Here’s Progressive Dairy’s monthly review of August 2024 FMMO data to provide some additional transparency to your milk check.

The beef and dairy industries have long been interconnected, and all dairy producers are beef producers through the sale of market cows, bull calves and beef-on-dairy crossbred calves. Taking this one step further, we want to explore a few of the observations we have made as dairy producers have added a beef enterprise to their dairy operation or made the transition out of dairy.

Your heifers are the future of your herd, and getting them to an ideal weight at the proper age is important to the future success of your business. Following simple protocols to get them bred at the ideal time will pay significant future dividends.

I’ve heard from several dairy farmers that they don’t know how much longer they can hold on. I’ve watched families struggle to keep a dream alive at the demise of the family. And I’ve seen individuals suffer because they didn’t think there was life after dairy farming. Now seems like the right time to illustrate a story of a dairy family who overcame greater challenges than most of us will ever face.

The current business climate of high interest rates and ongoing inflation is challenging. It requires business owners to be proactive and strategic with cash management, debt management and requires an overall increased focus on every aspect of the business.

Cows that consume feed contaminated with mycotoxins – which include natural toxins made by various species of molds – may suffer a host of various metabolic disruptions that lead to a loss of milk production, hormonal imbalance and reduced reproductive performance.