In the last 10 years, the use of corn grain for feed has been reduced by nearly 30 percent. The emphasis on corn for fuel instead of feed has driven up the competition for corn grain and corn silage. The reality of the future is that less corn and silage and more corn co-products will be available for use in cattle diets. Producers have had to seek out new uses for co-products from corn processing industries and will continue to have to do so.

Reaching high peak milk production is key to a successful lactation. Each 1-pound increase in peak milk translates into 213 to 304 pounds more milk throughout the entire lactation. Unfortunately, a cow’s inability to increase dry matter intake during the first weeks after calving can prevent the cow from reaching high peak milk production. The challenge is even greater when rations contain high levels of forage that is not easy to digest.

Advances in forage fiber testing have been rapid over the past 30 years to keep pace with our evolving understanding of nutrient needs of high-producing dairy cows. Forage testing today utilizes a combination of chemical, physical and biological tests – all of which still need to be correlated with animal digestion or in vivo data.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), the queen of the forage crops, is one of the most developed and researched forage and pasture crops in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world where it is well adapted. It’s normally considered to be productive for three to five years throughout much of the Midwest and follows a regular stand decline pattern of 20 to 50 or more plants per square foot at establishment to less than 10 plants per square foot at the end of its productive life span.

As the 2014 silage season approaches, producers will be turning their thoughts to making sure everything is prepped and ready for the annual battle to ensure sufficient top-quality preserved feeds are available to maximize profitability. While many producers may have already been locked in to their forage inoculant during winter seed sales campaigns, there are also many who are still weighing their options, considering whether to use a different microbial inoculant on hay silage versus corn silage.

When I left the university with my master’s degree in 1976 and joined a fertilizer retail chain as agronomist, corn yields averaged about 140 bushels per acre. At the same time in North Dakota, where I have been North Dakota State University extension soil specialist for almost 20 years, yields were about 80 bushels. When I visit old corn grower friends in Illinois, they tell me that their average is over 200 bushels per acre, and corn growers in eastern North Dakota often average over 160 bushels per acre.

The dairy industry has come a long way in formulating and delivering quality dairy diets. It’s really quite extraordinary the level of information dairy producers and nutritionists now have at their fingertips about each ingredient included in rations. This data allows producers to deliberately and carefully feed groups of cows according to their specific needs in order to maximize production and efficiency while supporting cow health and productivity.

Scriptures are like a rosebud that continues to bloom. Each petal that opens reveals more beauty and depth. At first glance, the scriptures are just interesting stories, but as you re-read and ponder them, they come alive with meaning and practical applications for life.

Engine oil and hydraulic fluid are literally the lifeblood of your machinery. Selecting the correct oil for your machine and application is important, but are there things that can be learned by using oil and fluid analysis? The answer is most definite: yes.