Are you pulling your hair out because your milking parlor is constantly running behind schedule? This is one of the biggest frustrations and time and money drains for a lot of dairies.
For decades, 305 days of lactation, plus a 60-day dry period, has added up to a dairy cow’s target calving interval of one year. But is this a standard that needs to be broken?
Paul Virkler, DVM, Cornell University, says teat end scoring is a good way to gather insights on a dairy's milking processes and whether adjustments are needed to improve an individual cow's comfort and care.
Somatic cell count averages for 2022 were highest in the year's late fall and winter months. Below are some considerations for managing mastitis as the weather changes.
The president and CEO of Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), Patrick Criteser shares his career path, advice, lessons learned and more in a casual sit-down conversation.
Whether they’re used for pregnancy checking, herd health days or A.I. breeding, headlocks come in handy for a multitude of reasons. But are our cows spending unnecessary time locked up?
Diving into the international supply and demand picture, Alyssa Badger of HighGround Trading Group explained that every country has its own set of issues that factor into the supply side of things.
“Similar to Staph aureus and mycoplasma, Prototheca [mastitis] is hard to detect, has no known cure, and is contagious by intermittently shedding from cow to cow."
As the monetary worth of milk fat grows, so does the pay price for the per hundredweight of milk. But what number is more important for a dairy farm’s income – milk fat percentage or milk yield?
The NBA All-Star, LeBron James is redirecting his energy toward a new commitment and has teamed up with other celebrities with the investor Neutral Foods, who claims to be the first-neutral food company in the U.S.
Reclaimed sand and recycled manure solids help farmers lower bedding costs. When bedding meets quality thresholds, farms that use recycled bedding produce the same quality of milk as those that use fresh bedding.
The workplace trend, quiet quitting, has gotten a lot of attention lately. Instead of going above and beyond, employees are wanting more from their work-life balance. The question is how do you keep employees motivated?
Wearing the crown and title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way has been a dream for Anna Euerle ever since she was little. Euerle followed around her two older sisters to county dairy princesses’ events.
A headache for most managers is putting together an employee work schedule. Trying to be considerate, but also properly putting a schedule together that aids in the farm’s mission statement is easier said than done.
Centered around, “A sustainable, profitable and enjoyable future in farming,” Lely invested $23 million to support its long-term vision. Recently it held a grand opening of its new state-of-the-art business complex.
A barn fire was almost a blessing in disguise for the de Jong family who owns and operates ELBI Dairy in Manitoba. The family says that the fire left them with a new vision for dairy where technology became a key driver.
Over Memorial Day, a series of severe storms that brought strong winds, heavy rain, hail and multiple tornado warnings, impacted South Dakota. Victory Farms shares how the double punch storms impacted their farm.
Producers can make a significant impact on their milk checks by increasing milk fat and protein in milk. Changes in feed mixing, frequency and other feed-management strategies can make a notable difference.
Four months have passed since Kent and Coreena Meyer opened a letter from their milk processor, Wakefern Food Corp., owner of Readington Farms, informing them they no longer would pick up their milk.
The demand for raw milk has grown due to consumer interests. Despite testimony about the health risks of drinking raw milk, the general assembly approved the Georgia Raw Dairy Act.
Two tales of weather hit the midsection of the country. In North Dakota, another round of wintery weather came after the storm of the century plowed through. In Nebraska, a different weather story is worrying farmers.
Just announced, a broad-based agricultural service cooperative specializing in laboratory testing, AgSource Cooperative Services, acquired Dairyland Laboratories, Inc. Agronomy Services Division in Stratford, Wisconsin.
The names Evelyn, Claudia and Jojo Leubner might not ring a bell, but if you search for NYFarmGirls on social media, you’ll quickly see they certainly have made a name for themselves by sharing their dairy story.
Top dairy leaders oppose the bill to legalize the sale of raw milk at dairy farms just passed by the Iowa Senate. If this becomes law, it would be legal to sell raw milk and unpasteurized products.
Five years to the day after her father’s cows left, Mitzie Blanchard moved back to the family farm. The determined young woman raised a successful herd of cows and four sons who learned the true meaning of hard work.
USDA announced it is making $80 million available to the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. The additional funding will expand the capacity of the four initiatives to provide technical assistance and sub-grants.
Working to make continuous improvements to their dairy – in terms of developing a functional cow that makes sense for the current market – has allowed Rosy-Lane Holsteins to remain optimistic.
Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) brought home nearly half of the National Dairy Quality Awards, with 21 of their member farms being nationally recognized.
Named IDFA 2022 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year, the Hildebrand's have been at the forefront of innovation — from their processing plant to multifaceted industry partnerships to tapping into the A2 milk market.
From local grocery shops to nearby warehouses to the neighboring farm, help wanted signs are literally everywhere you turn. The growing issue of labor shortages has many dairy farmers asking, “Where can I find help?”
Dairy farmer Roger Herrera addressed labor at the recent 2021 Milk Business Conference and while labor shortages are not a new to the dairy industry, it continues to be a constant headache that producers battle daily.
Three dairy producers discuss how efficiencies and technology play a role on their farm and how the industry needs to continue to evolve and adapt for future farmers in the next 10 to 20 years.
Mental health hit center stage as the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the mental headspace of many. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) reports that one third of Americans experience symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Along with much planning, open communication, hard work and strong values have allowed Steinhurst Dairy to pass the torch from one generation to the next despite a string of grief and mountains of heartache.
Everywhere you go, help wanted signs are out. Farmers can relate because they too are dealing with labor shortages. They are trying to learn how to keep their valuable employees from quitting.
The dry period is a time to allow a cow to rest and prepare herself for the next lactation. However, the drying off process can be incredibly stressful for the animal.
Many consumers purchase A2 fluid milk and cheese because they’ve found them to be more easily digested. Explore the science, promotion and logistics involved in marketing this product.
Optimizing productivity and improving efficiency are top goals that are talked about in farm meetings. The big-ticket question is, “What can help a dairy producer launch their operation to the next level?”
More frequently referred to as ‘rough teat ends,’ hyperkeratosis is the production of excess keratin at the end of the teat canal which causes a rough, bacteria-harboring, calloused surface.
When it comes to solving problems, it is said that two heads are better than one, so it makes perfect sense that when two families share one common vision, success can be found. MVP Dairy is proof of that.
Chase and Danielle Goodrich's drive to outline the farm’s sustainability pillars of environment, economics and society underscores why they were recognized as one of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Winners.