Management Tips

The key as a manager is to find or construct seats where an individual’s three circles line up with the needs and responsibilities of that seat. If you have the right person on the bus, but they’re in the wrong seat, they will fail or they’ll certainly struggle.

Four KPIs that have considerable impact on dairy productivity and profitability are income over feed cost, dollars per pound of dry matter, energy-corrected milk efficiency and money-corrected milk.

Interpreting dairy key performance indicators (KPIs) have you feeling like eating an alphabet soup sandwich? While there are hundreds of ways to slice and dice dairy metrics, this article will define and explore several KPIs that have a substantial impact on dairy productivity and profitability. Don’t let the ostensible letter jumble deter you – the following KPIs can serve as a quick gauge and provide clarity to a mishmash of dairy data.

With the benefit of hindsight, USDA now believes there were many fewer dairy heifers on hand at the beginning of 2023 than previously thought. In its biannual Cattle inventory report, the agency slashed its estimate of the dairy heifer headcount on January 1, 2023 by 263,600 head.

Automation is transforming the way we live and work. The more we understand automation, the better equipped we are to make it work for us. Let’s explore the top five reasons for automating the milking routine on a dairy, in no particular order.

Business-focused dairies are wired to think in terms of controlling costs per hundredweight. This mindset is no different than those managing businesses that manufacture tractors, air conditioners, or sneakers. Producing more is irrelevant if we’re not economically efficient in doing so.

Regardless of markets or economic conditions in the dairy industry, dairy owners and managers should continually ask themselves these questions:

How can we improve feed efficiency?

How can we increase components and milk production?

How can we decrease feed cost?

How can we minimize stress?

Reshaping how we view training can give employees the boost they need. Penn State Dairy Extension encourages producers to view their training programs not as “once and done” and instead take a broader view to reenergize and empower the workforce.

Similar to raising dairy calves, beef-on-dairy calves should be kept in a clean, dry environment. According to Tara Felix, extension beef specialist for Pennsylvania State University, most dairy beef starter calves are housed in individual stalls at least 24 inches wide until they are 9 to 10 weeks of age. After that the calves can be maintained in larger group pens of up to 25 animals.

Producing high-quality milk is a labor intense job, yet it is a product that doesn’t receive a high payment compared to other industries. Although pay is a high motivator to stay at a job, employees are often more successful and retained at higher rates if training is offered. Training helps satisfy that need to develop and challenge their own set of skills and makes them feel a sense of ownership to the farm. In addition to training, how can the dairy industry stay competitive in this tight labor market?

The sticker shock of feed prices have been a sucker punch for dairy farmers over the last year, and there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight. Elevated feed costs have forced some producers to grow more of their own forages this season, including corn silage. While prioritizing growing quality forage is a must, proper feed ingredient storage is equally important, especially during the hot summer months.

The primary reason cows decrease milk production during hot weather is that the cows eat less. Since cows will be consuming less as temperatures increase, increasing the energy density of the diet can in part compensate for the decrease in dry matter intake.

We at Nobis Agri Science (NAS) have a strategy to have “HEAT STRESS” rations ready to implement when the HIGH HEAT INDEXES strike your dairy. Ask your nutritionist to prepare you for the heat with the proper ration.

The term variation has been deemed a negative in our dairy nutrition tribal language. We need to change our language and understanding of this term. “Variation is an opportunity!”

Variation is attributable to different things, with some being really important to cash flow. The economically meaningful variation comes to light when enough data is collected and trends or impact factors are identified. This variation then becomes something that we can manage to our benefit.