A total mixed ration (TMR) is composed of forages, commodities/byproducts (such as whole cottonseed), grains, protein supplement(s), minerals, and vitamins that have been mixed together to make a balanced ration in which the weight of each ingredient is known.

Improving your dry cow program means more efficient, healthier milking cows later.

Managing dairy farm workers involves three principles.

Feeding the cows is one of the most important jobs on the dairy.

Every once in a while we’ll see a poll question that will garner an above-average number of responses. Last issue’s question was one of those. Late in January, I received the following letter from Timothy Jenck, a dairy farmer in Tillamook, Oregon.

Recent trends continue in the fluid market. Fluid sales are generally steady except where featured. The split between affidavit milk (produced without rBST) and nonaffidavit milk is causing problems for handlers trying to cover customer orders.

California milk production is steady to higher on a week-to-week basis and remains at levels well above year ago levels. Recent wet conditions may have moderated growth, but the upward trend has not turned.

Most of the cows in a typical dairy herd should be money makers, but too frequently there are a number of cows that should have been profitable that are culled early in lactation because they failed to make the transition from the dry period to milking successfully.

In agriculture we are always working with tighter and tighter budgets. One place there seems to be excess money spent is on replacement heifers.

Fresh cows represent the greatest income potential for dairy operations. But fresh cows can be fragile cows.