Articles
How to Effectively Manage High Somatic Cell Counts
Click here to view as a pdf: How To Effectively Manage High Somatic Cell Counts By Teresa Marker, B.S. Herd-wide high somatic cell count (HSCC) issues can negatively impact both milk quality and overall farm profitability. A recent study estimated that the cost of subclinical mastitis to the U.S. dairy industry exceeds $1 billion annually.…
The Recovery Period: Tips For A Successful Dry Off
Click here to view as a pdf: The Recovery Period: Tips For A Successful Dry Off By Erik Brettingen, B.S. The dry cow period is arguably the most important time in the cow’s lactation cycle as it is the time in which the cow rests her body and prepares for the next lactation. The timing…
Forage Digestibility: How It Affects Your Bottom Line
Click here to view as a pdf: Forage Digestibility How It Affects Your Bottom Line By Erik Brettingen, B.S. Forages have traditionally been tested for Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF). While these values determine how much of each type of fiber there is, they do not give any information as to…
Improving Butterfat: Using Components To Drive Profitability
Click here to view as a pdf: Improving Butterfat Using Components To Drive Profitability By Erik Brettingen, B.S. With the economic challenges facing the dairy industry today, farmers are looking for any and every way to increase profit and maintain sustainability. We are currently in a market where the volume of milk is exceeding the…
A New Generation Of Mycotoxin Technology
Click here to view as a pdf: A New Generation Of Mycotoxin Technology By Dan Leiterman In my April 2016 newsletter article “Managing Mycotoxins In Feedstuffs: Mycotoxin Binder Strategies“, I explained the significant negative effects mycotoxins have on livestock health and production. That article pointed out the previous challenges of inaccurate lab analysis of mycotoxins,…
Milk Or Profit: A Case Study
Click here to view as a pdf: Milk Or Profit A Case Study By Erik Brettingen, B.S. Rolling herd average or milk production per cow are numbers commonly referred to when discussing the success of a dairy farm. Milk production is an easy number to identify but the actual profitability of an operation is a…
Interpreting The Value Of A Livestock Mineral
Click here to view as a pdf: Interpreting The Value Of A Livestock Mineral Customer Favorite This article was originally published in the April 2012 Issue of the Crystal Creek® Newsletter By Dan Leiterman The goal of this article is to offer insight in determining the value of a livestock mineral. The value can be determined…
Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix: Innovative Nutrition For All Livestock
Click here to view as a pdf: Crystal Creek Foundation Grain Mix By Alex Austin, B.S. Crystal Creek® is excited to offer an innovative approach to providing quality nutrition to your livestock. Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix is a new product offering high grade grains resulting in excellent performance nutrition. Pairing Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix…
Ask the Vet/Ask the Nutritionist
Click here to view as a pdf: Ask The Vet Ask The Nutritionist “There are times we need to drench our calves or adult cows but no one on the farm is comfortable performing this procedure. Are there any tips that could help us?” -Unsure in Iowa- There are many reasons for having to administer a…
Improving Longevity In Your Dairy Herd
Click here to view as a pdf: Improving Longevity In Your Dairy Herd By Teresa Marker, B.S. Healthy cows tend to stay in the herd longer. Currently, in the United States, the average productive lifetime for a dairy cow is 2.5 lactations. A cow does not mature until five years of age. Many cows are…