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This morning I dressed my nearly 2-year-old daughter in a shirt that reads, “I love sunny days.” Yet, out my office window the sky is grey and sprinkles flicker by as I look to the tree bending toward the west with its over-turned leaves.
Studies have shown significant benefits of a proper colostrum-feeding protocol. These represent the need to rapidly thaw and feed four litres of high-quality colostrum within 30 minutes after a calf is born.
What a pleasure I had attending the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, Alberta, this spring. While there was still plenty of snow and freezing temperatures, the great company and brewing coffee kept a soul warm.
Before the seminars started, I skated around a few dairy farms with other interested parties in our plastic biosecurity boots. During the preconference tours, we visited Chubanna Holsteins, Roneamer Farms Ltd. and Dykman Farms Ltd. Each farm was doing something unique.
More milk and components from each kilogram of feed is the basis for the feed efficiency equation. In countries where production caps have not been set, this idea resonates well since maximized production most often translates to additional revenue for the dairy.
I’ve always enjoyed hearing from readers and therefore I was really excited to hear from our newest admirers after the release of Progressive Dairyman’s first Canadian issue in January.
People told us they were “impressed” with the magazine and that it held “valuable content.” Some of our advertisers told us they had already received phone calls inquiring about their products or services.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We would love for the dialog to continue. In my mind, if our publication isn’t meeting your needs, then it is our responsibility to improve.
The world today seems to be moving at an increasingly rapid pace. Agriculture has seen more challenging times to remain profitable and sustainable. This pressure can affect our decisions when designing, building or modifying dairy facilities that can influence cow comfort.
Providing adequate cow comfort has a direct impact on milk production, health, reproduction, longevity and profitability. This article will focus on some of the key areas including stall design, bedding, overcrowding and flooring.
Using separated dairy solids for bedding can be economically advantageous while offering a comfortable surface for your cows. Others in North America are using it, why can’t we?
Because solids are an organic bedding, they have the potential to carry a bacterial load, as well as support bacterial growth if stalls are not managed properly.
In an increasingly competitive and complex industry, producers are looking for an edge.
Whether making nutritional decisions for herd management, conducting research to learn more about how genetics can improve traits such as milk production or managing more with less, today’s dairy producers are getting busier every day.
It may be termed a changing of the guard at Quality Holsteins, but long-time herdsman Don Schwartz describes it “as a transition much more than an overthrow.”
Paul Ekstein, who began a Holstein herd as an offshoot of his forage seed business, is turning over leadership of Quality Farms to his son, Ari, and the most noticeable difference is the way genetics are marketed.
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