In very simple terms, dairy profitability can be defined as the difference between milk prices and the cost of production, multiplied by the pounds of milk produced. Thus, milk prices, cost of production, and pounds of milk produced are the three critical components for dairy profitability. Therefore, it is very important for producers to have a firm grasp on the three components (price, cost, and volume) of this equation and attempt to modify them in their favor. When milk prices are high and input costs low, producers should use all possible means to improve production and increase gross returns. When the milk price/input relationship is not that favorable, the approach is usually to cut costs, but this short-term, saving approach oftentimes affects medium- to long-term cow productivity and the milk, overall, shipped from the farm. It is critical for producers to identify those areas where they can reduce costs without having an impact on the cows both in the short and in the long term.

Who is responsible for the safety and quality of dairy products? Dairy producers? Processors? Retailers? Consumers? In fact, all of these parties – from farm to fork – share in this responsibility. What starts as a high-quality product on the farm can be ruined somewhere along this chain. However, a poor-quality, inferior raw product leaving the farm cannot be transformed into a safe and high-quality product for the consumer.

I am in travel status most of my last few months here in Iraq. As I write, I have just less than a month to finish my 16-month tour. I look forward to turning my PPE, or body armor, in for the last time. That will be done in Kuwait at Ali Al Salem Air Base.

After a six-year endeavor, the Bovine Genome Project was completed in 2009 through the efforts of over 300 scientists from 25 countries. A female Hereford cow served as the genetic source for the project, and her genome was compared with that of other cattle breeds. The researchers determined that the bovine genome consists of three billion base pairs and 22,000 genes.

A long, hot summer will impact the health and performance of dairy herds. There are many different systems that can be used to effectively cool cows in the summer. So, instead of focusing on the how to keep your cows cool, I want to discuss some common areas to watch to make sure your cows don’t get overheated and where the impact of heat stress may show up in your herd.

In the dairy industry, it’s a commonly held belief that cow comfort contributes to healthier and higher-producing dairy herds. One additional way to increase cow comfort is to manage and control ectoparasites like mange and lice. Comfortable cows simply produce more milk. Dr. Brian Miller, professional service veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., says an annual whole-herd parasite control program is the best way to keep irritating and painful mange at bay.

Dairy Producers of New Mexico (DPNM) held its 2010 Annual Convention/Trade Show and Golf Tournament a few weeks ago in Ruidoso, New Mexico. DPNM is a grassroots trade association for dairy producers in New Mexico and West Texas. DPNM has been having an annual trade show and golf tournament since 1990.