Nutritionist Jess Argyle of Jerome, Idaho, says despite higher prices for rolled corn and regionally imported ration components, dairy producers should push for more milk and higher components, being careful not to lose milk production while looking for good buys on commodities. “Don’t short-change the cows. Push for production,” Argyle says. “I’ve never been able to cut out or cut back on feed and save money. We always lose more in production than what we can save in cutting back on feed.”

Are your feed costs high? The most expensive feeds are those with high levels of protein (greater than 20 percent protein). Testing for MUN (milk urea nitrogen) in the milk can help you determine the correct level of protein in the feed. There are other reasons for testing for MUN:

Dairy producers will know better than I do about rising corn prices. “Higher corn prices forecasted in 2007” and “Highest cost of corn hits dairy farmers” have been headlines in the news during the past three months. Increasing corn prices have pushed a low milk-feed price ratio even lower, down to 2.34 in November 2006.

For dairy producers wishing to improve their profitability, the first feed investment that needs to be made in improving milk production is dry matter intake (DMI) conversions, says Marvin Hoekema, president of Dairy Decisions Consulting, LLC, in Visalia, California. The reason is these conversions are 40 to 50 percent of a dairy operation’s budget, “meaning there is real money on the table.”

Cenzone allowed to file suit against Alltech In a recent development in the litigation between Alltech Inc. and Cenzone Tech Inc., a federal judge allowed Cenzone to file claims for antitrust violations against Alltech in November 2006, rejecting Alltech’s objections to the filing of the claims.

With the holidays behind me and the hope of a new year before me, I sit in the clutter of the old year’s passing and look forward to a brighter year. Not that last year was a bad year. In fact, last year was a wonderful year full of blessings and miracles that could have only come from a loving Father in Heaven who knows the plight of every sparrow and delights in the lilies of the field.

Rainfall or runoff from melting snow can impact a feeder’s ability to correctly feed dairy cattle. Added water from precipitation or runoff decreases silage dry matter (DM) content. In these situations, more silage must be fed to meet an animal’s nutrient requirements for production. Failure to adjust feeding rate has potential economic consequences, especially when high levels of silage are fed and substantial amounts of water has been added. First, dry matter intake (DMI) decreases because the ration includes more water and less actual feed nutrients. Second, average milk production decreases because of reduced energy intake from the ration. Third, milk fat may decrease because of altering the forage-to-concentrate ratio (less fiber from forage and proportionately more concentrate in diet).

A farm or homestead map is a valuable tool for managing and protecting the natural resources on or near your farm property. Understanding where creeks, wetlands, ponds and wells are in relation to livestock pens, barns, manure storage or septic systems is a major first step to protecting water quality on the farm and in the community.

The current trend in animal agricultural food production is to look at “process control” rather than “product control.” Process control can be defined as how the food is produced, whereas product control means how the product turns out. Consumers, in general, have great confidence in the quality of agricultural food products, but they are becoming more aware of agricultural production practices. This awareness has led to increased concern over how their food is produced. Dairy producers that have implemented written health protocols will be on the leading edge of assuring consumers their food is being produced in a manner in which they can abide.

Milk fat depression (MFD) syndrome is a prevalent problem in many dairy herds feeding high-yielding dairy cows. A significant increase in understanding of MFD syndrome occurred in the last several years, and, clearly, different factors may be acting individually or together to result in a lower milk fat content. This article is focused on some of the possible dietary factors involved with MFD. One of the first steps nutritionists evaluate when they face a MFD problem is the dietary effective neutral detergent fiber (efNDF). Penn State University developed a method to evaluate the dietary efNDF which is based on the particle size of the forages or the total mixed ration. A minimum dietary efNDF guideline of 22 percent is required to provide a healthy rumen environment and maximize a cow’s intake, milk yield and composition.