Dairy farmers who put digestibility at the top of their corn hybrid decision-making process should see more profit over those who look solely at yield. Mike Miller, a researcher at the W.H. Miner Institute in New York, says that a multi-year study that looked at the economics of emphasizing digestibility in hybrid decisions, shows that […] Read more
Tag Archives Dairy farming — page 3
Putting value on the effect of undigestible forage fibre
Using highly digestible fibre corn hybrids usually makes financial sense, says researcher
Augmented reality system brings cows into full view
Company overlaying data and reality in new system to help information management
Imagine looking over your barn full of cows and being able to tell instantly which ones were in heat and which ones are up and down in feed consumption or milk. There are ways to do this now, with a phone or a tablet computer feeding information to the farmer as they move through the […] Read more
U.S. dairy industry continues to focus on exports
Milk price in the U.S. has increased slightly, providing some much-needed stability
The American public is consuming more dairy products and that is, for now, using up any growth in milk production. That’s helped stabilize and even raise American milk prices for the first time in the past five years. Still, American dairy farmers continue to push aggressively into more export markets, says Tom Vilsack, president and […] Read more
Public invited to experience new dairy barn
North Perth farmers plan two distinct new-construction open house events
Throwing open the doors of a newly built dairy barn for others in the agricultural sector to see is common practice; throwing open the doors for the general public is much rarer. The Johnston families of North Perth, operators of Maplevue Farms, plan to do both on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. Why it matters: […] Read more
Consumer concerns driving livestock production discussion
Working towards trouble-free animals are often areas farmers are already working to improve
Areas of consumer concern like climate change and animal welfare are driving the livestock discussion, but farmers are already regularly improving both areas while they make their farms more efficient. That was the message from recent interviews conducted by Farmtario with a member of the leadership team behind Lactanet’s annual ranking of herd management scores […] Read more
Mini-biodigester offers big output for Ontario dairy farm
Ontario’s only mini-biodigester has been operating for more than a year and has changed how Harcolm Farms manages manure
After about 18 months of operation, Ontario’s one and only mini-digester is going strong. It’s situated at Harcolm Farms near Beachville, Ont., and owned by dairy farmers Rob and Rachel McKinlay. Minis are a fraction of the cost of a full-sized digester (there are more than 40 here in Ontario) and require much simpler permitting. […] Read more
Switchgrass can replace straw in dairy rations
However, researchers caution against feeding too much to lactating cows or milk production could drop
Switchgrass has potential as both dairy cow bedding and feed – especially for dry cows. One of its benefits is that it is low in potassium relative to the more commonly used wheat straw. High potassium levels can cause problems for dairy cattle, especially if they are calving during a dry season. Gail Carpenter, a […] Read more
More breeze in the barn makes for happier dairy cows
A new tunnel-ventilated dairy barn design puts the emphasis on air movement
New dairy building designs are popping up across the province, that are shorter, sleeker and looking like they are wearing tinted glasses. Tunnel-ventilated free-stall barns have become more common over the past few years as a new design has come to dominate tunnel ventilation. Why it matters: Cow comfort is key to dairy farm profitability […] Read more
Dairy-to-beef breeding reaches new levels
Genomics cited as key factor in boosting the dairy farming trend
Breeding of Holstein dairy cows to Holstein bulls has hit an all-time-low according to the Canadian Dairy Network — a clear indication of the growing popularity of using sexed semen for top milk-producing herd members and using beef semen on the rest. The trend is not confined to Canada. A recent article published by the […] Read more
Editorial: Dairy compensation plan announcement ill-timed
Governments can be ham-fisted and tone deaf, a symptom of their huge, creaking architecture. They throw new coats of paint out to different areas of the economy just before elections. That lack of tact was in full display recently when Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, announced a $1.75 billion, eight-year program for […] Read more
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