Feeding prepartum diets with a negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) to close-up dry cows is a practice used frequently to reduce the risk of hypocalcemia postpartum. The DCAD is determined
There have been a lot of discussions this year about possible changes to the milk pricing system with dairy cooperatives within the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) aligning on a set of propo
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....
It was purely coincidence that the recent Sustainable Agriculture Summit took place in Glendale, Ariz., a city in Maripoca County, which happens to be the county projected to lose the most farmland in
The first best day of Don Niles’ dairy career was when the first of his clients installed self-locking headlocks. As a veterinarian, that simple tool made herd checks a lot easier and safer for both
On Tuesday, December 6, nearly 79 million dairy animals will receive updated U.S. genetic evaluations – commonly called “proofs.” The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) delivers...
At $3.3720 per pound, the five-month run that saw the federal order butterfat price set new monthly records from June to October ended in November 2022 milk checks. However, the November $3.3720 per p
As we approach the end of the year, farmers may be reviewing their income tax obligations and marketing plans or completing a business or enterprise analysis. A successful farm manager is already keep
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...
