Corn silage harvest is arguably the most critical time of the year for a dairy’s future productivity and profitability. In a period of a few weeks, nine to 14 months of feed inventory is created.

Advances in forage quality should translate into improved farm income. Forage quality is synonymous with improved fiber digestibility (NDFd).

Success begins with an end in mind. Think trajectory. Think reverse engineering. If you want age at first calving (AFC) to be 21 or 22 months old, you better have an “end” weight and frame modeled into your growth system.

In box-type automated milking systems, rest feed is feed programmed for the cow to receive at the robot but not consumed for various reasons.

A successful breeding program starts with good, early lactation nutritional management. Getting cows off to the best possible start in early lactation is critical on every dairy farm.

Often when nutritionists think of fatty acid nutrition, our minds turn to fat supplements. However, the area is much broader than dairy cattle diet fat supplements and should be recognized as such.

Direct-fed microbials (DFMs) are defined as products that contain live (viable), naturally occurring micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast. The term “probiotic” is commonly used to describe DFMs.

Fiber is a key component of the ruminant diet and can frequently account for over 50 percent dry matter intake through the inclusion of silage, hay and fibrous co-products.

The old adage, “You are what you eat” has never been more relevant than when talking about dairy cattle. In fact, few would disagree quality silage is the most important feed source for dairy cattle.

There is no middle ground. If your workday involves the regular use of a pickup truck, one will either see it as a necessary evil or as a marvelous do-everything machine the universe cannot exist without.