Goodbye protein… Hello amino acids
By Spence Driver
Over the last five years, nearly 55 percent of the average milk income over feed costs has been derived from milk protein yield and 40 percent has come from milk fat yield. That means that only about … Read more
Optimize heifer performance with TMR management
By Cody Yanzick
Calf raisers invest a lot of time and energy into optimizing calf performance. Good feed management with young heifers can help to keep that momentum going as calves get older. Here are a few tips for introducing, … Read more
Cow observations that make you money
By Jon Rasmussen and Dr. Neil Michael
Critically reviewing a few fundamental cow behaviors can positively impact cow health, performance and the overall attitude of employees. Here are some good areas to watch during your next walk among your cows.… Read more
Choose your corn silage hybrid like you choose your steak
By John Goeser
Corn silage quality has a profound impact on your dairy’s profitability. Highly digestible hybrids reduce your need for corn grain, and everyone understands the value of that in today’s markets. So how do you choose the right … Read more
Positioning your dairy financially for 2012
By Gary Sipiorski
The weather’s getting chilly, which means winter and the New Year are coming up fast. It also means it’s time to once again time to take a hard look at your dairy business and position yourself financially … Read more
Picking the repro measures that can give you an edge
By Dr. Neil Michael
In the simplest form, the goal of all reproductive programs is to maximize the production for quality pregnancies during a specified time period with minimal variation and waste. Producers whose herds show high reproductive performance use … Read more
Getting ‘the rest of the story’ on fecal starch
By Jon Urness
Legendary commentator Paul Harvey always ended his daily lunchtime radio broadcasts with the affirmation, “Now you know the rest of the story.”
I’m not so sure we’ll ever know the full “rest of the story” when it … Read more
Dairy risk management: Understanding the basics
By Randy Greenfield
Starting a risk management plan can be a daunting task for many dairy producers. You spend most of your time focusing on cow management – maximizing milk production, reproduction, cow comfort and cow health. You fix equipment, … Read more
Do autofeeders fit?
By Ann Hoskins
Automatic calf feeders are popping up on many dairy operations across the Midwest. The new technology offers plenty of opportunities, but it also requires a refocus on management. The decision of whether autofeeders fit your calf program … Read more
Using coproducts: Not a ‘one size fits all’ situation
By Spence Driver
The theme of high feed costs is not breaking news – we’ve been dealing with it for quite some time. That certainly pushes us to take advantage of lower-priced coproducts whenever possible.
In the Midwest, we’re fortunate … Read more