Recently, a dairyman asked me if I knew the requirements for becoming organic. Naturally, I tried to ease his obvious insecurity with humor. I told him that he’d have to let his hair and beard grow out and start wearing tie-dye shirts with sandals. I also told him I’d be on the lookout for a Volkswagen van, since producers have to use them as their primary means of transportation if they want to become certified. Of course, in reality, it is a serious (and often sensitive) issue. Nowadays, it seems the line between organic and non-organic producers in this country is about as thick as the line between Democrats and Republicans. Not only are they severely divided, but they forget that they have to work together.

Producers know the consequences when temperatures reach 90°F or higher – heat stress-induced morbidity and mortality. Calves cannot regulate internal temperature beyond their thermal neutral zone, which makes them much more sensitive to heat, especially when humidity is high. Imagine wearing a leather coat in the summer. Calves in heat stress conditions experience rapid dehydration, elevated body temperature, increased energy requirements and reduced food intake. The strain of maintaining normal body functions decreases the calf’s growth rate and your bottom line.

Escalating feed costs have challenged many dairy producers in recent months, including Brian Mitchell’s clients. Mitchell, a nutritionist for more than 30 dairies located throughout Idaho with a combined 40,000 cows, empathizes with dairy producers who feel a lack of control over rising feed costs. Mitchell advises his clients to focus on the things they can control – on-farm forage production, cow health, reproduction and milk production.

The price of corn has increased 45 percent from 2005 to 2006. Corn grain is fed as a major energy source in lactating rations. How can one maintain the proper energy levels to continue one’s current milk production?

Distillers grains with solubles (DG) is a unique feedstuff providing protein, fat, highly digestible fiber and minerals, all of which can be utilized in dairy rations. Distillers grains with solubles are coproducts from the manufacture of ethanol. Although other cereal grains, such as sorghum, wheat or barley, can be used to produce ethanol, the predominant cereal grain used in the United States to produce ethanol is corn (Zea mays).

Remember when gas prices approached $3.50 a gallon? It had a tremendous impact on our economy. Hybrid vehicles were on back order, and dealers were practically giving away SUVs. Despite the high prices, we still went to the pumps and filled up our tanks. Why? Because we needed the fuel to run our cars and trucks, and operate our businesses.

You just hired the best nutritionist, purchased a new mixer wagon and payloader and your recent college graduate daughter has come home to run the feeding program, but as far as you can tell things are going downhill fast! What’s up? During these times it’s important to realize there are three rations on the dairy farm:

Lately I feel the need to laugh! My life is a tangled web of one problem after another. I worry about the stupidity of politics. I worry about the war! I worry about the kids, I worry about the educational system, I worry about the housework and the price of gasoline. There is so much to worry about; I feel overwhelmed.

Sammi is one of those children for which parents have great expectations but a healthy dose of apprehension. In other words, her self-confidence was bound to get her into trouble now and then. As a 13-year-old ranch kid, she could rope and ride, do the chores, cook, read, shoot and take care of herself like most kids reared up in a country raisin’.

Lameness is an important disorder affecting dairy cows in the U.S., not only for economic reasons, but also from an animal welfare point of view. Prevalence of lameness in the U.S. has increased in recent years. We conducted a field study in 50 Minnesota dairy herds (and 5,626 Holstein cows) and found the average prevalence of lameness in those herds was 24.6 percent. Lameness status was evaluated by using a 1-to-5 scale locomotion scoring system, with cows scoring 3 or greater considered lame. Our goal in this study was to collect a lot of information from these herds to evaluate what could be potential risk factors for lameness. Farms were randomly selected, without any previous knowledge of lameness status of the herd and without any enrollment criteria besides cows being housed in freestalls. In a field study, we are looking at a whole system in the “real world.” Data of this kind are needed in order to better understand dairy systems, but they can be difficult to interpret.