The landscape of dairy operations and the dairy industry as a whole are much different today than they were even a few decades ago. Operations are becoming larger, and multiple farms are being consolidated into one.

The expertise dairy producers need to have today to be successful is overwhelming. Everything from genetic selection, futures pricing, employee management, nutrient management and succession planning – not to mention milk production, feed quality and community relations.

I recently learned a former employee is on Facebook and other social media sites pushing an animal rights agenda. This individual no longer works for us (they worked for us two years ago), but their page lists our dairy as a former employer.

Given the high prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) and the high losses associated with this disease, the focus must be on prevention. There are two main approaches to prevention of SCH – dietary manipulation pre-calving and strategic oral calcium supplementation post-calving.

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series featuring 10 steps to a successful transition period. Steps 6-10 are discussed in this article. In our previous article (Progressive Dairyman, February 25, 2017, 10 steps for a successful transition period, part 1) we started the conversation that nutrition and management of the dry dairy cow has been an area of extensive research over the last 25 years.

Recently, a client of mine had been losing what little premium co-ops are still offering for milk quality – to the tune of around $50,000. With this past year’s milk price, this extra cash for achieving quality was a huge loss for my client.

In my grandfather’s day, everyone milked cows before and after work. My grandfather milked eight “dairy” cows that resembled polled Herefords, traded the cream for corn meal, and my grandmother cooked with the skim. The cow’s calf got to “milk” the cow between milking times.

Choosing the right teat dip for your farm can be an overwhelming process. There are several germicides in varying concentrations available in the market today. When choosing a teat dip, however, it is important to remember the dip’s most important job: killing organisms that can cause mastitis.

If you are looking for higher yields, stockpiled feed for the summer slump, as well as better soil, growing corn for your cows to graze instead of perennial grasses may be the answer.

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series about how transition cows’ immune systems are impacted by metabolic factors. Read part 2 More metabolic factors affecting the immune system of the transition diary cow. The transition from pregnant, non-lactating to non-pregnant, lactating is too often a disastrous experience for the cow.