Even with the U.S. All-Milk price averaging above $22 per hundredweight (cwt.) for the first two months of 2023, profitability is suffering for most producers. It turns out that feed costs are largely...

Cost-cutting should always start with the largest expense areas, and on dairies, that’s feed. Reducing expenses in this area has become more complex, though, as the inputs for growing and purchasing...

I had an actual conversation with Microsoft Bing’s new A.I. . . . as in artificial intelligence . . . chatbot this morning. After so much press about this new A.I. tool’s usefulness to regular...

Feed expenses make up more than half the cost of producing milk on today’s dairy farms

The price of milk is in a race with the price of feed as both continue to climb in 2022. A higher milk price is welcomed by farmers, but profits are cut short

Many dairies across the country are still feeding contracted or stored-on-farm feeds and forages. It’s a blessing given the upheaval in feed markets in the past months

Although cow numbers grew modestly in February to 9.37 million cows and stopped an eight-month slide in herd size, tight milk supplies in the U.S. continue to squeeze processors

“I like to think about what we do when we build rations is we’re really babysitting the confluence of economics and biology

As shelled corn prices are a couple dollars higher per bushel (56 pounds as-fed basis) compared to prior years, dairy farmers are asking what alternatives and strategies could be considered

The combination of higher feed costs and falling milk prices induced the largest payments so far this year for USDA’s dairy insurance program

USDA’s August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report provides the first look at survey-based yield estimates for this year’s corn crop

Accurately calculating the costs associated with operating a dairy farm is critical to evaluating if management practices and changes are worth their investment and helping the farm turn a profit

When purchasing a new truck, you recognize that different trim levels, accessories, and engine displacements are factors that contribute to the vehicle’s value

Dairy farmers are facing higher corn and soybean meal prices in 2021. Corn has moved from $3 a bushel to over $6 a bushel while soybean meal is up $100 a ton

As corn and soybean prices continue to climb upward, farmers may have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to rations for the dairy herd

A lot of volatility has been occurring in the commodity markets during the last couple of months

Feed is a major expense on any dairy farm, so it is critical to select ingredients for the ration that make nutritional and financial sense

What area of your dairy received the most scrutiny as you looked to tighten your budgets?

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...

New USDA milk production costs tell a vastly different story down on the farm