From udder health to employee management, the technologies in Daybreak Dairy’s milking parlor are making a difference.

At Sunnyside Farms in Scipio Center, New York, the focus has always been on growing the herd size but doing so in a cost-efficient way.

Three cooperative representatives participated in a milk quality panel discussion at the 2015 National Mastitis Council Regional Meeting this past July in Syracuse, New York.

Let’s agree that not all mastitis infections are created equal. Some infections are more severe than others and actually make the cow sick, while others result in only a few flakes or clots in the milk that are difficult for technicians to detect.

B vitamin supplementation is often not considered in many dairy cow diet formulations. Despite the importance of these nutrients in animal metabolism, it is still believed that their supplementation to ruminants is not required due to adequate supply from the diet and ruminal synthesis.

We were at a meeting the other day where we overheard producers discussing the high cost of straw. We thought they were using straw for bedding, but many nutritionists are now suggesting adding 2 to 4 pounds of straw to dairy cow rations.

Over the last 50 years, we have seen a decline in the nutrient content of our crops; today’s crops have less protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals compared to those of our grandparents.

This subject may sound ludicrous, yet there is a real and present meaning to the attention-grabbing phrase. The term “anti-nutrition” has been used periodically within animal nutrition conversation but more recently in on-farm support calls and while troubleshooting with consultants to discuss nutrition measures that relate to challenges in animal health and performance.

As the cost to feed cows continues to climb, and as environmental concerns continue to mount over nutrient pollution coming from dairy farms, much more attention is being directed toward researching and defining the proper amino acid balance for both milk cow growth and health as well as maximum milk production and optimal milk components.

Transition management directly impacts milk production and the bottom line. Poor transition periods can result in the loss of 10 to 20 pounds of peak milk per cow per day.