Metritis is among the most common and important diseases that strike the dairy farm. While there are many effective treatment options available, cows with even mild cases pay a considerable price during their lactation period through decreased milk production and reproductive efficiency.

Let’s face it, farmers need money – more money – and more time. Seems like I can never get enough done in the day, and I’m always trying to cut some milk production costs too, so I had the bright idea to start a day care on the farm.

This month’s VAS DC305 tip is on transition. How well animals transition will greatly affect how they will do in their next lactation. Poor transition will not only affect the production of the animal for the next lactation, but will also affect reproduction, somatic cell count and lifetime in the herd. All are very important and lead to lost income.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley attended World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, Feb. 14-16, 2017. He walked the show looking for new products and industry trends. Below are his thoughts on what he found.

Hundreds of dairy farmers and agricultural leaders from New England and New York gathered at the 18th annual Vermont Dairy Producers Conference in Burlington on Tuesday, February 21, to hear from a panel of experts about strategies to ensure dairy farms continue to be a vibrant part of the local economy.

U.S. milk production continues to grow steadily, based on USDA’s latest monthly report, released Feb. 21.

Visitors to the 2018 Pennsylvania Farm Show will have a new “must see” stop at the “Calving Corner,” Pennsylvania’s live dairy cow birthing center. More than 500,000 children and adults will be given the opportunity to watch a dairy cow give birth to a newborn calf during the eight-day show.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing, Feb. 15, as the 115th Congress began laying the groundwork for the 2018 Farm Bill. The hearing primarily focused on the economic challenges facing of U.S. agriculture, including dairy.

Policy changes and media attention regarding the Trump administration's executive orders has heightened concerns among dairy producers who hire immigrant labor. To address some of those concerns, the American Dairy Coalition (ADC) hosted an ”Immigration Update: Preparing for ICE Visits” webinar, Feb. 17.

On Feb. 15, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), along with Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.), introduced the Young Farmer Success Act in a bipartisan effort to preserve America’s agricultural economy and the security of its national food supply.