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The spring of 2012 started out early in the Midwest U.S., with warm temperatures in March and into April, but then quickly cooled off.
Late-season frost events left us questioning whether the alfalfa crop could survive spring. The crop survived and we transitioned into a drought among the most severe the U.S. has seen in decades, stressing most crops and regions – and yielding some very different and interesting forage results.
How high could the corn price possibly go? $9? $12? $24? By when? These are the questions on the minds of many agricultural producers. Whether you produce corn or feed it, you want to know if the high is in or if it is yet to come.
Pictures of stunted corn cobs in the Corn Belt of the U.S. or the barren wheat fields of Ukraine call world food affairs into mind.
What many of us do not take into consideration is that the current drought does not only affect crop yields – the U.S.’ corn yields are supposed to be 13 percent lower than in the previous year – but also heavily affects the quality of corn.
Are you overfeeding your lactating cows? Victor Cabrera says if you are feeding all your cows the same ration, that is likely the case.
Cabrera is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Dairy Science Department and a dairy management extension specialist for UW-Extension. He presented a session on grouping strategies at the Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference held June 13 in Dubuque, Iowa.
Conscientious feeders want to do the best job possible for both their owners and cows. Their goal, whether written or not, is to manufacture and deliver a high-quality, accurate and consistent ration in an efficient manner. Too often, though, obstacles unnecessarily impede the feeder’s process, quality and/or accuracy – and the ration suffers.
This was the case recently when a dairy requested a TMR audit. Its feeders were struggling to deliver a consistent total mixed ration (TMR) to the pens prior to cows returning from the parlor.
The transition from the dry period to lactation is the most stressful part of a dairy cow’s life. Physiological and hormonal changes accelerate during the eighth month of gestation as the milk secretion glands enlarge in the udder and the cow prepares to give birth.
Direct-fed microbials (DFM) are a source of live, naturally occurring microorganisms used as feed additives in the dairy industry.
DFM are primarily composed of beneficial bacteria and live fungi (yeast) and have been recommended for use in cattle to mitigate rumen dysfunction and the effects of being off-feed and to improve feed efficiency, cow health and production performance.
It’s no secret that corn supplies will be low this year – and tensions are running high on what to do about it.
Numerous organizations have signed on to a petition presented to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson asking for a waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) to reduce the ethanol industry’s demand for corn and, therefore, increase the amount of corn available to the farmers and livestock who need it.
Feed prices are at historic highs. Along with this, milk prices have not kept pace, causing extremely tight (many times negative) margins. High feed prices and variability in supplies have created the challenge of utilizing ingredients that give us the best return on the investment.
As a dairy producer, you may think it’s impossible to meet the nutritional needs of your herd with a high-quality corn silage without sacrificing tonnage.
But with the wide selection of silage hybrids that are designed for high digestibility and adapted to varying geographies and field conditions, it’s realistic to reach both nutritional goals and yield requirements.
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