In recent years, sustainability has become a crucial focus in various industries, including agriculture. Dairy farming has made significant strides toward more sustainable practices and more importantly toward understanding dairy production's environmental impacts.

A rumen-protected coating on a feed product that’s been fed for 15 years to chickens and pigs shows promise to move stubbornly intractable feed efficiency rates in dairy cows.

Nationwide, 14.6 million acres are cultivated for alfalfa. Critics argue this is too much for regions with limited water, yet they fail to compare these numbers to other staple crops. 

A lot of producers still have questions about the efficacy of many feed additives, but these products could put extra dollars in your pocket when you market your cattle. 

When Ryzebol Dairy purchased a feed efficiency service from Afimilk, its goal was to identify cows not only producing more milk but also converting feed into milk well. The service determines each animal’s feed consumption efficiency based on data that represents the relationship between daily average milk yield and daily average feed consumption. It indicates whether increasing the feed yields more milk.

In the last 75 to 100 years, we have seen cow size go from belt-buckle cattle to hat-brim cattle. Between 1975 and 2005, the average cow weight in the U.S. at slaughter increased from 1,050 to 1,350 pounds. Since 2005, cow size in the U.S. has probably pushed into the 1,400- to 1,500-pound range. 

When the words “precision feeding” come up, dairy producers usually have one of two very distinct reactions: excitement or hesitation. There are three easy precision feeding technologies outlined in this article that could help dairy farms maximize their current operations.

The winter months and routinely low air temperatures present unique challenges for feedlot cattle, particularly in terms of maintaining health and productivity. Cold temperatures, fluctuating weather conditions and increased feed requirements can induce stress in cattle and result in health complications.