I can’t imagine what it feels like to think you are getting married and then find out at the rehearsal that the wedding is called off. Who do you go to – to ask for help to process that hurt, disappointment and embarrassment?

This year’s Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) will look a little different, but its goals remain the same: to bring the dairy industry together and introduce the latest innovations.

On Feb. 10 and 11, some 500 dairy farmers from across Canada participated in a virtual edition of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC) 2021 Annual Dairy Policy Conference (APC).

It is a balancing act when it comes to feeding protein. Dairy cows do not have a requirement for crude protein – instead, they require amino acids, the building blocks of protein. The main sources of amino acids are:

Carbohydrates are the major component of every lactating cow diet, making up approximately 70% of the total ration, with around 30% of these carbohydrates taking the form of starch. When formulating and feeding lactating diets, we rely on starch to support the energy demands for milk production.

There is a certain appeal in feeding long dry hay to dairy cows, especially because the cows seem to gravitate to this type of forage, but is this the best way to feed dairy cows?

Many years ago, when I was a “baby” vet, I was working with an old bachelor who milked 30 cows. During pregnancy checks, I asked how his calves were doing. “If I ever get a sick calf, I go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of whiskey.

At some point in our lives, someone has reminded us to choose our words wisely. Every single one of us has probably said something we wish we could take back. I know I have.

Genetic gains in the Canadian dairy industry have been advancing at an unprecedented rate since the introduction of genomics in August 2009, when the first genomic evaluations were published in Canada.