“Focusing on the six freedoms of a cow proves to be beneficial for increasing your dairy’s return on investment (ROI). The six freedoms of a cow outlined by a dairy farming training organization are space, rest, water, air, light and feed. These freedoms have aligned benchmarking goals to help producers realize higher returns on current […]
“Within dairy specifically, all eyes are on the milk price into the coming months, with values falling slowly but steadily recently. This price pressure, coupled with still high cost of production, will mean that some dairy farmers might struggle to achieve profitability this year. Data shows that cows’ numbers began to contract in November and […]
“The soybean processing industry is entering a new era driven by the demand for low-carbon fuels like renewable diesel, which can be made with tallow, recaptured vegetable oil, canola oil, and of course, soybean oil. This push for more sustainable fuel is helping drive the rapid expansion of new soybean crushing facilities across the U.S. […]
Organic dairy and other livestock farmers are seeking emergency federal aid as they grapple with skyrocketing organic feed costs, steep fuel and utility expenses as well as the consequences of drought in many parts of the country. Two dozen U.S. senators and representatives wrote to U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for emergency assistance […]
“Straw originates as a by-product following small grain harvest. It’s used for both bedding and as a feed ingredient. As a feed ingredient, straw is multifaceted, with nutritionists bringing straw into diets for both functional fiber and low-energy nutritional aspects. Straw also can bring anti-nutritional factors, beyond what the eyes can see.” Read the full […]
“Subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) is an invisible threat to both the dairy cow and producer. As nearly 45 percent of multiparous cows experience SCH during the early lactation period, producers can implement dietary strategies such as feeding negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) rations in the late dry period or administering prophylactic calcium treatments to fresh cows […]
“Our study shows that feeding transition cows a diet adequate in Met and with calcium salts enriched in n3 FAs can enhance lactation performance by increasing energy-corrected milk yield over the first four weeks of lactation and improve liver function by altering liver methyl donor metabolism.” Read the full article by Joseph McFadden and Tanya […]
1. Use an appropriate dry cow antibiotic. 2. A teat sealant is a must no matter your dry cow antibiotic protocol. 3. Ensure high-producing cows are ready to be dried off. 4. Vaccinate. Cows vaccinated during the dry period are more likely to enter the next lactation with a robust immune system to fight off […]
Alfalfa is known for its high nutritional value, and that makes it a valued forage source. However, alfalfa is often hindered nutritionally because of the indigestible lignin components in the cell wall. Using technology to improve fiber digestibility in alfalfa can provide opportunities to improve feeding flexibility and enhance animal performance. Importantly, high-quality alfalfa can […]
Administering calcium boluses to fresh cows has become a widely adopted practice to prevent hypocalcemia on U.S. dairy farms. But are all calcium boluses equally effective? According to a study by a group of Canadian researchers: no. Verhoef and his team concluded that calcium chloride/calcium sulfate boluses were more effective at generating serum calcium response than boluses […]
