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Last year, we talked about several issues that can affect the bottom line of your dairy business. Oftentimes we are so busy with the daily routine we fail to stop and think if the things we do are cost-effective or not. Let’s consider more ways to save time and money.
Seldom does a week go by without the dairyman receiving at least one dairy-related magazine covering nutrition, and more specifically, amino acid (AA) nutrition in the dairy cow. Countless articles and papers have been written the last few years discussing research and practice and the evolving understanding that is updated almost daily.
Ask any dairy farmer what type of issues they face in today’s industry, and the conversation undoubtedly will move toward money. With most farmers facing decreasing profit margins and some barely hanging on due to increased cost and a stagnant revenue stream, good farmers are always on the lookout for ways to better manage their bottom line.
The University of Kentucky and Southeast Quality Milk Initiative recently released a Hot Sheet Dashboard as part of their online decision tools offerings.
New York’s Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS), operated by Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Diagnostic Center, provides producers with education and research on mastitis control. Four regional locations offer farmers field and laboratory culturing and diagnostic services. They serve all of New York and offer services in other states.
Every case of mastitis is costly to the dairy producer. It may be in terms of decreased milk production, treatment expense, lower milk quality premiums and possible culling or death of the affected animal.
Indirectly, it takes extra time during milking to properly identify a treated cow and discard her milk, and there is always the risk of antibiotic residues if a treated cow is accidently milked into the tank.
Dairy producers are familiar with taking precautions to reduce mastitis infection. Maintaining cow cleanliness and comfort, utilizing best practices during milking, closely monitoring somatic cell counts, establishing and following protocols for infected cows, and culling judiciously are all tools for decreasing the impact of mastitis in dairy herds.
When I was a dairy herd consultant in the mid-2000s, I worked with many dairy managers who were very excited to reach a 20 percent pregnancy rate. At the time, these herds were top performers. Today, that performance level is considered average.
Herd manager Martin Gomez oversees the reproduction program for Aardema Dairies’ 11,600 cows. Based in Wendell, Idaho, the dairy operates at five different sites, with a milking herd of 35 percent Jerseys and 65 percent Holsteins.
