During the first 30 days of lactation, cows are at high risk for both infectious and metabolic disease issues such as hypocalcemia, ketosis, retained placenta (RP), metritis and abomasum displacement (DA).

My daughter is getting married at the end of the month. Everything is a flurry of preparation. The traditional wedding quilt is almost finished, and we are preparing for the journey to Wisconsin, where she will be married.

Equipment manufacturers often offer product support kits that make it easy to order everything needed to successfully upgrade, maintain and repair equipment.

There’s an old gag in my family that started off as what they interpreted as an annoying habit. Thanks to 4-H and National Holstein Conventions, I was able to visit a few states and the landmarks in them. When I saw one of those places on the television, I would point out that I’ve been there.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I found the following labels on milk and yogurt packaging: no artificial growth hormones, no rBST, no antibiotics, raised without antibiotics, humanely raised, animal welfare-approved, organic, vegetarian-fed, pasture-raised, grass-fed, sustainable, certified pesticide residue-free, no toxic pesticides, environmentally responsible, all natural, GMO-free, gluten-free, A1 protein-free, from family farms and farm-raised.

Last week, I received a letter from my insurance company explaining safety tips for using fireworks on the farm. At first I thought, “What kind of insurance company would actually encourage pyrotechnics on the farm?”

Last year, my brother-in-law took a cowboy job with a ranch in northern Utah. It’s his dream job, no two ways about that. The guy spends his days on the back of a horse and can train as many cow dogs as he pleases. His rope is never far from his hand, and his cowboy hat doesn’t leave his head. He makes as good a cowboy as Marlboro Man.

Every nickel and every dime always count, but it seems like they count more these days for dairy farmers. While the long-term outlook for milk prices is beginning to brighten just a bit, producers must still keep a close eye on every part of their business as they ride out this cycle of negative economic forces.

Editor’s note: This article is the third in a series profiling sources for an in-depth feature about the Chinese dairy industry, appearing in print later this summer. Frank Delfino seems to spend as much time in the air as he does with his feet on the ground. As president of Delfino Nutrition and Management Inc. of Columbia, Tennessee, he consults internationally with both dairies and feed manufacturers.

Cattle on feed and beef production were up, with steer, heifer and cow slaughter all higher. Cold storage inventories were mostly lower. Lower cash prices and higher feed costs hurt margins during the first half of June.