Ode to Gramps
"If I have been on your farm in the past three decades, you most likely heard me quote my grandfather on my mother’s side. He was the cow guy
How I Work: A day in the life of a dairy nutritionist
“No two days in my life are the same. I work with a very diverse group of nutritionists and dairy producers so that no two days repeat themselves. Let
There can be issues with corn silage replacements
"What makes modern corn silage such a great lactation cow forage? This feed is incredibly consistent, taking some of the variability out of the daily ration, and cows respond
Methane emissions and their correlation to feed choices – why do we care?
"The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to livestock production, of which 37 percent is
What does feeding the 2016 silage crop look like?
"Gas and brakes.” Have you ever imagined, as you are feeding forage to your dairy cattle, that you are pressing a “gas pedal” or a “brake pedal”? Kurt Cotanch,
Feeding silages containing butyric acid
"This and last year’s cool, wet springs added to the challenge of making high-quality forage. With higher moistures than desired, low sugar content and higher ash levels sometimes resulted
100-pound herds: What are the secrets to their success?
"Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working with and visiting a number of herds across the country that were producing 100 pounds of milk or more per
Where are the milk bandits on your farm?
"Several research studies say that for every extra hour our lactating cows lie down in a 24-hour cycle, they produce about 3 extra pounds of milk with similar dry
Feeding the 2014 corn silage crop
"The nightmare is over. Many U.S. dairy farms have finally run out of their 2013 corn silage and have begun to feed the 2014 corn silage, and they are
The unforgettable 2013 corn crop
"The 2013 corn crop continues to limit milk production in many parts of the country, mainly because of its heavy bushel test weight. Reports of 60-pound bushel weights are
What the forage challenges of 2012 and 2013 taught us
"The 2013 weather continued the forage woes of U.S. dairy producers. The late-March warm-up in the upper Midwest, followed by freezing rain and then a major cold snap in
Levers of financial performance by JJ Degan
"You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” —William Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Company Hewlett suggests that in order to effectively manage something, you need to be able to measure