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Studies have shown significant benefits of a proper colostrum- feeding protocol. These represent the need to rapidly thaw and feed 4 liters/quarts of high-quality colostrum within 30 minutes after a calf is born.
For farms wanting to use their own colostrum, getting a fresh cow milked, or banked colostrum thawed, in that amount of time can be a real challenge.
Michigan State University land value and rental rate surveys show that average farm land rental rates continue to increase. Some of the rent increases are a function of competition: As farms are getting larger, some are willing to work on smaller margins spread over more acres.
Q. What most concerns you about the dairy industry in the next five years?
Nik Sutter Fertile-Ridge Dairy LLC Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Volatility is the biggest concern in a lot of different ways – not just feed, not just milk, but growing operations not knowing what land values are going to do; not knowing what credit availability is going to be in the next five years.While many of us have plans, I know that there are others that don’t. It’s just scary to think if a lot of different risks occur at the same time, what might happen to some of us.
Editor’s note: The following opinion was submitted by the author in response to current dairy reform proposals.
The world is running out of food Back in 1954, I was a young hired hand working for Law-nel Farms, a large (for that era), 65-cow dairy farm. The owner, Nelson Smith, was a former county agent and I was a “green” college graduate.
After milking the cows, the breakfast table was always a feast of Rella Smith’s delicious breakfast and a treasure of Nelson Smith’s conversation and wisdom.
What can you and I do about this? Is it out of our control?
We have had decades to enjoy cheap food. Food eaten at home combined with food eaten away from home in the U.S. has consumed around 10 percent of disposable income since 2005. This cost is down from 20.6 percent in 1950 and 13.8 percent in 1975. We have been at essentially the 10 percent level ever since.
Recent advances in laboratory analytical techniques now allow scientists to detect organic compounds at very low concentrations, in the parts-per-billion to parts-per-trillion range.
As detection limits have dropped and as scientists have begun to test for more and more chemicals, previously undetected organic chemicals are increasingly being found in streams, lakes and groundwater.
These previously undetected chemicals, typically synthetic chemicals released from human activities on the land surface, are now popularly referred to as “emcons” or “emerging contaminants.”
Imagine if your tank average dropped by 15 percent one month. Or you had to dump 15 percent of your milk each pick-up. Think of that impact on your bottom line.
Dairy producers may find themselves in a similar situation if they don’t practice food safety as actively with cull cows as they are with milk. Cull cows and bull calves can represent between 10 to 15 percent of gross farm income, according to most industry statistics.
So while not as significant as the milk check, revenue from cull cows is an important income stream, and steps should be taken to protect it.
Click here to read an update to this article.
I have been in the hoof care business for more than 16 years and have seen my herds expand in size over and over again.
The industry has integrated from mid-size herds in tiestalls and cows spending much of their time on pasture to larger freestall operations with cows spending most or all of their time walking on concrete.
TRENDING TOPIC ARTICLE: HERD HEALTH
Published: March 22, 2011 print issue
In this past article, IntraCare’s Koos Vis discussed the cause and symptoms of foot rot as well as the treatment and preventative steps to take.
He also provided information about how to distinguish foot rot from other hoof health problems. to jump to the article.
He wrote, “If your cow is lame for a long period of time, the cause most likely is not foot rot. The foot may smell and look ‘rotten,’ but the inflammation is quite probably not caused by foot rot and we’re dealing with another cause of lameness.”
Age: 34
Location: Chilton, Wisconsin
My dairy’s history: My parents owned and operated a 70-cow dairy farm until 1994, when they transitioned to raising replacement heifers. They were one of the first replacement heifer farms in our area. Five years ago, I joined the farm operation and we formed an LLC.
I am very proud to be a third-generation farmer, but couldn’t do it without the help of my mom, Gertie, who does all the farm bookwork and my husband, Brent, and our three full-time employees, who help me keep the operation running day-to-day.
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