We often think about the bull as the means of introducing new genetics into a beef herd. However, management of the bull (or lack of it) after purchase is often the “Achilles Heel” of cattle production.

With the enormous buzz about genomics, many questions surface about how a commercial dairyman should use this technology: How will genomics affect the industry? Should I use some, all or no genomic bulls?

This article was #5 in PDmag's Top 5 most-well read New Technology articles in 2011. to jump to the article. Summary: Canada native Nick Szabo worked with a French company called Pichon Industries to develop an innovative way to haul manure. The result was the iCan patented loading system, which allows any spreader or truck to load in under one minute with a 100 percent payload each and every time. This system features a galvanized steel nurse tank with two vacuum pumps.

Dairy farmers can greatly reduce ammonia emissions from their production facilities by injecting liquid manure into crop fields below the soil surface, according to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). By reducing ammonia emissions, valuable nitrogen can be conserved which will be available for crop growth, thereby reducing the need for inorganic fertilizers.

“Common wisdom” says that bedding should be refreshed often to provide a clean environment, while a close reading of the research literature suggests that to be ill-advised from the point of view of pathogen regrowth (as well as being less economical). Pathogens in organic bedding reach high levels within a day or two of being placed in stalls and rebedding provides fresh organic materials that serve as food for the organisms – thus, frequent rebedding may not make a difference. Two farms that used DMS directly from the separator in deep beds assigned two pens of animals to this study. The cows in each pen were of approximately the same parity and stage of lactation and were kept in the same pen for four full weeks in July and January.

The ball has dropped! The confetti’s been tossed. The whistles have blown and the firecrackers and sparklers have burned to ashes. The old man of the year has staggered out and the babe of the New Year bounces in with hopes and dreams of the coming twelve months.

Milk Specialties Global has announced the purchase of the production facility of Robert Morgan Inc. in Paris, Illinois. This facility is located approximately 165 miles south of Chicago and has been partnering with Milk Specialties as a toll manufacturing facility for the past 16 months.