Often in our dairy lives we meet with different situations that you can label either irritating or costly. Some of these irritations (pet peeves) can be from either family members or employees. But beyond being annoying, are some of these issues even costly? Let’s examine a few of these areas to see whether we should tolerate some pet peeves or not. At times we all get a “brain cramp” and do something rather stupid, inconsiderate or neglectful of protocols or common sense.

Here are some comments Progressive Dairyman has received regarding the raw milk poll. Yes: We need to be honest with consumers and tell them we as dairymen produce the very best product for humans, as well as bacteria. Sure, pasteurization kills bacteria, but so does old age. I have had enough of academia telling the story of raw milk is dangerous. With the right protocols, I’ll put my milk up against anyone’s, so put your milk where your mouth is. Either raw or pasteurized. Duncan Smith Mountain Grove, Missouri No: I was raised drinking raw milk from my family’s own cow, and I love it. However, when you buy milk from an unknown source, you do not have knowledge of how the cow or milk product was handled. Pasteurization laws came about because of diseases that were passed from cow milk to humans. I would love to trust and believe that all human producers of raw milk took proper care of the cow and her product, but alas … this is not to be. Therefore, I would have to vote “No” to the unlimited sale of raw milk without some kind of safeguards. Sue Bell

On June 23, Rep. Timothy V. Johnson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture held a public hearing to review and discuss the opportunities and benefits of agricultural biotechnology for farmers, the environment, food and energy security, and competition in the global marketplace. Here are excerpts of testimony presented during the hearing: “Global population growth creates a pressing humanitarian challenge. We can either meet this demand by utilizing marginal lands and lands with fragile soils and poor water resources, or we can make the smart choice of increasing the production capacity of the plants and animals themselves. Innovation in agricultural science and technology is the key.” Chairman Timothy V. Johnson(R-Illinois)

Most feed prices are nearly double historical prices. There is a lot of debate about whether feed prices will ever go back down to historical prices, or how much the prices must go back down and when.

Since the middle of the 20th Century, the U.S. dairy industry has embraced corn silage as the No. 1 most economical and energy-dense forage fed to cows and heifers. Many millions of acres are planted in silage corn every year and many billions of pounds of corn are harvested and put up as silage in horizontal and vertical storage systems.

When it comes to forage particle size, dairy producers could take a lesson from Goldilocks. Not too long. Not too short. But what is “just right?” Forage particle length affects many aspects of rumen function as well as dry matter intake (DMI). Regardless of current milk prices, input costs or other variables, milk production remains a dairy producer’s highest priority, and DMI is fundamental to achieving high milk production.

Dairy producers and their nutritionists are constantly looking for ways to improve forage yield and nutritional quality. This includes areas such as: Hybrid or variety selection Use of crop consultants to help manage agronomic issues Harvesting at optimal crop maturity Wide-swathing alfalfa or high-chopping corn silage Ensuring proper chop length (and kernel processing in corn silage), proper moisture, silage compaction and use of oxygen-barrier film and plastic to protect against surface spoilage Silage inoculation Proper face management to reduce nutrient loss and improve palatability Increased understanding of how length of time in fermented storage changes feed digestibility

Milk replacer is formulated to balance major nutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) with an optimal fortification of vitamins and minerals. When designing any nutrition program, the calf’s health, size and age must be considered. Historically, citations in scientific literature have documented trials where calves have been fed diets low in energy, depriving them of much-needed nutrition. Recent work has rightfully demonstrated that increased nutrition in the calf for optimized growth leads to many positive outcomes, including better milk output in the first lactation.

Heat stress has long-term consequences on the reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle. Dairy cows begin to show signs of heat stress when the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) reaches 72. This heat index takes into account the combined effects of air temperature and relative humidity. Although heifers may not show as much discomfort, they also require attention during times of heat stress to prevent negative effects on fertility. According to the DCHA Gold Standards II, Holstein heifers 6 to 12 months old should receive protection from direct sunlight when the THI meets or exceeds 77. Heifers 12 months old to freshening should have shade when the THI meets or exceeds 72.