Moving a cow out of the fresh pen and into the general herd population might allow a farm manager to breathe a small sigh of relief that the cow has made a successful transition. And while that is an
The potential to develop and publish U.S. genetic evaluations for milking speed is being explored by USDA Animal Genomics & Improvement Laboratory (AGIL) and the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (
Forage production trends and forage markets are very regional, depending on what’s being grown, how it is being used, and local inventories. Still, the average alfalfa price for 2022 was a record...
When does a farm become a factory farm?Fifty-one cows? 201 cows? 301 cows? 501 cows? If it does not allow pasture access?It is a meaningless phrase. Nothing happens to cows on a big dairy that d
In September, hunger, nutrition, and health were the subject of a historic White House conference. And while the conference has passed, opportunities for the dairy community to engage in a national st
With input costs on the rise, farmers across the country are looking for ways to improve profitability and reduce spending. Feed is a big cost center and one that often gets scrutinized, but during th
Dairy cattle reproduction has come a long way in recent decades. It is not uncommon now to see herds reaching service rates and pregnancy rates that are much different than they were just a few herd g
Outside of cheese, China is the number one importer of essentially every major dairy product. Globally, the world’s most populated country purchases 27% of all traded dairy products on a milk solids
For the second year in a row, Zisk, a phone app and dairy data source founded by veterinarian Kevin Hoogendoorn, is predicting a profitable year for dairy. Those profits will vary by both herd size an
The high cost of healthcare is a financial burden for dairy farmers with limited or no health insurance. Unfortunately, these daunting expenses can prevent people from getting the care they need and f
No one has a crystal ball, but dairy farmers have embraced genomic testing because it provides as good of a look into a calf’s productive future as anything. From that information, farms can decide
If you haven’t signed up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for 2023, you may want to rethink that position. That’s because dairy markets continue to be among the most volatile in...
As U.S. holiday bakers head to the supermarkets in search for staple ingredients to whip up their favorite festive cookies, they may find butter prices on the rise. Butter prices around the globe
I recently ran into a person who told me she sets a “gratitude” alarm on her phone. Four times a day, her phone rings to alert her that it is time to be grateful.I was not quite sure how to...
Many times, the best storytelling comes right from the source. And here at Midwest Dairy, that’s the farmers. All dairy farmers across Midwest Dairy’s ten-state region have amazing on-farm...
Sign-ups for the Dairy Margin Coverage program are underway, with the December 9 deadline quickly approaching. Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) is one of the price risk management tools available for dairy
Zoom towns became the boom towns last year. With greater acceptance of remote work situations, more people are choosing to move away from bigger population centers.Real estate markets have been red ho
Compared to beef from straight dairy animals, and even in some cases, conventional beef animals, dairy beef crossbred meat has a lot to offer. Breeding in beef traits has helped create meat that is mo
U.S. government dairy purchases helped to push cheese prices to new record highs in 2020, which has put cheese buyers on edge any time there is an announcement about government dairy purchases. In mid
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infects approximately half of all dairy and beef cattle in North America. Herd owners and managers may wonder whether it is a disease they should fight, and if so, is it a
