From wide-ranging challenges presented by the global market place to changing consumer demands and preferences, the of year 2019 has certainly presented many obstacles. Locally, an expansive winter kill on our hay fields and a late, low producing harvest along with low milk and commodity prices continue to make it difficult to remain optimistic. What […]
Attaining a high silage density is important for two primary reasons. Most importantly, density and dry matter content determine the porosity of the silage. Porosity, in turn, sets the rate at which air moves into the silo and subsequently the amount of spoilage which occurs during storage and feed-out. Ruppel (1992) measured dry matter loss […]
Farmers with years of experience will frequently look over a field and make an off-the-cuff assessment on crop condition and production value. But what they see above the surface at that moment in time may not be a true indication of what is going on below the surface and the impact that could have down […]
Silage fermentation is the conversion of plant sugars to acids by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This process drops the pH, stabilizing and preserving the forage, in effect, “pickling” the forage. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Fermentation, What Happens? The LAB population needs to be 100 trillion/ton of crop before pH will start to decline in […]
Most people like consistency in life and work. Consistency should be a major goal in how we feed our baby calves too. Here we will discuss how feeding consistently can improve your calf-rearing program. In a study published in the Professional Animal Science Journal, calves were fed a low-fat milk replacer (17 percent fat) more […]
A Celebration Of Farmers Like You! Ever wonder about the level of impact your work on the farm has on the world off the farm? Sometimes these things are difficult to step back and consider, especially when daily challenges of pulling calves, broken equipment and inclement weather are top of mind. But good news is […]
Your nutritional strategy can help your cows beat the heat when on-farm management protocols aren’t enough. Lactating dairy cows are prone to heat stress when the temperature humidity index (THI) rises above 68. A drop in milk production follows within 48 hours. While managing heat stress with on-farm protocols is necessary, nutritional solutions can also […]
Who Are The Big Players? Over the past two decades as dairy exports from the U.S. have grown, we’ve become more aware of the impact of exports on farm profitability in this country. Our exports compete with dairy products from other countries and regions as shown in the table below. The primary products exported from […]
The negative effects that heat stress can have on a lactating herd are well known among dairy nutritionists and dairy producers, and heat abatement strategies for lactating cows are commonly employed on many farms in the Upper Midwest. But dry cows, a sometimes overlooked group, are also highly susceptible to heat stress. Importantly, the negative […]
Farm Technology Days, July 10-12 This year’s event will be held right in our own Marshfield neighborhood at D&B Sternweis Farm and Weber’s Farm Store – Heiman Holsteins. Nearly 40,000 visitors are expected to attend the three day event to learn about new technologies and practices, visit with suppliers, and other producers and growers. The […]
