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Dairy producer profitability deteriorated sharply over the past few months as milk prices plummeted while feed costs increased. Where the market was projecting a positive margin for nearby Q2 at the beginning of the year, the open market margin for that period is now negative.
Moreover, the projected profitability has moved from a very high historical value above the 90th percentile of the past 10 years to below the 10th percentile between mid-January and early March – a nearly $4-per-hundredweight (cwt) drop.
During the first half of my career, I worked as a dairy nutritionist primarily in Ohio and the eastern Corn Belt, and believe that experience has greatly improved my ability to consult in the business and financial side of dairy operations. I now occasionally have the opportunity to work with my former nutrition clients and am reminded of a conversation that took place many years ago.
I walked into the office of one of my prospective nutrition clients for an appointment and found him very agitated. The conversation went something like this:
DAIRYMAN: Greg, it may not be a good day for us to talk.
After months of preparation, Shur-Gain Strykersville in New York has received Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification, becoming a leader in the industry with their pledge of excellence to customers and the community.
With growing awareness of the impact the feed industry has on food safety, Shur-Gain Strykersville began implementing a HACCP program that maximizes feed safety.
Nearly 1,400 people from 26 states and five countries gathered in Madison, Wisconsin, March 13-14 for the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) Business Conference.
Attendees could choose from 14 different specialty sessions during the two-day educational event, while the keynote speakers focused on three core areas – China, credit and consumer choice.
Recent research published in BMC Research Notes (Baines et. al. 2011, 4:110) studied the effects of Celmanax Liquid on etiologic agents of Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome (HBS) in dairy cattle.
This disease is also known as Jejunal Hemorrhagic Syndrome (JHS), acute hemorrhagic enteritis of the small intestine and bloody gut. It is characterized by large blood clots in the intestine that result in severe enlargement of the bowel, eventual blockage and sudden death.
In analyzing the cost to irrigate a crop or provide water to your barn, there are various factors that influence both short-term and long-term expense. All of the costs associated with pumping can be reduced by properly designing, constructing and testing the well.
The most basic factor influencing short-term production cost is pumping head: The greater the pumping head, the higher the cost will be to pump the well. Pumping head can be divided into two categories: actual head (determined by the pumping water level in the well and the distance and elevation change to the field where the water will be applied) and artificial head.
Ken Leslie, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph was the recipient of the first-ever National Mastitis Council (NMC) Award of Excellence for Mastitis Prevention and Control.
The award was sponsored by Prevention Works from Boehringer Ingleheim Vetmedica, Inc., and will be awarded annually to an active NMC member for sustained contribution to mastitis prevention and control through research, extension or education, clinical practice or service to producers.
Implants have been proven to improve gains by 4 to 5 percent, according to research from Oklahoma State University. This could translate to an additional 18 to 20 pounds of weaning weight.
The ditches along some roads in southwest Missouri are cluttered this spring with net wrap from round hay bales. The problem, which is particularly noticeable along rural roads, is easily preventable.
The plastic net wrapping used to pack and store hay bales has a good track record for preserving hay quality, but its durability is also its Achilles' heel when it comes to disposal.
