Smaller producers often simply accept as fact that their production costs are going to be higher than their larger counterparts. However, there are ways to become more cost-effective and profitable.

For many dairies, use of premixes is nothing new and they have been used in some fashion since dairying began. In many cases, however, because the practice is so common, we may tend to forget these are tools in our feeding programs that need to be reevaluated from time to time.

Of all the various nutrient groups we supplement for the typical cow herd, minerals and vitamins are some of the most important. They are also some of the most poorly understood.

Feeding yeast can be a valuable part of a well-designed dairy feeding program. Primary end effects include the reduction of stress, improvement of performance, and improvement in gut and overall animal health. Since there are a fairly large number of different types of yeast products on the market, it is important to carefully research which products may be the most effective and economical for any given dairy.

As we work to understand the nutrition, physiology and genetic potential of the beef animal, we grow closer to formulating and implementing more precise feeding and supplementation programs. The ultimate goal is the development of nutrition programs that best and most cost-effectively support reproduction, growth and health of the cow, as well as growing and finishing cattle.

A few months ago, I received a call from a dairyman who was having issues with his somatic cell count (SCC). He asked me to look over his feeding program and see if I saw anything that they might be overlooking or that stood out as a problem that might affect somatic cell, mastitis levels, etc.

Discussions of stress are not uncommon in cattle production. A great deal of this discussion is often focused on the stress typical for the weaned/transition calf and its common journey though the U.S. marketing system, which involves a lot of handling and transportation.

Over recent years, it has become obvious the dairy industry is showing increasing growth in the use of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as solutions to many challenges on the farm, particularly as related to labor demands.

Since dairy producers started milking cows, the search has been ongoing for better, more economic feeds and forages to promote more cost-effective performance while working toward better rumen health, health in general and reproduction.