As we close the books on 2024, Progressive Dairy’s editorial team identified four trending topics that made headlines throughout the year. Read on as we recap highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detected in dairy cattle, Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) modernization efforts, increasing dairy margins and declining dairy cattle inventories.

At the intersection of tradition and innovation lies the future of dairy farming, which is increasingly intertwined with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. AI has emerged as a transformative force as the industry responds to marketplace pressures and technological advancements. While integrating AI in dairy practices presents challenges, it also offers significant opportunities.

Economic culling decisions can be very complex and challenging to make. Ensuring every cow that passes through the milking system holds value will help lead to increased farm profitability.

Looking at return over feed numbers is an excellent way to get a quick snapshot of how a dairy farm is performing from a production and cost standpoint, however it doesn’t account for and is not impacted by duration of cows in the herd.

Interpreting dairy key performance indicators (KPIs) have you feeling like eating an alphabet soup sandwich? While there are hundreds of ways to slice and dice dairy metrics, this article will define and explore several KPIs that have a substantial impact on dairy productivity and profitability.