Dairy Nutrition
During a time when feed costs are eating away at farmer’s profits, ration consistency and proper feed management practices are more important now than ever before.
You work too hard to pay for feed commodities to allow them to literally blow away.
Ukraine produces half of all the sunflower oil on the world export market, along with 15% of the corn, and nearly 10% of global wheat exports annually.
Fecal pH monitoring is a logical tool to keep a handle on what’s happening in the digestive tract, and detect early signals of digestive disruption.
Prior to prohibition in the U.S. more than 80 years ago, hemp was a significant commodity crop in many parts of the country.
Providing free choice water to newborn calves has been shown to deliver a wide array of benefits in terms of calf health and performance. But it’s also a huge challenge for some farms in the winter.
A protocol overhaul helped the team at Singing Brook Farms, Imler, Pa., up their game in colostrum delivery. Two of their key managers share how they now seamlessly deliver high-quality colostrum to every newborn calf.
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.
Organic Valley has offered to purchase milk from as many as 90 organic farmers whose previous contracts with Horizon Organic and Maple Hill will soon be terminated.
Once regarded as the low byproduct of cheese making, whey was often dumped down drains or spread on farm fields. Whey has since made huge strides due the growing health awareness among consumers, fueled by the pandemic.
Entering a five-year partnership, the national dairy checkoff organization have teamed up with the Mayo Clinic to conduct research to improve public health and advance consumer knowledge of dairy’s benefits.
Distinct drawbacks make BMR corn silage far from the all-encompassing silver bullet it was once hoped to be.
TMR consistency and composition are important to efficient and reliable nutrient delivery in lactating cow rations. But the impact of those factors actually can span much further.
Over time, the anaerobic environment created in a well-packed, well-sealed, inoculated silage crop allows the beauty of fermentation to flourish.
Joe Burrow might be best known for his strong arm that is leading his team to the Super Bowl. However, the NFL quarterback is also taking advantage of the spotlight to help draw much needed attention to food insecurity.
Habits formed early in life – whether good or bad – often carry through to adulthood. Like little children, calves, too, need to be trained on positive behaviors, including the way they eat.
With today’s high input costs, make every feed ingredient count.
More and more farms have made the switch from feeding calves individually to group autofed systems. However, disease detection in group-housed calves remains a challenge. Could autofeeders help detect sick calves?
Anti-caking agents make the pellet manufacturing process easier, and can help prevent ground feeds from doming, bridging, and sticking to equipment.
As the mercury drops, the nutritional needs of preweaned calves go up.
It may sound like the title of a middle-school science fair project, but the CowToilet is a real invention, and may soon be operating on commercial dairies around the world.
Dialing into greater ration precision can greatly enhance likelihood your calves are routinely receiving the ration you intend for them.
Alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the United States, and a primary livestock feed source.
As feed prices currently challenge U.S. livestock producers, Feedipedia can be a resource for incorporating non-traditional feedstuffs into innovative rations.
The intricacies of transition-cow nutrition and its role in lactation success may be made a bit easier with the Liver Functionality Index.
Drought throughout most of the country, severe weather, and even flooding in parts of the Northeast made the annual adventure of corn silage production an interesting one.
The statistics are alarming—according to Feeding America, 1 in 7 Americans struggle with hunger. It’s estimated 42 million people, including 13 million children, face food insecurity.
Switching to autofeeders and group housing is a significant change that has been met on dairies with both success and failure.
When thinking about stocking density, most dairy farmers will look at the number of cows in a pen and then the number of freestalls in that pen.
Travel to Laurens, South Carolina and you likely meet Glen and Marilyn Easter of Eastglen Jerseys, who can share not only their passion and wisdom of dairy farming, but their secrets to leading a happy life.