Paying special attention to transition cows from the close-up or maternity pen to the fresh pen usually pays big dividends for the dairy producer. During no other time in a cow’s lactation cycle will she be more prone to diseases and setbacks than this short window. The big dividends paid to the dairy producer include higher milk production, maintain/minimize loss of body condition score, low incidence of metabolic disorders, minimize loss of immunocompetence, control/decrease days to first ovulation and maintain/enhance fertility after the birth of a healthy calf.

Since 1996, when bioengineered corn first appeared in commercial corn production in the U.S., corn grain yields have increased 2 bushels per acre per year.

This year, we were fortunate enough to attend an excellent dairy conference hosted in a casino resort in the Southwest.

Fresh and peak milk production drive your lactating herd’s performance. Ensuring you have the nutrients available to support these stages of lactation is key to making your feeding program efficient and improving your income over feed cost (IOFC).

In the world of dairy nutrition, new recommendations are continually being made. An important area of focus in which new advances are being made is dry cow nutrition, especially the close-up dry cow period, as it is a crucial time.

When was the last time you experienced “the best of both worlds”? As a figure of speech, you simply enjoyed the advantages of two very different things or situations at the same time.

How many times over the past year have you and your nutritionist had a conversation about reducing ration costs? If you’re like most producers, you’re looking for every possible way to squeeze dollars from your monthly feed bill.

The phone call came in one evening last month. A grass-based dairy farmer, whom I’ve known for years, was calling – there was a problem. Three cows were down; two of them were trembling with something like spasms.

If you already do a good job with feeding management and monitoring pre-fresh cows, then implementing a moderate negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) diet is just adding some minerals. Cows on a moderate DCAD diet are mildly metabolically acidified with a urine pH of 6 to 7, which gives you a little safety measure if DCAD drift occurs.

With so many challenges in the dairy industry today, farm managers realize they need to be “better than average” to be in business for the long-term. Running a whole-farm nutrient mass balance (NMB) can help achieve this.