Dairy farmers are reaping the benefits of current high prices for dairy-beef crossbred calves thanks to historically lower cattle replacements and strong beef demand. Opportunities for beef-on-dairy strategies remain strong, especially beef embryo-based programs. Feeders and packers seek uniformity between animals and efficient growth. They are willing to reward dairies for these efforts, at least while the national beef herd rebuilds following years of drought, wildfires and economic hardships. Simplot’s Jeremy Howard and Select Sires Lauren Kimble discuss the market outlook and how it might affect your beef-on-dairy programs.

Efficiency is the key to success in the dairy industry. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do, so maximizing those hours, minutes and even seconds is the hallmark of a good operation.

Nobody likes to walk through a freestall pen and see manure laden with flecks of yellow corn pericarp. To any dairy manager, herd manager or nutritionist, “pretty poo” is all the rage – and pretty means consistently fleckless. This pretty manure is not only important to the diet but also a key part of every dairy’s bottom line.

To innovate in ways that bring the community together, Doug and Cortney Dotterer have ventured beyond traditional dairy farming, transforming a section of their land into a vibrant sunflower maze – a project that has become a local attraction. What began as a casual idea inspired by a farm in Kentucky has now flourished into an annual event, attracting thousands of visitors eager to experience the beauty of sunflowers and farm life.

Manure is a gift and a curse for dairy farmers. It becomes the dark cloud for dairy operations, being the source of time constraints, nutrient runoff and financial strains. Finding methods and approaches that bring consistency and flexibility to applications is often hard to find. That was, until conservation agriculture.

There was a lot to discover at the 2024 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, as companies from all across the globe showcased new innovative offerings for dairy operations and paid homage to technologies of the past. Continue reading to see what Progressive Dairy editors found while attending this year’s event.

Herd management software can make it easier to gather, organize and use data to make profitable decisions. However, this often means being tied to your office where the software lives. But what if technology can help you leave the office behind?  

For many dairies, use of premixes is nothing new and they have been used in some fashion since dairying began. In many cases, however, because the practice is so common, we may tend to forget these are tools in our feeding programs that need to be reevaluated from time to time.