Feed prices for the last five years have been at historic highs. Coupled with periods of low milk prices, this has resulted in extremely tight (sometimes negative) margins for dairy producers. The ability of ruminants to convert lower-digestibility feedstuffs (forages and other high-fiber feeds) into edible products has always been a positive attribute and one that has historically allowed the use of lower-cost feedstuffs, often byproducts which would be wasted otherwise.

Dairy heifers have a lot riding on their shoulders. They may not be competing in the Olympics but, like an athlete, they must prepare and perform at their best or they won’t go home a winner. Your role in preparing heifers to perform at their best is crucial. According to industry standards established by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) in its Gold Standards II, Holstein heifers should achieve an average daily gain of at least 1.7 to 2.0 pounds. To do this, you must feed post-weaned dairy heifers properly, which includes feeding sufficient levels of energy and protein.

The first two months of a calf’s life can be challenging due to high risk of scours and respiratory disease – but this time is also one of opportunity because calves have the potential to grow very efficiently. While getting calves off to a good start is labor-intensive and can be frustrating at times, recent research has shown that keeping calves healthy and growing not only benefits the calf in the short term but can have long-term impacts on the productivity (and ultimately profitability) of the animal once it reaches the lactating herd.

To maintain a profitable business model and maximize productivity, producers need to be highly efficient with available resources. In today’s dairy industry, high genetic potential in heifers is one of the most rewarding resource investments.

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace – and technology in the dairy industry is no exception. Some is considered “disruptive” technology, defined by Clayton Christensen of Harvard University as a process or product that takes root in simple applications at the bottom of the market and then relentlessly moves “up market,” eventually displacing established competitors. In fact, many business success stories start with a disruptive technology; cell phones are a good example. One example receiving a lot of attention in the dairy industry is an activity monitor for estrus detection. Could it benefit your breeding program?

Many dairy veterinarians prescribe the use of prostaglandin F2α (PG) in dairy herds to control time to estrus (heat), as part of synchronization programs or for postpartum treatments. There are two primary PG products available in the U.S., dinoprost tromethamine (Lutalyse and generic ProstaMate) and cloprostenol sodium (Estrumate and generic estroPLAN). These two products are different in chemical structure and have a different half-life. Cloprostenol has a longer half-life than dinoprost, and thus is maintained in circulation for a longer time. But are they different when it comes to performance in the field? We have completed several studies that indicated there were subtle differences. This article will discuss the pros and cons of these two products.