April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024 Progressive Dairy digital magazine

April 1, 2024

Alliance Watch: Animal Ag Allies, empowering outspoken advocates for agriculture

March 21, 2024

There has never been a better time than now to take the plunge in advocating for agriculture. Thanks to the generous support of the United Soybean Board, all participation fees for the 2024 Animal Ag Allies program have been waived.

Progressive Events: Sunshine and smiles at World Ag Expo 2024

Agriculture enthusiasts gathered at World Ag Expo to listen to seminars, enjoy the California sunshine and socialize with fellow enthusiasts.

February 29, 2024

Matti McBride

Agricultural producers, enthusiasts and industry experts made their way over (or through) the snowy Sierra Nevadas to sunny Tulare, California, for the annual World Ag Expo Feb. 13-15.

Dairy’s Foundation shares in multiple ways

March 19, 2024

Dairy's Foundation provides financial support for programs that foster the next generation of dairy leaders, enhances the skills of current dairy producers and strengthens the bond of trust between consumers and producers.

Panel discusses practical solutions for improving employee retention, compliance, culture

Incorporating relevant technology, providing career development options and building a good team culture are three ways to address labor challenges and improve employee retention.

March 22, 2024

Kimmi Devaney

Compliance and building a beneficial team culture are two of the greatest labor challenges observed by Michelle Kohls from Kohls Dairy Farm, Helen Korzec with GPS Nutrition and Evan Platte with Merck Animal Health.

3 Open Minutes with Doug Blair: Holstein shows from 1906-2023

Blair has written an interesting list of Grand Champion cows and their pedigrees.

January 30, 2024

Katie Coyne

Doug Blair shares his knowledge of pedigrees in his book containing information about 117 years of North American Grand Champions.

Fraud on the farm: It’s time to protect yourself

Six common types of cyberattacks and payment fraud outlined, along with tips to implement in a fraud prevention protocol.

March 26, 2024

Brad Guse

Agribusinesses may be more susceptible than other businesses to payment fraud because fraudsters perceive them as being both lucrative targets and having less sophisticated fraud protection tools. Read on for tips to help prevent six common types of cyberattacks and payment fraud.

How is your dairy negativity bias?

Purposely looking for positive moments each day can help to overcome negativity bias.

March 19, 2024

Michele Payn

That condemning remark from a co-worker or classmate? You’re far more likely to stew on it longer than the three compliments you heard the same day. Come to find out, there’s a reason my thoughts go negative (besides my impatience). Negativity bias. It is a condition few know about, but we all have.

Who is in your corner when times get tough?

Evaluating fixed and variable costs throughout the operation can help identify areas where cost and labour savings can be achieved. However, cow comfort is an area that should not be cut.

March 28, 2024

Leo Pauls

It’s uncertain what will happen in the next quarter or two, but we all want to see farms succeed. Dairy farms help feed the world, and by taking a closer look at your operations, expenses and the comfort of your cows, you can identify areas for improvement that will keep your business profitable.

Family-oriented culture results in minimal employee turnover at Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy

April 1, 2024

Kimmi Devaney

Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy in Wisconsin has created a welcoming team culture with low employee turnover. Since the farm started in 1963, it has grown from less than 100 cows to more than 800. Today, members of the second, third and fourth generations work on the dairy.

Keeping cows cool: Summer additions to a natural ventilation system

Possible additions to consider for a natural ventilation system include high-speed panel fans, cyclone style circulating fans, high-volume low-speed fans and tunnel ventilation.

July 29, 2022

Rick McBay

With as little as 16 km/h (10-mph) winds, a properly designed natural ventilation system will provide more than adequate air exchange for your dairy during hot weather.

The cost of discarded milk and how to lower it

Mastitis benefits from cost-effective treatment decisions, achievable through selective treatment, shorter antibiotic courses and other factors that minimize milk discard.

March 18, 2024

Emma Ohirko

With 10% to 35% of cows experiencing mastitis each lactation, grappling with its cost is a reality of milking cows. A Canadian study showed mastitis costs dairy farmers roughly $660 per cow per year, making it the costliest disease of dairy cattle.

Vaccination protocols: Maximizing vaccine efficacy

Vaccines should be used as a management tool to bolster the special forces of the adaptive immune system.

March 13, 2024

Craig J. Louder

The immune system is the body’s military. It is tasked with being able to recognize pathogenic invaders that have entered the body and eliminate them as quickly as possible.

The blooming onion of milkfat: Understanding the layers

The two pathways for fatty acids to be transformed into milkfat are either derived from the diet or from the rumen.

March 14, 2024

Renee Smith

Let’s play a simple word association game. When I say “milkfat,” what do you say? Palmitic? That’s what I’d expect 80% of you to say if we were having this conversation in person.

From farm to page: Dairy mom writes children's books

Family support and a love for educating allowed Chase Pagel to pursue her idea of writing a children’s book about a family steer.

March 1, 2024

Audrey Schmitz

For years, Chase Pagel of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy told herself she should write a children’s book about her daughter’s Jersey steer, Rosco, who loved to eat pink Pop-Tarts.

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.

Managing new and used dairy robots for longevity

Milking robot technology is more widely available than ever before. Ensuring the greatest ROI when deciding between new and used involves evaluating multiple variables and pairing the investment with a service level agreement to provide peace of mind and financial predictability.

March 18, 2024

Darrell McIntyre

As the market for dairy robots has increased, so has the availability of used equipment. For producers interested in making a switch to automation, considerations around buying used or new do not differ greatly from traditional equipment.

What happens in the dry cow group impacts the whole dairy

Setting up your farm for successful cow transitions

March 20, 2024

Melissa Hart

Calving is not a disease; it is a stage that needs to be managed and how that is done will impact a cow for her entire lactation. Best practices for transitioning a cow from far-off fresh to her lactation group has a host of areas that need focused attention by the entire management team on the dairy.

Optimizing fertility: Health impact of lactating cows under Double Ovsynch protocol

Transition cow health is a prerequisite for achieving high fertility in a Double Ovsynch protocol.

March 21, 2024

Augusto M. L. Madureira

Studies show the decrease in fertility can be strongly associated with transition cow health. Utilizing a Double Ovsynch program could increase fertility even in cows with health events during transition.

3 things you need to know about enrolling heifers in an IVF program

Heifer selection, breeding timeline and ovum pickup success influence the profitability of an in vitro fertilization program.

March 27, 2024

Kara Schmidt

Enrolling heifers in an IVF program is extremely advantageous for genetic advancement in any operation. Even small numbers of viable pregnancies from a prepubertal heifer can give a producer the competitive genetic edge that every dairy farmer is aiming to achieve.

Maintain your ventilation system to maintain production

A maintenance checklist is provided to prepare fans, curtains and the ventilation system for the warmer weather ahead.

March 25, 2024

Katlyn Langmeier

The early spring season is the ideal time to give your fans the attention they need so that they can run at 100% performance. This should become part of the farm’s routine maintenance plan.

Creating a win-win: Grazing heifers for economic and ecological returns

Grazing heifers in a rotational grazing system not only offers ecological benefits but may also offer cost savings and improve animal health.

March 26, 2024

Sarah Lloyd, Lexi Schank, and Nick Jordan

Dairy heifer grazing increases the amount of well-managed grassland in an area – improving dairy’s climate performance and supporting the regeneration of soil, water and biodiversity resources.

Some surprising research results from our calf facility

Increasing milk replacer mixing temperature has a positive impact on calf growth, and feeding IgYs could be a good way to reduce mortality numbers in the calf herd.

March 29, 2024

Drew A. Vermeire

Mixing temperature and feeding calves IgYs can have a bigger impact on calf weight gain and health than expected.

Counter the complexity of scours with a focused effort

While scours is a complex issue, a focused effort to provide calves with adequate antibodies, a clean environment and minimal exposure to older animals can greatly decrease a calf’s chances of falling victim to scours.

March 15, 2024

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

By definition, scours is complex: a complex clinical symptom associated with multifactorial diseases that prevent the intestine from absorbing fluids and nutrients. Don’t throw up your hands and assume there is only so much you can do.

Faber's Food for Thought: Cow hunting with sheriffs

April 1, 2024

Dwayne Faber

There is a saying that when you have livestock, you will invariably have deadstock. While this may come as a shock to some vegan consumers, cows do die, and it’s not typically in a hospital surrounded by their family and friends.

The Milk House: The other milk market

March 12, 2024

Ryan Dennis

Jón Páll Sigmarsson was Iceland’s national hero and one of the greatest strongmen of all time. Bodybuilding and lifting in the 1980s, however, he didn’t have access to whey protein products or an industry based on building muscles faster.

Just Dropping By: Turn the hearts of our children

April 1, 2024

Yevet Crandell Tenney

Parents love their children and children love their parents. Well, that is the way it was when I was growing up. I’m not sure that is the case today.

Rallying a team

April 1, 2024

Karen Lee

I’ve been spending the last few weekends watching middle schoolers play volleyball. This local league is an opportunity for girls who love the sport to practice their skills and gain experience on the court. On one day, I watched a pair of 16-year-olds rally and lead a team better than many adults.

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