Management Tips

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

The cooler days and nights are here, and a good reminder of taking steps to winterize the things in our lives: vehicles, homes, and wardrobes. Winterizing is a proactive solution that helps us avoid problems associated with dropping temperatures and is a tactic that can also be applied to your calves.