Derek Nolan

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Using milking speed information can lead to dairy profitability

Understanding what influences milking speed, collecting and utilizing data can lead to improving milk speed.

July 11, 2024

Efficiency is key to making the milking system as profitable as possible. Parlor turns can greatly impact milk collected per stall, and milkabilty measures of individual cows, like milking speed and milking duration, will impact how quickly cows make their way through the parlor.

Back to the basics: Gram-negative vs. gram-positive mastitis

A review of the differences between gram-negative and gram-positive mastitis pathogens.

March 11, 2024

Derek Nolan

Determining the infecting bacteria type allows for a more guided treatment decision. Not all producers can work with a veterinarian to culture milk samples, and results from on-farm culturing can be difficult to interpret. However, being able to at least categorize the infecting pathogen can provide valuable information.

Who's taking up parlor space?

Evaluating cow value from a parlor perspective can improve your bottom line.

January 26, 2024

Derek Nolan

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.

Using milking duration and milking speed to make and evaluate management decisions

Evaluating current milking settings can improve production in your parlor.

March 25, 2023

Derek Nolan

When is the last time you evaluated milking settings in your parlor? Read our latest article to learn more.

Make better milk quality management decisions with more data

June 29, 2018

Derek Nolan

The current state of the dairy industry is putting pressure on dairy producers. Excess milk in the market has allowed dairy processors to be more selective with the milk they are purchasing.

Cow comfort key to high-quality milk, award-winning dairy producers say

May 2, 2018

Derek Nolan

During the 2017 Southeast Quality Milk Initiative Meeting, the milk quality award winners sat down in a producer panel to discuss how they achieve award-worthy quality milk in the southeastern U.S. When asked if they had to choose the one thing that has led to their milk quality success, all agreed that cow comfort was at the top of the list.

Co-ops on milk quality: ‘We must continue to decrease SCC’

January 26, 2018

Derek Nolan

During the Fifth Annual Southeast Quality Milk Initiative Meeting held in Nashville, Tennessee, in November 2017, three representatives from two milk cooperatives sat down in an open panel to discuss current trends of the U.S. milk market.

Southeastern producers discuss SCC and high-quality milk

January 18, 2017

Derek Nolan

The Southeast region of the U.S. consistently has the highest average somatic cell count (SCC) of any other region in the country, but over four years of the Southeast Quality Milk Initiative project, one thing has been evident: Many dairy producers in the Southeast are producing high-quality, low-SCC milk.

Improving milk quality by training the trainers

January 13, 2017

Derek Nolan

The Quality Milk Alliance (QMA) and the Southeast Quality Milk Initiative (SQMI) are two USDA projects focusing on improving milk quality in the U.S. The two projects are similar but use different methods to determine what producers are doing well and not so well when it comes to producing high-quality milk.

Five steps to mastitis treatment decisions that will save you money

July 20, 2016

Derek Nolan

Mastitis is the most common disease and the leading cause for antibiotic use on dairy farms. Due to consumer demand, antibiotic use is becoming more scrutinized in animal agriculture. This year at the National Mastitis Council meeting, Dr. Pamela Ruegg from the University of Wisconsin – Madison discussed how treatment practices could lower antibiotic use on farms and save money. Ruegg listed five steps and considerations for making optimum mastitis treatment decisions.

Articles by Derek Nolan

Using milking speed information can lead to dairy profitability

Back to the basics: Gram-negative vs. gram-positive mastitis

Who's taking up parlor space?

Using milking duration and milking speed to make and evaluate management decisions

Make better milk quality management decisions with more data

Cow comfort key to high-quality milk, award-winning dairy producers say

Co-ops on milk quality: ‘We must continue to decrease SCC’

Southeastern producers discuss SCC and high-quality milk

Improving milk quality by training the trainers

Five steps to mastitis treatment decisions that will save you money

West: The value of records

South Central: Heifer development from weaning to breeding

Southeast: BCS – one of the best tools you have

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[Podcast] FMMO modernization: USDA’s final decision and the impact it could have on milk prices