Progressive Dairy

August 2011 A.I. Tables

August 24, 2011

Click here to download a two-page pdf of the August 2011 A.I. Tables. PD

Breeders’ Circle: Issue 13 2011

August 24, 2011

ABS Global announces new graduates in the U.S. With the release of the August 2011 USDA Genetic Evaluations, ABS Global expands the dairy lineup with 17 new graduates.

Just dropping by ... Lord, teach us how to pray

August 24, 2011

My family has been reading about prayer for a month. Every morning we take a new scripture verse and discuss the power of prayer and the significance it plays in our lives.

Mechanics Corner: Tier 4 interim emissions regulations spur technology improvements

August 24, 2011

Tim O'Brien

Editor’s note: The first in a two-part series of articles discussing new Tier 4 emissions requirements and technology to meet them. By now, you have probably heard about new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier 4 emissions requirements for off-highway equipment powered by diesel engines.

The Milk House: The last crofter

August 24, 2011

Ryan Dennis

Several years ago BBC News ran a story on Ian MacDonald, a quiet man with pink cheeks that is the last known Scottish crofter to swim his cattle across the sea from the Isle of Sky. Scottish crofting is a farming tradition in the highlands and islands of Scotland that dates back to the 19th century.

Sexed semen: Farm data, strategies for the hesitant producer

August 24, 2011

Colten Green

Although the technology of sexed semen has been around for a while, many still question if it’s worth the investment. After all, the price of sexed semen for many producers is significantly higher than the cost of conventional semen.

The View from Here: Surveying the human landscape

August 24, 2011

Mike Gangwer

As I enter my second year here in Washington, D.C., the topic of training arrived in my inbox. As Department of State Civilian Response Corps active members, we are required to complete eight weeks of training each year, so I glance at the schedule and list of courses.

The importance of good reproductive performance

August 24, 2011

Amin Ahmadzadeh and George Heersche

One of the major factors determining dairy herd efficiency is the amount milk sold per cow per day of life. Several factors contribute to pounds of milk sold per day of life, but reproductive performance is a major contributor. The two main reproduction influences on lifetime milk production are age at first calving and percentage of time a cow spends in the first months of lactation.

Milk better than water to rehydrate kids: McMaster study

August 24, 2011

Active children need to be watered with milk. It's a more effective way of countering dehydration than a sports drink or water itself, say researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. That's particularly important during hot summer weather, says Brian Timmons, research director of the Child Health and Exercise Medicine Program at McMaster and principal investigator of the study.

I belong to... Texas A&M Dairy Club: David Volleman

August 22, 2011

Hometown: Born in Luxembourg and grew up in Gustine, Texas. My dairy background: I have three brothers, Benjamin, Andrew and Daniel, and my parents are Frank and Annette. My family has been in the dairy business for at least four generations. My family moved to Texas in 1993 from Luxembourg where we had a small dairy; we now milk approximately 3,300 cows in a 72-stall rotary. Year in school and area of study: Senior at Texas A&M University studying agribusiness and ag economics as a double major with a certificate in dairy science.