As we head into the summer months and temperatures begin to rise, producers need to monitor feed rations. Inevitably, dairy cows will go through an intake depression. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, says we need to pay close attention to our starch digestibility – how much effective fiber is in the ration. Producers need to have … Read More
Idaho Dairy Goes Ruggedly Wireless in the Corral
The idea of gaining two extra hours in dairy farm management each day without working extra hours seems like a dream, right? What about cutting the time employees spend searching for animals… in half? Well, Scott Haag at Box Canyon Dairy in Wendell, Idaho says a set of MobileDemand rugged tablet PC’s makes those dairy farm dreams an everyday reality. … Read More
Rabobank Podcast on Dairy Available
I really like the idea of Rabobank producing an audio podcast of their news releases. Then I can subscribe and get them automatically to listen to whenever and wherever I want. Here’s what the latest RaboCast is about: Since 1937 June has been Dairy Month: an annual tradition to celebrate the dairy industry. A new Rabobank podcast examines some causes … Read More
Biology of Hay and Haylage Drying
With rising hay prices, growers are looking to management practices to achieve a high-quality crop. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, discusses alfalfa management and suggests growers refine alfalfa curing practices to maintain integrity of harvested hay. Rapid, uniform curing of alfalfa is most desirable. However, recent research reveals forages don’t dry at a uniform rate. Proper … Read More
CWT Announces Herd Retirement – updated with audio
Cooperatives Working Together has announced the fifth round of herd retirements. Starting June 3, bids will be accepted through June 30. New to this round of bidding is the option for producers to include all their bred heifers, for a flat fee of $1,050 per animal; and the exclusion of regional safeguard limits. “All of the economic indicators and benchmarks … Read More
Managing Forage Quality
Dr. David Miller, director of alfalfa research for Pioneer, talks about the importance of forage quality. Forage quality has several definitions, depending on whether you are a beef producer or a dairy producer. Forage quality cannot always be expressed through a number, but rather how well an animal will perform when it is fed alfalfa, says Miller. Achieving high forage … Read More
Alfalfa Spring Growth, Genetics and Management
Best practices and cutting management will provide growers with an optimum alfalfa crop, says David Miller, director of alfalfa research for Pioneer. With a slow spring green-up, Miller takes a look at the impact of a cold winter on alfalfa as well as alfalfa genetics and management. Growers who tend to harvest late in the fall may be seeing more … Read More
Increasing Cheese Sales in Japan
The dairy industry continues to become more global, and with the help of dairy checkoff dollars, the U.S. Dairy Export Council is pursuing growth opportunities for U.S. cheese worldwide, including Asia. Brian Baxter provided us with this report featuring Jeff McNeill, USDEC – Japan Director, that says that major progress has been made increasing U.S. cheese sales in Japan. Listen … Read More
PEAQ and RFQ
The PEAQ (Predictive Equation for Alfalfa Quality) method was developed around the relative feed value (RFV) which looks at the quantity of fiber. Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, takes a look at determining not just the quantity of fiber but the digestibility of that fiber through RFQ or relative feed quality testing. Mahanna also comments … Read More
Pioneer's Integrated Forage Program
Managing the gaps in today’s agriculture can be an issue, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer. When visiting an operation, several factors come into play before a crop becomes feed. Pioneer can offer expertise to deal with the full continuum – managing the gaps between growing and cutting the feed to packing the silo and … Read More