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We in the dairy business at times seem to just go through the motions without thinking about the cost of our daily routine, good or bad. So let us consider a few areas in which our daily routine may be costing us big money.
Cattlemen are leaning on their counterparts in the dairy industry to beef up the supply of quality red meat.
“The beef industry has its eyes on nine million dairy cows,” Jerry Wulf told dairymen at the 2014 World Ag Expo. “Hopefully, you can help us produce high-quality feeder cattle from that cow supply.”
Two more dairymen joined Wulf in the discussion of breeding dairy cows to beef during the World Ag Expo panel. Find out why they are doing it, how they are implementing a breeding plan and what they do with their calves.
Why classify?
The Holstein Association USA’s classification program may have its roots in the tiestall barns of breeder herds, but dairymen still find value in these third-party evaluations on commercial dairies today.
In fact, more Holstein cows received official scores last year compared to the previous year. At the 2013 annual meeting, Holstein Association USA, Inc. reported evaluating 190,339 cows through the regular classification program, representing a 2 percent increase.
This article was #1 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the April 1, 2014 print issue.
A growing world population and fewer resources are driving the efficiency of agriculture production, and in the dairy industry, genomics is an example of one technology positioned to take the dairy cow we know today to a whole new level.
Genetics matter. And they are one of the cheapest investments you can make to improve the profitability and efficiency of your herd. While the numbers on a proof sheet may sometimes seem unrealistic or unclear, once you break it down to see how they translate on a herd-level basis, it becomes very real.
Using herd management software programs, we can create a genetic assessment of any given herd to see if their animals truly live up to their genetic potential.
Previously, we established that defining dairy cow health status is not always a black and white issue. That’s because while the vast majority of cows on dairies are healthy and a few are easily identified as sick, a certain percentage of cows don’t fit in either category.
These are the cows that fall into the “gray area.” These animals do not stand out. They don’t show visual signs of illness or underperformance, but neither are they functioning at full capacity.
The dairy world, both the production industry and the commodity market sides, is at a pivotal moment. No longer is fluid milk the leading driver of milk prices; now, the solids within milk have the power.
Sure, a producer can make a little more money by shipping more hundredweights, but at the cost of the efficiency of the dairy. The good news for the dairy producer is that boosting the premium dollars on their milk check can be as simple as choosing the right bulls.
Although milk production has almost doubled during the last 50 years, conception rate did not improve and stayed low. The average conception rate in North America is at 39 percent with pregnancy rate being as low as 15 percent. Reproduction problems represent 18 percent of the culling rate and are stated to be the main reasons for involuntary culling in dairy herds.
This article was #25 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the April 1, 2014 print issue.
When Jeff and Connie Horsens built a new freestall barn in 2013 as they grew from within to reach 500 cows, they achieved their goal of providing a comfortable environment for their high-producing herd, and the benefits are still being realized.
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