The Latest News from Nobis Agri Science

First cutting of a perennial hay crop offers the opportunity to capture high quantity and quality, but timely harvest can be met with a number of obstacles. This fact sheet provides links to several current resources to aid in successful decision making for the upcoming season.

Volatility: friend or foe?

From labor, to equipment, to dairy supplies, to feed availability, and even prices — volatility is a new normal for us to manage in our dairy businesses. Some have cast volatility in a negative light. However, with change comes opportunity! Remain steadfast in seeking the positive with the undeniably changing dairy business landscape ahead. Despite volatility and changes, there are exciting times ahead for our dairy industry. Consumers throughout the world continue to demand more nutritious dairy protein and butterfat, and our industry is poised to deliver!

There is a common business adage that “what gets measured gets managed.” Every day, our nutritionists are digging into your data to identify optimal solutions for your herd. One data point we’re asked about each spring is what to do about decreases in milk component percentages as the days get longer and hotter.

Warmer weather is on the horizon, and the increase in environmental temperature seriously impacts animal productivity.

The crew at T.C. Jacoby & Co. comes back to the mic to predict how demand will respond to milk prices approaching record highs across the market.

There are two ways producers can manage feed efficiency. The first is to increase milk production at the same rate of feed. The other is to decrease feed intake and keep milk production at the same level. However, it’s important for producers to understand: While feed efficiency is an important metric to measure and monitor regularly, profitability should also be considered. High feed efficiency does not always equal high profitability. If you’re spending more on feed to increase milk production, you may not see profit.

Employee onboarding, specifically on dairy operations, can help reduce employee turnover, increase employee satisfaction and commitment, increase employee safety and increase farm productivity. However, onboarding is more than a quick orientation; it should be an in-depth overview of the entire business process.

When starting the audit, take each ingredient and look at it through a magnifying glass. Be careful not to forget that many feed additives have become key to maintaining profitability on the dairy, so these audits are not just about lowering costs. Auditing a ration is more about ensuring a balance between price and performance. Here is the step-by-step audit process.

Nobis Agri Science is pleased to welcome Logan Zanzalari as a Dairy Nutrition and Management Consultant. Logan joins the team with a background in dairy nutrition and forage management (field to feed bunk).

While the market outlook for U.S. dairy prices looks promising, American Farm Bureau Chief Economist Roger Cryan says higher milk prices won’t look as good as they have in the past, as rising costs and difficulties in processing and marketing continue through the new year.

Running a dairy farm means there is a lot to think about… animal health and welfare, nutrition and production, labor, finances, operation efficiency and crop programs and rotations.

We’ve reached the time of year when weather conditions once again become cool and damp, causing dairy producers to run toward their facility’s curtains and close buildings up tight. While it might be tempting to batten down the hatches to keep cold air from coming in, lowering ventilation and reducing air exchange is one of the worst things a farmer can do for their animals.