Improving your dry cow program means more efficient, healthier milking cows later.

A total mixed ration (TMR) is composed of forages, commodities/byproducts (such as whole cottonseed), grains, protein supplement(s), minerals, and vitamins that have been mixed together to make a balanced ration in which the weight of each ingredient is known.

Most of the cows in a typical dairy herd should be money makers, but too frequently there are a number of cows that should have been profitable that are culled early in lactation because they failed to make the transition from the dry period to milking successfully.

Dairy operations are affected by environmental regulations related to both air and water quality. Air and water issues have been identified and regulated since the 1960s, though dairy operations and agriculture in general were not identified as major sources of problems until the past decade.

Imagine for a moment that you are competing against the best archer in the world. He can hit the bull’s eye with one arrow, and then with his next shot, split the first arrow down the middle! Did you know that you could outshoot this archery pro?

Fostering a teamwork ethic within a dairy operation enhances employee effectiveness. Forming a team is easy, but in reality, actual functioning as a team is a difficult task. Teams are made up of different types of individuals that must bring their collective strengths together for the benefit of the whole.

Proper management is the key to success in any enterprise, and the dairy business is no exception. Each successful producer must have records which are accurate and reliable to make sound management decisions.

Selecting an employee is among the most important decisions a manager makes. Getting the right person in the right position is crucial for business success. But how can you do that?

Looking for a few hundred extra dollars? Try beefing-up dairy cull cow condition before marketing.

Milking labor is a large cost on any dairy farm. Milking routine and parlor design affect the efficiency of milking and the number of cows milked per day for years after construction is completed. This [article] discusses ways to improve milking efficiency, drawing largely on time-motion studies initiated by Dennis Armstrong, University of Arizona.