Progressive Dairy

Calf care essential to a dairy’s future

September 19, 2012

Calves are essential to a dairy operation, as they represent the future of the herd and its income. They are also the most vulnerable segment of a herd, highly susceptible to disease with the highest mortality rate among dairy cattle in their first eight weeks of life. With calves serving as the cornerstone of any successful dairy, every effort should be made to keep them protected and healthy. For the best care of calves, there are four main areas to consider.

What a difference a year makes

September 19, 2012

Walt Cooley

One year ago, the difference between the value of milk and the cost of feed was much different than it is today. In this issue, we debut a new graphic that will follow the proposed national dairy margin, which is included in dairy reforms in the Farm Bill currently being considered by Congress. (Click here to view) This graphic will begin appearing in every issue as long as it continues to be proposed or until it becomes law.

September 21, 2012 issue: Export watch

September 19, 2012

Click here to download the latest export watch, provided by the USDEC. PD

Heifer breeding protocol at Diamond H Dairy

September 19, 2012

Click her e to download a PDF of Heifer breeding protocol at Diamond H Dairy in Chowchilla, California.

InFocus: The United States of Automation

September 19, 2012

Walt Cooley

Progressive Dairyman compiled the map below using installation data from robotic milking companies highlighted below. States with at least one robotic milking installation of any kind are shaded in purple. The next most likely states to see a robotic milking installation, according to the contributing companies, are shaded in light purple.

Silage Day in California

September 19, 2012

Cecilia Parsons

A significant part of most dairies’ total mixed ration, corn silage is a crop that can lose its nutritional potential if not harvested and stored carefully. University of California dairy advisers and specialists, along with veterinarians and nutritionists, presented dairy producers and managers with tools to improve their silage handling at Silage Day in Modesto.

Select Sires offers open house and parade of bulls

September 19, 2012

Emily Caldwell Gwin

For the first time in more than a decade, COBA/Select Sires offered facility tours and a parade of bulls at an open house for customer-owners on August 10 at the Select Sires Inc. headquarters. While the A.I. company has hosted several smaller groups over the years, it has not held an event of this size, with more than 700 attendees, since the 1990s.

Are we giving up on fluid milk sales?

September 19, 2012

Calvin Covington

Fluid milk sales continue to decline. Recently released USDA numbers show 2011 fluid milk sales at 53.2 billion lbs. Back in 1990, the number was around 54.8 billion lbs., nearly a 3 percent decline. Yet, during this period of time the U.S. added 20 percent more potential milk drinkers. Per-capita consumption of fluid milk has dropped from 220 lbs. in 1990 to less than 178 lbs. today, and the numbers continue to worsen. Through the first five months of 2012, the USDA reports fluid sales are down 2.5 percent.

What separates the most and least profitable dairies

September 19, 2012

Bill Zweigbaum

The dairy industry has seen much change in just the past few years. Extend the timeline out further and it has seen tremendous change in terms of productivity, technology and even financials. The Northeast Dairy Farm Summary (DFS) is an excellent source of actual data from which we can make observations over the last 33 years. While the farms included generally have above-average results for the overall industry given the sophistication level of their management reporting, some continuing trends can be drawn, particularly between the most and least profitable of the group.

Does your dairy live in a world without consequences?

September 19, 2012

Tom Wall

Imagine living in a world where there are no consequences. What do you think that would be like? At first, that sounds kind of intriguing, doesn’t it? You could eat whatever you want ... calories wouldn’t count. You could drive as fast as you want ... you wouldn’t get tickets, just warnings. You could stay up and party as late as you want ... hangovers wouldn’t exist. Hey ... you wouldn’t even have to work or pay your bills ... someone would just give you free money!