient lot. Despite tough economic conditions during the past two years, most producers kept milking cows as only 1,805 licensed dairy farms called it quits last year....

All the hype surrounding methane emissions, greenhouse gases, and odors have left most of our brains spinning. It isn't uncommon for us to think, "Ok, so what am I supposed to do?" In addition, regulations...

Although milk prices in 2011 are forecast to remain near this year's level, higher feed prices are expected to squeeze producer margins, impacting the size of the dairy herd in 2011, according to the USDA's...

Scattered amongst the countless commercial booths at World Dairy Expo, you'll find products of all shapes and sizes. But one theme that is popping up all over the show is the newest direction in dairy...

There is a lot of concern about dry-down rates of the forage and grain in this year's corn silage crop, according to Joe Lauer, corn agronomist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some people are concerned...