Checking Forage Dry Matter: A Boring Magic Bullet

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By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

In working with clients to continually improve performance and success on their dairies, conversation often turns toward looking for one ingredient or tweak, that “silver bullet”, that could be added to the ration to make more milk, components, reproductive performance, etc. The idea of a fast and simple solution is certainly appealing. However, improvement and success are typically found by doing many small things correctly every day, week or month. Consistency is key, especially for cows, and focusing on the little things that matter can make a huge difference. Measuring and monitoring forage dry matter could be the single most important thing to do on a dairy on a regular basis but it is something we don’t see being done very often.

Common Questions About Ketosis

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By Carley Ciolkosz, B.S.
Livestock Nutritionist

What is ketosis? What are the types of ketosis and how are they different? What are the options for treating cows if they do have ketosis? What preventative measures can be taken to ensure cows don’t get ketosis? These are all common questions associated with ketosis. This article is going define what ketosis is, what the different types are, how to treat the cows that have ketosis, and some good prevention strategies against ketosis.
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Milking Older Cows- Why Parity Matters

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By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

In the world of dairy farming, the concept of parity—referring to the number of times a cow has calved—can be a crucial tool to optimize herd productivity. As cows age and go through multiple lactations, their productivity trends will shift, impacting their profitability to the dairy operation. Research shows that older, multiparous cows (cows that have had multiple calves) often have significant productivity advantages. This article discusses why parity matters in dairy herds and how milking older cows can boost overall herd productivity and profitability.
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Products To Always Have On Hand – Cow Toolbox

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By Alex Austin

When it comes to owning dairy cows, the question is not if there will be a health challenge, but when. Most producers carry tools on hand to be prepared for a variety of potential issues, from milk fever to mastitis. Some common tools are bottles of calcium, vet wrap, syringes, etc. This article lists a few Crystal Creek® products that are recommended for dairy producers to carry in their toolbox.

Know Where You Stand: Helpful Benchmarks To Track On Your Dairy

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By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” An arguably overused but truly powerful statement. When evaluating dairies and looking for ways to improve on client farm successes, tracking performance over time and comparing to benchmarks can be very helpful. Tracking key metrics on your farm can help catch issues before they become big problems, identify the next steps to take toward increased profitability, and allow for successes to be celebrated when improvements are made. Crystal Creek® helps clients build reports and uses herd management software to monitor performance of key areas on farms. Lactation performance, economics, transition cow success, reproduction, and calf growth/health are the main areas that are beneficial to monitor.

Understanding Milk Pricing- If That’s Even Possible: Part 2

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By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

In the previous article, we discussed the history of milk pricing in the United States, the equations that govern milk price and how end-product pricing works. This article will be the final part of a two-part series where we will look at the make allowance and Producer Price Differentials (commonly referred to as PPD’s); arguably two of the more controversial parts of the milk pricing process.

Ask The Vet- Why Aren’t My Cows Cleaning, Doc?

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By Darren Zimmerman, D.V.M.

Retained Placentas: The Basics

First, let’s define what is normal.

Expulsion of the placenta normally happens within 12 hours of the calf being born. The same uterine contractions that helped push out the calf, will also help expel the placenta. After the calf is born, the connections between the uterus and the placenta detach. With each contraction the uterus gets smaller and more of the placenta exits through the cervix.

If after 12 hours, the placenta is still in the uterus, it is considered retained. A retained placenta can happen when the uterus stops contracting, the placenta doesn’t detach properly, or a combination of the two. In the United States dairy industry, 7.8% of cows experience a retained placenta.

Understanding Milk Pricing-If That’s Even Possible: Part 1

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By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

There is an old saying in the dairy industry that there are two people who understand how milk is priced, and that one of them is dead and the other is retired. I’ve never understood how milk is priced. In an effort to remedy my ignorance, I started researching how the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) works. It is a complicated process but below I will explain the basic principles as I have learned them. This is part one of a two part series. Read More →

Nutritional And Management Considerations In Robotic Milking Facilities

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By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

Robotic milking systems are becoming increasingly common in the dairy industry. Milking with robots provides benefits for both the dairy farmer and the cow. For the dairy farmer, robots take stress off a difficult labor situation and allow more flexibility of time. They allow time that would have been spent milking to be spent on potentially higher value activities like herd management tasks, making quality forage, and more time with family. For the cows, robots can improve comfort by allowing more expression of natural cow behavior. Especially in free flow systems, cows can move about the barn as they please, get milked when they want, and rarely experience time standing when they would rather be laying or eating. Like anything, along with the benefits also come a few difficulties. Feeding cows in a robotic milking system can have some challenges but a few key concepts have been proven to help create success. Exceptional forage quality, robot concentrate palatability, transition cow performance, and a rumen focused formulation strategy all contribute to sustainable and profitable production in robot herds.

Focus On Profits For Dairy Success

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By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

When sitting down with current and prospective dairy clients, the conversation regularly revolves around farm goals and benchmarks. This is important to make sure the dairy is headed in the direction the owners are striving for. Different dairies may have different goals, which is just one reason the dairy industry is so amazing. It is not unusual though, to find that farms may be scope locked on milk production as a goal without other context to go along with it. Milk production is very easy to measure daily, it has long been a metric of success, and let’s be honest, it is a lot of fun when cows are making a lot of milk. However, milk production alone does not equal profitability for the farm. Profitability, or at least income over feed cost, should be the focus on dairies and is what truly measures success. Profit is harder to measure and track but yields more positive results. Crystal Creek® works with clients to track profitability and comb through data to find opportunities for improvement. This includes tracking and monitoring feeding software programs, understanding of herd management software, DHIA report review and analysis, and diet evaluation to maximize profitability, not just milk production.