September 12, 2024

September 12, 2024 Progressive Dairy digital magazine

September 12, 2024

Silver-Elite Holsteins: Siblings creating a bright future with genetics

Third-generation dairy farmer siblings Logan and Lauren Silveira share a passion for the industry and creating profitable cattle through genetics.

September 12, 2024

Matti McBride

Driven, hard-working and passionate about the dairy industry. These attributes describe many involved with dairy cattle, and siblings Logan and Lauren Silveira are no exception. The duo have made their splash in the dairy world and are here to stay.

An industry friend lost; his legacy lives on in youth fitting award

The Michael Heath Overall Fitter Award will be awarded for the first time at the 2024 World Dairy Expo fitting contest.

September 11, 2024

Katie Coyne

Michael Heath's legacy will not only be an award for top fitting at the World Dairy Expo but the number of lives he touched in his gone-too-soon life.

Larmer named World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year

A decorated career in dairy cattle genetics culminates in the prestigious World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year Award for Paul Larmer as he reflects on his 40-year vocation.

September 9, 2024

Jenn Coyne

Sitting in his home office sipping a cup of coffee, Paul Larmer is seemingly common. Unbeknownst to the average person, his influence on the dairy cattle genetics sector of the industry is undeniable. It is for both his remarkable leadership and self-effacing attitude that Larmer is named this year’s World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year.

Breaking ground: Several university research dairies build new facilities

Read an overview of plans for new research dairies at the University of Idaho, Kansas State University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

September 3, 2024

Kimmi Devaney

While some university dairies have shut down in the last few decades, others are breaking ground on new research dairies to replace aging facilities or making renovations to update their current ones. Here is an overview of some of the facilities currently under construction.

Investment in learning pays dividends at every level

Discover how Dairy’s Foundation is shaping the future of the dairy industry with educational programs that have already graduated nearly 50 industry leaders and a youth leadership conference that offers hands-on experiences at the University of Wisconsin.

August 28, 2024

Constant improvement is the key to success in today’s dairy industry. Regardless of farm size or location, successful dairy producers are always evaluating new practices, technologies, facilities and equipment choices that will improve efficiency, productivity, animal health and many more aspects of their operation.

Checkoff Watch: Checkoff collaboration focuses on driving school lunch, milk consumption

September 6, 2024

A little more than a year ago, the School Nutrition Association (SNA), in partnership with the farmer-founded National Dairy Council (NDC), launched the Made With School Lunch campaign. Its goal is to create awareness and effectively communicate the positive impact and benefits of nutrient-rich school meals, including milk and dairy foods.

Replacement cow prices reach all-time high

Quarterly average prices in July reached an all-time high of $2,360 per head according to estimates from USDA.

August 5, 2024

Audrey Schmitz

Prices for U.S. replacement dairy cows reached an all-time high in July, according to latest quarterly estimates from the USDA. Meanwhile, average cull cow prices increased in June, setting a new record high for a second consecutive month.

Farm parents: What do you really want in your next chapter of life?

To gain clarity, farm founders and successors should ask several questions of one another when making changes on the family farm.

September 12, 2024

Elaine Froese

It is time to stop guessing what everyone thinks, feels, wants and needs. Explore what stories your grandparents, parents and siblings are telling themselves about the future and transition of wealth on your farm. Ask Grandpa or Mom, “I’m just curious, what is the story you are telling yourself? Is this a scarcity mindset issue? How much is enough? Would you ask for the help of a financial planner to give you more financial security and certainty for your income streams as you age in place on this farm?”

Low-stress cattle handling on the dairy farm

It is important to understand a cow’s flight zone and point of balance, along with other cattle-handling techniques to minimize stress to the animal and increase worker safety.

September 10, 2024

Cheryl DeCooman

Everyone that works with or around large animals must understand their behaviours, signs of aggressive or defensive behaviour, their herd mentality and the way their vision works, including their blind spots.

Step up your supervisor game on your dairy

Building trust, providing support, recognizing contributions and fostering a positive work environment can enhance employee satisfaction and reduce turnover, ultimately leading to improved farm performance and productivity.

May 29, 2024

Jessica Schmitt

Employees are one of the largest expenses on a farm – second only to feed costs. The most startling part of this statistic is that staff care is frequently low priority and high risk.

Tips for creating a monthly and annual spending plan

Separating farm and household expenses can help when creating realistic budgets for both.

September 3, 2024

Katie Wantoch

When it comes to farm versus household accounts, separate checking, savings and other accounts can safeguard business funds from personal ones, allow farms to monitor farm spending more easily and assist with recordkeeping of the farm’s finances.

Why you need to build your personal wealth bubble

Building wealth beyond the farm assets provides flexibility for living expenses and transfer of wealth to non-farm heirs.

July 20, 2023

Elaine Froese

Your personal wealth bubble is having some flexibility in your wealth creation beyond the wealth you are creating in farm assets.

Approaches for evaluating RUP and intestinal digestibility

Overcome challenges and become familiar with analysis results when assessing the commercially available methods for evaluating rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) and intestinal digestibility of animal-rendered byproducts.

November 2, 2023

Clayton Stoffel

Quickly and accurately characterizing the nutrient content of feedstuffs is vital for balancing high-performance dairy cow rations. It also allows manufacturers to develop robust quality control programs and represent their products as precisely as possible. When it comes to supporting overall animal health and performance, one of the most important nutrients we evaluate as an industry is protein.

Crowdsourcing quick, cost-effective lameness detection

New research develops a comparison-based lameness assessment approach using as few as 10 crowdsourced workers to provide reliable, efficient assessments.

November 2, 2023

Emma Ohirko

Recent research conducted by University of British Columbia’s Dairy Education and Research Centre has produced a method of low-cost lameness detection that can be conducted faster than conventional locomotion scoring.

What’s in your pellet bin?

Tips to help monitor and manage feed in the bin, before the cows run out of pellets or stop visiting.

August 11, 2024

John Gerbitz

Is your robot feed bin a place that you avoid until the cows stop eating? Here are some tips to help monitor and manage feed in the bin, before the cows run out of pellets or stop visiting.

Take the guesswork out of feed management

Managing feed encompasses more than just feeding. While it can feel like a juggling act, feed management software can help you tackle this important task with a holistic approach.

August 30, 2024

Brandon Mortas

Managing feed on your dairy involves much more than just feeding your cows. It requires a coordinated effort to ensure they receive a consistent, accurate and properly mixed ration. While this can feel like a juggling act, feed management software improves your feed program, animal performance and your farm’s profitability.

Digestate from biogas operations: A solution to odour control in agriculture

Digestate aids agricultural practices in being more environmentally friendly, with reduced odours, improved air quality and sustainable soil fertility.

December 26, 2023

Leandro Diaz-Pappas and Catherine Roy

The application of raw manure to fields, while essential for soil fertility, often results in the release of pungent odours that impact not just the rural landscape but also the quality of life in nearby communities.

Management of lame cows to improve animal welfare

As caretakers of dairy cattle, there’s a moral and ethical responsibility to reduce the suffering of lame cows. What can we do to manage lameness more effectively and improve animal welfare?

August 27, 2024

Jan K. Shearer

The welfare of a lame cow is affected in at least three ways: 1) it interferes with natural behaviors such as walking, lying down and interacting with herdmates; 2) it impairs normal function by reducing milk production and reproductive efficiency; and 3) the pain impacts the cow’s affective states of physical and mental well-being. What can we do to manage lameness more effectively and improve the welfare of cows that develop lameness?

The weather forecast for today is hot and cold: Tips for nurturing calves in fluctuating weather

While pretty much no one likes it when the weather turns bipolar, calves find it especially challenging. Whether the calf is facing heat or cold, minimizing stressors is essential to maximizing calf performance.

September 2, 2024

Sarah Eck

Have you ever found yourself begging Mother Nature to give you a break? For example, this past winter, Wisconsin experienced several 50-degree temperature swings in one day. It was nice and sunny one day, and then 12 hours later, chilly and damp. Those fluctuations can make calves more vulnerable to scours and respiratory illnesses.

What do climate-smart opportunities look like for dairy?

A panel discussion reviews the challenges and opportunities the dairy industry is facing in the ever-changing climate conversation.

August 22, 2024

Jordan Anderson

For the dairy industry, there are lot of climate-smart opportunities. Navigating the decision-making process with lenders, as well as the financial implications at the farm level to ensure these climate-smart practices are cost-effective, are significant when deciding which opportunities make sense for dairy operations.

A somatic cell count of 200,000: Is it the new abnormal?

Somatic cell count (SCC) standards have changed drastically in the past 40 years. Managing a thorough milking routine, cow's environment and milking equipment can aid in lowering your herd's SCC – pushing the standards further.

September 4, 2024

Andrew Johnson

I am so proud of the great improvement in milk quality I have seen in nearly 50 years. Who knows where it will be in another five to 10 years?

Liver biopsies: A cow’s mineral gauge

Liver biopsies are a quick and efficient way of noting a cow’s trace mineral status.

July 2, 2024

Craig J. Louder

Unfortunately, cows don’t have a dashboard with gauges to tell us which minerals they are low on. Minerals may be considered when things aren’t going well, but how do we know if minerals aren’t adequate? Liver biopsies allow us to check the actual status of the cow without assuming they are OK simply because minerals were offered in the feed. In that sense, liver biopsies are the gauge to tell us how the cow is doing.

The path to a fully automated dairy: A roadmap for dairy producers

The dairy industry is on the cusp of a technological revolution, with automation poised to redefine the way dairy farms operate. Here’s a roadmap for dairy producers considering the leap into automation.

September 10, 2024

Dan Meihak

While the vision of a fully automated dairy may seem like a distant dream, the technology to achieve this is rapidly evolving. This article provides a roadmap for dairy producers considering the leap into automation.

Use voluntary waiting period data to set cows up for success

Gathering and analyzing data during the voluntary waiting period can help you find fertility and health challenges early, allowing for timely interventions and greater cow performance.

September 5, 2024

Steve Pavelski

With proper intervention and nutrition or management adjustments, cows can return to cyclicity, increasing the likelihood of positive pregnancy outcomes following the voluntary waiting period.

Managing impactful variables of ovum pickup: 4 things that drive success

Donor nutrition and health, proper technology and facilities, and a skilled technician can influence the success of your embryo program.

August 26, 2024

Kara Schmidt

Dr. Joe Mancino, reproductive services veterinarian at Vytelle, has been specializing in ovum pickup (OPU) for six years. Throughout his career, Mancino has experienced a wide array of working conditions across the country that have shaped his perspective and enabled him to identify the four key components that lead to a successful OPU.

Maximizing fertility by managing the voluntary waiting period

Understanding the role of VWP in the fertility cycle of a dairy cow can help you maximize conception rates.

July 15, 2024

Alvaro Garcia

The voluntary waiting period (VWP) is a designated interval between calving and the first postpartum insemination, typically lasting between 50 to 80 days depending on the farm's management strategy. The effectiveness of an extended VWP remains debated, making it essential to assess its efficacy in delivering benefits and identifying any unforeseen challenges.

Planning for reproductive success: Five strategies to carry in your toolbox

This article explores strategies for maximizing herd performance, including the use of beef semen, reducing culling in the milking herd, improving pregnancy and conception rates, enhancing heifer completion rates and possibly expanding the use of dairy semen.

August 5, 2024

King Smith

With the growing trend of using beef semen in dairy herds to produce high-value beef-on-dairy calves, the industry faces unique challenges and opportunities. There is a critical need for internal herd expansion as dairy replacements become scarce.

How to avoid ventilation pitfalls in the spring and fall

Explore the pitfalls associated with off-season ventilation and learn about actionable strategies to address these issues.

September 3, 2024

Dan Veeneman

While the necessity of maintaining adequate ventilation during the extremes of summer and winter is well recognized, the transitional seasons of spring and fall present unique challenges that often are overlooked. This article explores the pitfalls associated with off-season ventilation and offers actionable strategies for dairy producers to address these issues.

Tips for providing the most comfortable bed possible for cows

Using the right type of beds and bedding for your cows improves cow comfort and profitability. This article provides an overview of the pros and cons of several types of beds and bedding options available for dairies.

August 26, 2024

Bradley Biehl

There are many things to consider when you start evaluating what kind of beds and bedding you will use in your stalls, and everyone has a different opinion about what’s the best option.

Getting cozy: Pair-housing calves as a potential solution to cold stress

Pair-housing calves may help reduce cold stress during winter in outdoor hutches while also improving calf welfare with social contact.

September 11, 2024

Kim Reuscher and Jennifer Van Os

A less-studied strategy to help calves cope with cold stress could be through having a companion. Pair or group housing of calves has become a popular topic of discussion over the past few decades. We conducted a study to measure if pair-housing calves in a dual hutch system could help reduce the effects of cold stress during winter. Read about the study's results.

Vaccine timing: Let your past guide your future

Knowing which calves are at greatest risk for disease and being able to identify the specific causative agent of disease is essential for developing appropriate vaccine and treatment protocols.

August 14, 2024

Jason Shumaker

Vaccine protocol discussions can be energetic and entertaining amongst calf raisers, consultants and veterinarians. It ultimately leads to comparing the current vaccine protocol to a large, well-established calf raiser in the region or even nationally. There can be value in this comparison, but the real value is understanding how these successful facilities arrived at their protocol.

Preweaned calves, technology and long-term profitability

While raising calves as cheaply as possible may have been a past goal, research shows that raising calves for maximum performance is more productive. Modern technology can play a big role in achieving this through timely information and more efficient management.

August 27, 2024

Robert James

Until recently, raising all heifer calves to breeding age or calving and selling them was not profitable. Using the concept of genomics, lower-ranking females in the herd have been bred to beef sires, resulting in a new profit center for many farms. Finally, we are learning to appreciate that the better we raise our heifer calves, the healthier they are, and they produce more milk during their first and later lactations.

3 Open Minutes with Sam Galphin

April 29, 2024

Audrey Schmitz

Meet Dr. Sam Galphin, a renowned specialist with a rare vocation. Galphin’s desire to “help feed the world” has taken him around the globe as an advocate and practitioner of herd welfare and safety. From milk production to meat consumption, the “Moo Vet” has seen it all.

Faber's Food for Thought: Pretty cows and grilled cheese sandwiches

September 12, 2024

Dwayne Faber

It’ll soon be that time of year again: World Dairy Expo time, the Super Bowl of all things bovine.

The Milk House: On PAR in Brazil

September 12, 2024

Ryan Dennis

If one goes back far enough into the history of most countries, one will find a violent struggle over land. In Brazil, the bloodshed continues.

Just Dropping By: Choose your team

September 12, 2024

Yevet Crandell Tenney

There are millions of people who are good-hearted and tender-minded who still love their neighbors and care for those around them. They make it a point to reach out to the widow and fatherless and give abundantly to disaster funds to help those who have been devastated by natural disasters, but it seems that the world is dividing into teams to fight the great and final battle between good and evil.

HERd Management: On building connections and belonging

August 29, 2024

Jayne Sebright

We all can remember situations when we felt out of place or like we didn’t belong. In that moment, time stood still. We stood there, feeling like a sore thumb, looking desperately for someone to make us feel like we were meant to be there.

Life on the Family Farm: Dixie: A very special cow

September 12, 2024

Tom Heck

Sometimes in life there is a person or animal that always brings a smile to your face when you cross paths with them. I have one cow that always does that for me. Her name is Dixie, and she is one very unique individual.

Balancing farm life and back-to-school season

September 12, 2024

Audrey Schmitz

As summer fades into fall, the familiar rhythm of the school year begins anew. For dairy farming families, this transition brings unique challenges. Balancing the demands of a busy farm with the back-to-school season requires careful planning, time management and a focus on family activities. Here are some ideas that may help your family navigate this busy time of year.

Our Publications

Progressive Dairy

September 12, 2024

Digital edition

News & business

Management

Topic Articles

Departments

FREE NEWSLETTERS

SUBSCRIBE to Leading Industry Magazines

I'm looking for ________