Oh, no, just when they were beginning to wear me down, a new study concludes that by 2100, forests in the mid- and high-latitudes will make some places up to 10 degrees warmer than they would be if the forests did not exist. Does this bode ill for the salesmen offering to sell you carbon offsets by planting a tree in honor of the luxury appliance in your home? Alas, it merely points out the problem of scientists guessing, speculating, hoping, wishing, or projecting answers to questions that remain unproven.

While agricultural employment in many Idaho counties has fallen in recent years, seven south-central Idaho counties are reaping the benefits of a vibrant dairy industry that has brought jobs and money to their economies. A study conducted by Boise State University looked at the economic impact of the dairy industry in Idaho, in particular the seven south-central counties of Cassia, Elmore, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties, where the majority of dairy employment occurs. In fact, from 1997-2005, these seven south-central Idaho counties represented 27.0 percent of the total agricultural employment in Idaho; however, they were responsible for 48.2 percent of the growth in the state’s total agricultural employment.

During the past several decades, selection for increased milk yield has had a temporal association with declines in fertility and reproductive efficiency in dairy cows. In the U.S., an average annual decrease of 0.5 percent in conception rate at first service occurred between 1975 and 1997. In the United Kingdom (between 1978 and 1996) and in Spain (between 1991 and 2000) conception rate at first service decreased 1 percent per year.

This is the time of year to get serious about heat abatement strategies for your herd. Though we enjoy the warmer weather, most lactating cows perform best at temperatures from 40 to 65°F. Signs of heat stress start to occur at around 75°F. This spring, once you’ve installed your new fans and sprinkler systems and cleaned off your existing fans in the lactating herd, you also need to consider making sure your close-up dry cows are kept cool.

In the history of milk production, a reoccurring problem for dairy farmers has been the capacity of producing more milk than can be utilized. This problem is complicated by the limited shelf life of milk. In the early 1900s, farmers dealt with this issue by fractionating milk into cream and skim milk. The cream was then churned into butter, and the buttermilk produced was used in baking. The skim milk was fermented into cottage cheese, and the whey produced was fed to farm animals. Consequently, fractionation of milk into its various components and creation of milk-based ingredients is not a new concept.

The Prins Dairy, owned by John and Kevin Prins, is located near Oakdale, California. Our dairy has been in operation since 1971. Today, we milk 570 cows, and cows are grazed in the summer and freestall-housed in the winter. All cows are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) once per day.

Author’s note: The instructions for use of the recommended insecticides are not as comprehensive as the pesticide labels and are intended to be used as guidelines only. Before using any pesticide, read the label for more specific instructions. Many insecticides are sold under brand names not listed in this publication. House fly and stable fly control on dairy farms

This is a story where the perpetrator must remain anonymous. Hereinafter he shall be called, “He who learns the hard way” or simply, “He Who.” He Who plotted over the long winter days about how to feed corn to a deer for a few weeks to fatten it up. Grain- fed venison, he envisioned. Succulent. His first step was to procure a deer. Many congregated at his cattle feeder. Positioning himself behind the feeder, he waited, rope in hand. He Who stepped out, threw his loop and caught a doe around the neck. She just stood there and stared at him.

Dairy producers and dairy cattle breeding companies should breed for more profitable dairy cattle. Producers are limited in their breeding decisions by the genes or families in the populations available, and this is primarily under the control of breeding companies. Past selection for increased production and for improvement in several other traits (such as udder conformation) has been very successful. However, the genetic antagonism between production traits and health and between production traits and reproduction have resulted in increased disease rates and reduced reproductive performance in U.S. dairy cattle. Some recent additions to our genetic evaluations (genetic evaluations in the U.S. are called predicted transmitting abilities or PTAs) will help breed more profitable, problem-free dairy cattle and will reduce or eliminate the downward trend in reproductive performance.

Pulling up to the faded-red octagon stop sign, I happened to glance up. I saw the most awesome sight. The indigo-violet sunset floating across the horizon was truly impressive. The downy feather clouds seemed to glow with an aura of cool fluorescent hues. Three majestic blue silos completed the stunning picture.