Labor issues can be a challenge on any dairy farm. Attorney Karl Butterer of Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, PC, explored labor policies, trends and employment pitfalls with dairy producers at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference held in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

How confident are you in your ability to eyeball a cow’s bodyweight? What about your ability to notice a 200-pound difference between two animals? What about your employees’ ability to notice that same difference?

Dairy producers have been utilizing beef sires to take advantage of strong markets throughout the past decade. This breeding strategy increases a dairy’s value of bull calves and non-replacement heifers.

Low milk prices and tighter margins have dairy producers and those exiting the dairy industry looking for alternative sources of income. Feeding dairy steers can be a viable and profitable option to supplement farm income.

More and more dairies are inseminating a portion of the herd with beef semen, but the decision to do so should not be made lightly. Truly adding value to these calves is about much more than changing the color of their hide.

Consumer interest in milk that is easier to digest is growing as the a2 Milk Company paves the way by offering a fluid option free of the A1 protein.

In the current market, making money through milk is all about the amount of components produced in a hundredweight.

As with any investment in business, correct management is needed to preserve value. Careful handling of semen or embryos maintains its integrity and quality.

Aurora Ridge Dairy propagates only the “elite of the elite” heifers and adheres to a disciplined plan for keeping nothing but the best offspring in the herd.