I always look forward to spring after a long, cold, snowy winter. There is something about the longer daylight and the warmth it brings. But what is really good is to see the earth come alive again. It’s wonderful to see the grass and trees green up, along with all the birds coming back from down south.

Parlor efficiency is critical to the profitability of all dairies regardless of size. A recent study showed the pounds of milk harvested per parlor stall per hour is one of the three most important factors influencing a dairy’s profitability. If a dairy can milk one additional parlor side per hour, the financial impact is huge, and labor costs and capital costs remain the same.

Preventing mastitis is no easy task due to the many risk factors that can be present on any given dairy. The variation in the biology of the cow, the bugs and the humans performing the tasks can make it very difficult to control on any given day. One risk factor, though, that should be easier to manage is the function of the milking equipment.

A healthy heart is the central system keeping your body alive and functioning properly. The same is true with your milking system. The pulsator acts as the heartbeat of the entire milking system to ensure proper milk harvest.

Nutrition models often don’t result in the performance expected when they are put into use on the dairy, said Jim Tully of Pine Creek Nutrition Services during the Penn State 2016 Dairy Nutrition Workshop.

Heat stress is a concern for dairy producers across the U.S. In fact, the Journal of Dairy Science estimates heat stress costs U.S. dairy producers over $1 billion each year.

Methionine (Met) and lysine (Lys) are the two most studied essential amino acids (AAs) and have been shown to be limiting output of milk protein in dairy cows fed North American rations. Histidine (His) is another of the 10 nutritionally essential AAs that must be provided in sufficient amounts in the diet of lactating cows.

Much has been said about the importance of maintaining adequate levels of effective fiber in lactating dairy rations to support normal chewing behavior and rumen function and maximize dry matter intake and milk production.

What is a reasonable value to place on your forage inventory? A dairy producer recently pointed out the value of his stored forages each year is worth more than the cost to build another freestall barn.

Forages continue to be the “backbone” of successful dairy rations. Crude protein used to be the “focus” nutrient, but the focus has shifted to fiber digestibility for several reasons: digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) impacts microbial protein production, feed intake, rumen volatile fatty acid profile and production, and rumen pH associated with animal health.