The Latest News from Nobis Agri Science

The Cornell University Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management has released a new publication that summarizes cost, efficiency and changes associated with hired labor on New York dairy farms from 2011 to 2021. We understand that New York is not Michigan. However, the states are very similar in dairy production and labor conditions. We feel the data collected, analyzed and reported is valuable and pertinent to a Michigan dairy producer.

Like corn silage, high moisture corn requires careful attention to detail when it comes to harvest timing, processing, and management.

Although yield of milk fat is more responsive to diet changes, nutrition can also influence milk protein yield. Unfortunately, nutritional modifications that increase milk protein yield often decrease fat yield, and vice versa. Producers should consider altering diets to take advantage of changes in the relative value of milk fat to milk protein. Through most of 2020 and all of 2021 the value of milk protein was greater than of milk fat.

Recording data is an essential part of dairying and comes in many forms, depending on the task and management style implemented on the operation. Recorded data can also be important for employee management – specifically for feedback.

The 2021 climate of high feed costs and tepid milk prices are creating a tenuous financial scenario for most U.S. dairy farms. Penn State Dairy Extension specialist Virginia Ishler said current conditions are mimicking those of 2012, when feed prices soared to unprecedented highs. “Using farm financial data from 2020 and projecting costs into 2021 and beyond, most operations will be extremely vulnerable to maintaining a positive cash flow, especially if high feed prices continue,” she stated in a Penn State Dairy Extension bulletin.

Hopefully corn silage harvest is finished or proceeding smoothly. Transitioning new corn silage into the diet can impact milk production and cow health. The following are three tips to help make the transition a smooth one.

More and more dairies are using drone technology to measure the size of their forage piles and more accurately estimate the amount of feed they have in inventory for the next year. The technology is enabling dairies to get within just a few days of predicting when they may run out of feed. That could be particularly helpful to others this year in drought-stricken areas where forage tonnage has been lighter than usual. A drone and cloud-computed data calculations for forage pile measurement is replacing previous estimation methods. That includes measurement wheels, surveying equipment, hand calculations or just broad percentage reductions from the total forage tonnage harvested.

High-quality forage is the essential foundation upon which every good dairy diet is built. Missing a step or cutting corners will ultimately increase shrink, decrease quality and negatively affect cattle performance. We depend on bacteria, both naturally occurring and supplemented, to ferment and preserve forage and high-moisture grains. Virtually all these bacteria need a low-oxygen environment to efficiently do their job. The final step of harvest – and one of the most critical steps – is to effectively cover and seal our bunkers and piles to limit oxygen and protect the forages.

Picture movie-goers walking into a theater. Those people entering the theater were initially expecting to see a documentary film, but instead, an action movie begins, with surprises, constantly moving targets, and unpredictable scenes. The unexpecting viewers who just made way into the theater may or may not even recognize what hit them. Your corn harvest for silage could play out similarly if your agronomy and harvest crew move slowly this year, like in a drama movie.

When it comes to silages and drive-over pile building, Peter Robinson, a UC – Davis extension specialist, believes there is a preference for dairy producers to leave silage oversight to the custom operators who come in and build the piles.

A dairy operation’s ability to deliver a quality and consistent diet, day after day, has become an increasingly important goal for many nutritionists and producers. Why? Because the consistency of the ration, and feed and nutrition management, have influential impacts on the health of your herd and the operation’s bottom line.

Just as more is less, bigger is not always better when it comes to the growth and development of dairy heifers. The nature and growth of dairy cattle has vastly changed from decade to decade, and as traits have been genomically bred out of cattle, often the idea of “bigger equals better,” has become a misjudged trend.