As printed in our April 10, 2015 issue... THE NINE-MONTH BLEND OF CLASS III FUTURES FELL nearly 80 cents to $16.43 during a 30-day window dating back to February 27. May's $15.45 represented the low and...
As printed in our April 25, 2014 issue... SPOT CHEESE LOST GROUND in early April. Blocks fell by 25-1/4 cents to settle at $2.17 per pound by mid-month. Barrels dropped 17 cents to $2.08. Even so, USDA...
The latest Hoard's Dairyman bull list has many new names on it. That is in large part due to the accelerated progress being made in genetics these days. The threshold to even crack the Top 50 Net Merit...
As printed in our April 10, 2014 issue... AN ALL-MILK PRICE WITH A $21.70 midpoint was the latest projection for 2014 by USDA. That value grew by $1.60 since December's estimate. A RECORD UNIFORM PRICE...
Last month brought some fairly significant changes to our genetic evaluation system that will have long-term impacts on genetic selection opportunities for dairy producers. The two largest changes involve...
Simple welds secure sliding barn door I made this holder for our pole barn door by first putting a hollow pipe 2 feet long in the ground at the center of the door. Then I took a pipe that fit inside and...
As printed in our April 25, 2013 issue... REVERSING COURSE, NASS WILL PUBLISH partial Milk Production estimates for the remainder of its fiscal year by gleaning data from various administrative reports....
As printed in our April 10, 2013 issue... ROBUST WORLD DAIRY PRICES have caused futures markets in the states to move upward. From March 11 to 26, April-to-October Class III futures rose by an average...
Glove box rack made from old calf pen panels I made this simple and inexpensive glove box holder out of calf panels that were so bent we couldn't use them any more. I cut the pieces to my desired length...
May milk production refused to buck the trend set by the preceding months. When compared to May 2011, 2012's production was up 2.1 percent in the 23 major states. The milk production estimates are provided...
Alarm rings when water pressure is too low Using a water pressure switch and a used bell from an old crowd gate, we installed an alarm that alerts us if the fountains in the free stall barn have low water...
As printed in our April 25, 2012 issue... CORN PLANTING INTENTIONS are the highest since 1937. USDA has projected farmers will plant 95.9 million acres, up 4 percent from last year. Meanwhile, soybeans...
As printed in our April 10, 2012 issue... FEBRUARY MILK FLOW UP 4.3 percent nationwide when adjusted for leap year. Cow numbers rose 9,000 head from January; 87,000 head from the same time last year. The...
Top 50 genomic Holstein bulls are all over 792 Net Merit. by Hoard's Dairyman staff Genomics is accelerating the pace of genetic change. In the Holstein breed, it took a Net Merit (NM$) score of 792 to...
Portable Electric Panel If you need a temporary place to plug in a lot of cords, this panel comes in handy. Your cords stay out of the snow or mud, it's portable, and it stores easy. Isaac Hackel
Washington Dairygrams - April 10, 2011 CASH BLOCK CHEESE PRICE DROPPED from $2-a-pound-plus in early March to the low $1.60s at closing. Butter was down but still more than $2 a pound. Whey prices showed...
As printed in our April 25, 2011 issue... BENCHMARK CLASS III PRICE jumped to $19.40 for March, up $2.40 from February. Highest since June 2008's $20.25. California's 4b price (also for cheese milk) was...
Handy Hint: April 25, 2011 Pipeline notes status of cow Flowerbrook Farm in Hamburg, Minn., has created a way to mark cows in their tie stall barn that need extra attention or should not be milked. After...
Handy Hint: April 10, 2011 Plywood, nails, and tags track calves We found it difficult to tell employees which calves to feed, what type of milk, and how many times a day to feed each calf. Our solution...
