Articles

How many cows does it take to make biogas?: It doesn’t take a lot of cows to make biogas from manure. The real question is how does the capital and management cost of a digester fit into your farm business and management situation?
Get shrink under control to cut feed costs: Shrink is defined by Kansas State Extension Specialist Michael Brouk as the amount of feed delivered or grown on a farm that is never consumed. Brouk estimated that shrink may account for 5 to 30 percent of feed purchased.
Managing calf health through nutrition: Nutrition has many effects on the health of the calf and improvements must be considered to reduce the high incidence of morbidity and mortality as found on dairy farms around the world.
Good news/bad news for dairy farmers: There’s some good news and some bad news concerning PPL’s deregulation of electricity generation.
2010 Manure Expo to take Place at Penn State: The expo's theme is "balancing production and conservation," and considers how manure handlers must navigate federal, state and local regulations, public perception and economic pressures, trying to make the most of an important natural resource while under intense public scrutiny.
Dairy Alliance fall programs: Many training opportunities available October through December 2009.
Dairy Digest Online: Facebook Group, Listserv Group, RSS: Join the Dairy Digest online community!
If ever there was a time to develop a strategic plan, it is now: As an old saying goes, “without some sense of direction, you can wind up anywhere.”
Are Your Tie Stalls “Working” For You?
Bedded Pack Shelters
Bunker Silo Hazards: There are several hazards associated with a bunker silo, and not all are as obvious as are some other types of farm hazards. Everyone who has to work around a bunker silo should be able to recognize the risks and apply good safety habits.
Calf and Heifer Workshops to be Held in February: A calf and heifer workshop will be offered at three locations this winter: Feb. 12 at Clarion Inn, Lewistown; Feb. 13 at Holiday Inn, Grantville, PA; Feb. 14 at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park, Martinsburg. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the program will last until 3:30 p.m.
Can We Stop Calf Scours?
Corn Silage - Lessons Demonstrated
Dairy Analysis 20/20 Workshop Shows Who Has the Competitive Advantage: Penn State Dairy Alliance invited large-herd dairy producers from across the nation to explore who has the competitive edge – and why – at a two-day Dairy Analysis 20/20 workshop held recently in Gettysburg, Pa. This multi-state business management workshop analyzed each participating producer’s production and financial records for 2006-2007 and compared them to performance indicators, or benchmarks. The comparison showed participants how they performed in terms of various financial and production factors – business performance, cost of production, income over feed costs, parlor performance, and culling management – and the steps that they could take to match top performance levels on their own dairies.
Dairy Farms May Be Impacted By Nutrient Management Changes
Impact of New Feed Regulations to prevent BSE: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a ban in 1997 on feeding ruminant protein products back to ruminant animals.
Heard about a shorter dry period?: A shorter dry period will have the benefit of more milk due to extended milking days if production in the subsequent lactation is not compromised.
Consequences of Inaccurate Heat Detection: Heat detection rate is the most critical factor for achieving successful reproductive management.
Welcome Extension Educators: Dr. Sandy Costello and Dr. Ernest Hovingh
Large Animal First Aid: It is wise for livestock owners to be prepared ahead of time with some basic knowledge and a few first aid items.
Milk Replacer Formulation for the Dairy Calf: The first few weeks of a calf's life are very critical to the growth and long term performance of a dairy calf.
New Interim Policy Requires Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Act (Act 6) Plans to Include Phosphorus: In May 2004 the State Conservation Commission (SCC) adopted a new interim policy requiring Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Act (Act 6) plans to include a phosphorus application component. The interim policy applies to all concentrated animal operations (CAOs), concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and volunteer operations submitting Act 6 nutrient management plans or plan amendments for approval to the Commission or conservation district after May 25, 2004.
Dairy Needs to Make a Decision Soon: Air Emissions Consent Agreement: The current air quality related issues making news are not about odor. This is a whole new arena, which involves how much ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and particulate matter is being emitted from an animal facility. Citizen groups are saying that animal agriculture was not exempt from the 1997 Clean Air Act and EPA should be enforcing these regulations against AFOs (Animal Feeding Operations). Technically, EPA could go back starting in 1997 and fine an operation that exceeded air quality parameters or did not apply for appropriate permits.
Opening Another Chapter: Air Emissions-Particulates: Agriculture in Pennsylvania will be impacted by various air quality and emissions regulations. This article will discuss the Clean Air Act, particulates and ammonia, and their relationship to Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs). Other agricultural operations including field crops, horticultural crops and mushrooms may also be impacted.
Free Guides Explain How To Comment On Proposed Nutrient Management And Water Quality Regulations: Two free guides from Penn State Cooperative Extension will help farmers and concerned citizens understand new proposed environmental regulations which will affect Pennsylvania livestock and poultry operations.
Crohn’s Disease and Johne’s Disease: Besides the somewhat similar spelling of their names, do these diseases have anything in common?
Achieving Success With Systematic Breeding Programs: It is worth reviewing once again the requirements for success that are common to all systems.
Air Quality - Why Should Pennsylvania Be Watching California?: Because of the current events surrounding EPA’s air quality consent agreement (AQCA), people assume we are comparing apples to apples or ammonia emission to ammonia emission. Actually, what is happening in California is very different from the AQCA.
National Animal Health Monitoring System Report on Mycoplasma Mastitis: The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy 2002 study, conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, reported on Mycoplasma in Bulk Tank Milk on U.S. Dairies indicates that mycoplasma mastitis can be economically devastating to dairies because of its contagious nature and its resistance to treatment.
Leasing Your Farm’s Energy Resources: What if you are contacted by a company wanting to lease the wind (or any other energy resource) from your farm? Don’t be too quick to sign away on your potentially valuable resource.
EPA’s Air Quality Consent Agreement is Here!: EPA has taken a giant step in the expected regulation of air emissions (especially ammonia) from AFOs (animal feeding operations) including dairies.
Dehydration in Dairy Calves: Evaluating and monitoring dehydration in your dairy calves is an important task for the dairy calf manager.
Reduced Expression of Estrus In High Producing Cows – Why?: There is no simple answer.
Secrets of Dairies with Consistently Low Somatic Cell Counts: Fewer infections and better animal comfort make us better stewards of the animals under our care.
Bedded Pack Barns for Dairy Cattle: The basic bedded pack can be a quick and simple way to house a variety of dairy cattle including young heifers, dry cows, milking cows and special needs cows.
New Advanced Reproduction Workshop For PA Dairy Producers, Employees: Pennsylvania dairy producers and employees can attend a new training program in advanced dairy reproductive management for free.
Update on Current Research at the Penn State Dairy Center: Effect of dry propylene glycol vs. drenching: a preliminary report.
Employee Motivation: Are They Getting What They Expect?: Human beings are complex and motivation is a social and psychological state that does not lend itself to simple answers.
Identify Bottlenecks to Higher Dairy Profitability: When dairy producers try to assess the profitability of their business, it can be difficult to pinpoint which specific elements are negatively impacting the bottom line. To help consultants and their clients better understand and overcome these bottlenecks to profitability, Penn State's Dairy Extension and Dairy Alliance have created the Profitability Assessment Dairy Tool (PA Dairy Tool), giving a whole-farm view to better identify key weaknesses.
Nutrition Workshop for Feed Industry Professionals: The 2007 edition of the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop will be held November 13-14 at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, Pennsylvania.
Apply Now for Fuel Tax Refund: Any person who used liquid fuels in the production of agricultural products is eligible for a tax refund.
Rate of Stillbirths and the Effect on Dam Survival and Reproductive Performance: Stillbirth is a major issue within the dairy industry.
Do Antibiotics Work as Well as They Used To?: While controversy continues as to the exact role of antibiotic use in animals and linkage to increased resistant populations of bacteria, many producers and veterinarians feel antibiotics do not work as well as they did years ago.
Dry Off Dilemma: Cows with shorter days dry have longer lifetime days in milk.
Handling of Post-pasteurized Waste Milk is Very Important: To keep calves healthy, everything comes down to good hygiene.
Calf Management Tips for Cold Weather: Within a certain range of temperatures called the thermoneutral zone or TNZ, calves can maintain body temperature without needing extra energy.
Rate Caps on Electricity Prices are Expiring: Depending on which utility company provides your electricity, your rate cap protection may have already expired.
Identify Bottlenecks to Higher Dairy Profitability: Register for Drill Down Workshops with PA Dairy Tool Now!
Penn State Dairy Alliance Announces Programs for Winter-Spring 2008: Dairy Production Skills Training – In Spanish; Middle Managers Conference; Penn State Business Planning Workshop; People in Ag: Success with Human Resources for Ag Advisers; Dairy Profit Team Training: Getting Started with a Dairy Profit Team
Costs and Risks Associated with Natural Service Sires: In light of the recent tragic death of a Pennsylvania dairy producer by a herd bull I feel it is important to review once again the costs and risks of having a bull on the premises.
Antibiotic Basics: This is the second in a series that will explore the use as well as discuss some of the controversies concerning antibiotic therapy in dairy cattle.
Highlights of the Dairy 2007 Survey: Focus on Calves and Heifers: The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) recently published part one of the results of the Dairy 2007 national survey. This periodic snapshot of current management practices provides insight into current trends and changes over time.
Polled Holstein History Now Online: Dr. Larry W. Specht, professor emeritus of dairy science, Penn State University, has compiled a history of polled Holsteins, naturally hornless cattle, that is now featured on Penn State's Department of Dairy and Animal Science Web site at http://www.das.psu.edu/pdf/polled-holsteins.pdf.
Middle Managers Conference: Presented by Penn State Dairy Alliance, this one-day conference is designed to help middle managers in all agricultural fields develop their leadership skills and network with their peers.
PDMP: Dairy Alliance Technical Training Workshops: Presented by Penn State Dairy Alliance and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, these workshops are for dairy owners, managers, and employees.
Know Your Costs of Production: There is little doubt that a major shift in the cost of producing milk has taken place and may continue for some time to come. Monitoring the COP for your dairy operation has always been important, but is even more so now.
Tie Stall Dairy Barns: What’s New?: A properly designed and built tie stall barn can provide a comfortable and productive living and working environment for milking cows and their caretakers. There are several new resources available for those who are planning new or remodeled tie stall dairy barns.
The Cheap Can Turn Out to be Expensive. Stick To the Basics!: Every dairy operation has its unique set of challenges; however there are a few management and nutrition options that can help maintain profit.
What Happens When Electricity Rate Caps Expire?: Your strategy should always be to optimize the use of energy to increase profitability and net cash flow.
Livestock Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: There are conflicting reports on the contribution of ruminants to greenhouse gas emissions (GGE). In these environmentally sensitive times it will help to put things in prospective.
Spreadsheet Helps Calculate the Cost of Pasteurizing Milk for Calves: A new tool designed to help evaluate the decision to feed pasteurized waste milk is available. This spreadsheet developed by Penn State and Virginia Tech extension educators calculates the cost of owning and operating a calf milk pasteurizer as well as costs to feed milk replacer or whole, saleable milk.
Efficacy of a New Post-thaw Method for Altering the Sex Ratio: The Heifer-Plus™ kit has become commercially available for treating bovine semen immediately post-thaw to alter the sex ratio of offspring.
Maximizing Income Over Feed Cost Will be Topic of Free Online Program: New and beginning dairy producers in Pennsylvania can learn how to maximize income over feed costs at the next Lunchtime Series for New and Beginning Dairy Producers program offered via the Web on June 25 from noon to 1 p.m.
PA Dairy Tool Training Available to Consultants on Profit, Target Teams: Pennsylvania consultants who are working with dairy teams to improve farm profitability can take advantage of free training on the new web-based version of the Penn State Profitability Assessment Dairy Tool.
Inter-service Interval a Major Gap Contributing to Low 21-Day Pregnancy Rates: With the significant increase in adoption of resynchronization programs more routine determination of pregnancy status is being used.
Electricity Rate Caps are Expiring – Then What?: Just what will happen when the electricity rate caps expire in 2010 and 2011? That question is the same as asking what will happen when the deregulation of generated electricity is completed. Although the details have not yet been announced by any of the major investor-owned utility companies in Pennsylvania, I believe there is sufficient information to make some educated guesses of what may happen. In the April 2008 issue of Dairy Digest, I speculated on a few changes that will likely take place. Now I want to expand on my speculations.
Don’t Forget the September 30 Deadline to Apply for Fuel Tax Refund: Any person who uses liquid fuels in the actual production of agricultural products is eligible for a tax refund.
Workshop for Feed Industry Professionals: The 2008 Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop will take place November 12-13 at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, Pennsylvania. Feed industry professionals, nutrition consultants, and veterinarians rank this training opportunity as one of the premier events in the Northeast.
Are there Holes in Animal Care and Well-being Programs?: Over the past few years much has been written, talked about, or broadcast on TV regarding the care or at times the lack thereof of animals raised in production agriculture. This has caused many of us who have been working in animal agriculture for years, to stop and look around and try to understand what has caused some of the fuss.
Advanced Accounting Workshop Designed for Producers, Bookkeepers in All Ag Fields: Penn State Dairy Alliance is offering an accounting workshop to help producers and bookkeepers in dairy and all agricultural businesses learn how to better manage their accounting systems and improve their profitability.
Penn State Dairy Alliance Announces its New Schedule of Educational Programs: The Penn State Dairy Alliance team announces its schedule of educational programs planned for Fall 2008-Spring 2009. “These educational programs have been created by Penn State dairy Extension educators to meet the specific training needs of Pennsylvania’s progressive dairy producers, their employees, and consultants,” notes Dr. Lisa Holden, acting director of Dairy Alliance, a Penn State Cooperative Extension initiative.
Milking with Robots – Not Just a Curiosity Anymore!: The adoption and evolution of milking cows without regular intervention by humans (robotic milking, automatic milking, voluntary milking…) is progressing in the US. The Pennsylvania dairy industry, lead by innovative and courageous farmers is participating in this pioneering activity. The questions as to “will robots work?” or “can they reliably identify, prepare and milk cows without human intervention?” are regularly being answered and demonstrated on several farms in Pennsylvania.
Are Your Cows Getting Enough Rest?: At the recent Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop, Dr. Nigel Cook from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin presented results of on-going research into the daily time budgets of cows. Their studies use video surveillance to determine how cows spend their time and how management practices and facility designs influence cow behavior. The findings are summarized in this article.
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.
Phytoestrogens: Something to be Aware of, But Don’t Overreact!: On occasion we receive inquires about the effect of phytoestrogens on reproductive performance of cattle. There have been a few reports from nutrition consultants and veterinarians working with well managed herds which experienced a sudden decline in reproductive performance for no obvious reason but when forages suspected to have high concentrations of phytoestrogens were removed from the ration performance improved. It is difficult to find well controlled studies which document how widespread this condition might be. However there are some good review articles describing the effect of phytoestrogens on sheep and cattle.
Penn State Dairy Alliance Offering Workshops on Reproductive Management: An effective reproductive program is essential to a dairy’s profitability, yet many Pennsylvania dairies struggle to overcome bottlenecks that hinder reproductive efficiency. To help optimize reproductive performance, Penn State Dairy Alliance is offering Reproductive Drill-Down Workshops in Lancaster and Mercer counties in January.
Profit Strategies Program Will Show Dairies Strategies for Long-term Success: Is your dairy positioned for long-term viability? Not sure how to answer this question? Understanding the factors that limit profitability in different herd sizes and how shifts in management strategies affect profitability will help you determine – and improve – the long-term viability of your operation.
2009 Dairy Summit: Hosted by Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders, the 2009 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit will take place Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 at the Lancaster Host Resort, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Top 10 Keys to Surviving in 2009: That old saying, “What goes up must come down,” has been proven to be true yet again.
Genomic Genetic Evaluations Have Arrived: Genomic sire evaluations were released for the first time in January. Many people believe this will have the largest impact on genetic improvement programs since the advent of frozen semen.
Livestock Contribution to Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in the U.S.: The time is right to review the concerns with ammonia emissions and the particular role of livestock in the global context of anthropogenic air pollution.
Check the Web Site "Coping With Higher Energy Prices": The site energy.cas.psu.edu has undergone massive reconstruction over the past several months with the new theme of "Coping with High Energy Prices."
Producers Invited to Join Informal Discussion Groups in Southcentral and Southwestern Pennsylvania: Penn State Dairy Alliance is currently forming discussion groups for dairy producers in southcentral and southwestern Pennsylvania who want an opportunity to meet regularly so they may network and learn from each other.
Dairy of Distinction Applications Due April 15: Pennsylvania dairy farms are invited to apply for this year's Dairy of Distinction award from the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program. The award is based on the idea that attractive farmsteads enhance consumer confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk sales and public support for the industry.
Mortality and early-lactation cull rates in Pennsylvania dairy herds: Evidence has been accumulating that lactating cow mortality rates have increased more than 2 fold since 1980.
Effect of plant extracts on production, nutrient utilization, and ruminal fermentation in dairy cows: What can the active compounds cinnamaldahyde and eugenol found in essential oils do for your dairy cows?
Welcome to our new faculty member: Dr. Kevin Harvatine was recently hired as an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Physiology by the Department of Dairy and Animal Science.
Confusion concerning the diagnosis, cause and treatment of cystic ovarian disorders: Progress is be made to understand more about this condition and treatment strategies have improved but diagnosis of the type of cysts is still a challenge. However, culling chronically cystic cows, developing a strategy to avoid over conditioned dry cows and providing balanced transition cow ration will certainly help minimize periparturient problems so that the incidence of cystic ovaries remains low.
Video series shows how new Penn State dairy tool can monitor farm profitability: Penn State Dairy Extension is offering a new online tool to help dairy producers better manage feed costs during the current economic downturn.
Registration open for Joint NMC Regional Meeting and MAC Conference: For the first time, NMC and the Mid-Atlantic Consortium (MAC) will team together to host a mastitis and milk quality conference that is targeted to all segments of the dairy industry with an interest in mastitis and milk quality, including: producers, veterinarians, extension educators and specialists, consultants, equipment and pharmaceutical suppliers, dairy plant field staff, and students. If you haven't already registered, now is your chance!
Biogas – New and Same Olde: A discouraging feature of recent visits to digester projects in Pennsylvania and neighboring states is that we are still seeing many of the “same olde mistakes and problems” on our digester projects.
The New-Old Bedding Dilemma: The debate of organic vs. inorganic bedding and which has better udder health has gone on for some time.
New Research Suggests Calf Diets Need Supplemental Fatty Acids: It appears that linolenic acid is deficient in typical calf diets.
Are You Paying Sales Tax on Electricity?: Dairy farmers – and other farmers too – should not be paying Pennsylvania sales tax on electricity!
Deregulation of Electricity Generation in Pennsylvania–Begin Preparing Now: You have more than 16 months to prepare for the deregulation of electricity. Take advantage of this lead time.
Carbon Footprint 101: There are many different ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint, either on an individual basis, as a farm, an industry or even a country.
Making the Tough Choice: Should We Go or Should We Stay: Life is all about choices. Some work out great, some not well at all. The key though is to always have a choice, because the alternative is not pleasant.
Opportunity for Improvement in Reproductive Performance: The opportunity exists to improve reproductive performance as measured by days to last breeding, calving interval, and 21-day pregnancy rate.
Managing Total Solids in Nonsalable Milk: Research published in the July issue of the Journal of Dairy Science (Moore et al.) investigated the use of a Brix refractometer to manage total solids in nonsaleable milk fed to calves.

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