Dairy and Animal Science News

October Dairy Digest Now Online

In this issue: If ever there was a time to develop a strategic plan, it is now; How many cows does it take to make biogas?; Get shrink under control to cut feed costs; Managing calf health through nutrition; Good news/bad news for dairy farmers; 2010 Manure Expo to be held at Penn State; Dairy Alliance fall programs; Dairy Digest Online: Facebook Group, Listserv Group, RSS

Newly Revised Specht Report Breeding Performance Summary Available

The Sire-Son and Prefix reports were developed at Penn State University by Dr. Larry Specht and first published in the mid 1970s. The reports have been used to compare the performance of a sire with his sons and provide a list of the prefixes that are providing the top Holstein bulls to the A.I. industry in the US. The Bull-Mother report is a spin-off from the original Sire-Son and Prefix reports and lists dams that have provided the top Holstein bulls.

Penn State Horse Newsletter, October - November Issue Now Online

In this issue: Equine Environmental Stewardship Conference Nov. 7, 2009; Equine Disease Outbreaks in 2009; Drug Eliminates Parasite that Causes Piroplasmosis in Horses; Hay Quality for Different Classes of Horses; 50th Anniversary State 4-H Horse Show

Student Clubs

SRUA, Dairy Science Club, CHAPS, Block and Bridle...

Staff News

Accomplishments, appointments, family news...

Judging Teams

Horses, livestock, dairy...

Alumni News

Outstanding and Distinguished Alumni, Dairymen's and Stockmen's Clubs

Graduate Student News

Degree program completions, publications, graduate study leave, and other activities

Extension Programs

Publications, programs, and other extension activities

Faculty News

Lectures, publications, and other faculty activities

Undergraduate Programs

The Equine Science Minor, begun in 2002, continues to grow in enrollment.

Awards and Honors

Faculty, staff, and student recognitions

Comings and Goings

New hires, retirements, and departures

From Terry Etherton

As I write this article on a blustery November day, I am reflecting on three events that recently occurred on campus that merit celebration and illustrate the legacy of the Department...

Are You Considering On-Site Electricity Generation?

With all the talk about electricity prices increasing when the rate caps expire within the next year or two, you may be tempted to consider generating your own electricity. After all, you probably already have a back-up generation system to provide electricity during blackout periods.

Dairy Outlook

If these price forecasts hold, the first few months of 2009 will be difficult, as feed costs and other production costs will not have declined as rapidly as milk prices. If the first six months of 2009 US milk production increases less than 1 %, the final 6 months of 2009 will see better prices than are now shown in the futures markets.

Characteristics of Profitable Dairy Farms

While individual farms within the group were challenged on both capital and operational efficiency, when summarized, these data point out the importance of higher revenue, lower direct and overhead costs; thus a higher profit margin as keys to profitability.

Solutions for Dealing with Price Volatility

It is already projected that 2009 will bring with it the same price volatility that has been experienced for 2008. Fertilizer, seed, fuel, and feed prices will continue to climb and unfortunately the direction of milk prices is not so clear. If there was ever a time to monitor income over feed costs, it would be now.

Income Over Feed Costs: Finding the Profit on a Dairy Farm

As the largest variable cost involved in milk production, feed cost is the most important variable in managing profit on a dairy.

Considerations When Choosing a Farm Recordkeeping System

Good farm records are a key component of a good farm management system. As the calendar changes from 2008 to 2009, it is an excellent time to evaluate the record-keeping system being used on the farm.