Dairy colostrum 101: Review the basics of your colostrum protocol

Kailey Foster for Progressive Dairy

Colostrum is the most important thing a producer can give a newborn calf. Ideally, it should be fed within the first hour of life. What happens during the calf’s first hour of life will have the biggest impact on the animal, even through lactation. It is a critical window that will determine if that calf will live and be a productive member of the dairy.

Colostrum is the first milk secreted from a mammary gland after an animal’s dry period or the first milk secreted by a heifer. This milk supplies the calf with immunoglobulins (Igs), fats, minerals, and biologically active proteins. However, as a producer, it’s important to keep in mind that colostrum may contain bacteria and can transfer diseases, which can pose a danger to the calf.

Read about risk factors, management and immunoglobulin recommendations here.

Weekly Digest: Mailbox and all milk prices maintain spread

Dairy ingredients were recipe for export success in May

John Deere Attachments: Versatility for Productivity

A tale of two retired dairy farmers

Pauly Paul for Progressive Dairy

Once upon a time, there were two retired dairy farmers.

Farmer Bob knew he wanted to retire from his years of dairying, be financially secure and be able to spend a few months out of the year in Florida. So, he spent the five years leading up to his goal retirement date getting his dairy running like a finely tuned machine. When the time came to sell, five neighboring dairies got in a bidding war over the opportunity to purchase his operation – land, cows, youngstock, facilities and all.

His neighbor, Farmer Joe, spent his whole life dairying, and while he always talked about retiring someday, he never really made a plan. Over the years, he grew tired, and so did his facilities. Milk production struggled, as did employee morale. Finally, one day, he had enough. When a neighbor offered to purchase his land, he was ready to give it away.

How to plan retirement from dairying

[Podcast] U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award Winner, MVP Dairy – featuring Ken McCarty

Ken McCarty is a fourth-generation owner of McCarty Family Farms, which owns MVP Dairy LLC in Celina, Ohio, with partner VanTilburg Farms. MVP Dairy was recently recognized as a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winner. 

Brought to you by Ritchie Industries Automatic Waterers

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Nine pieces of advice for ag high school and college graduates

Go Seed for Progressive Dairy

It’s been six years since Sarah Houin walked across the graduation stage at Purdue to receive her diploma for a degree in agronomic business and marketing. A farm kid from a cattle, hog and row-crop family enterprise in southern Indiana, present day finds Houin as a crop consultant with a specialty in cover crops for Co-Alliance in the northern part of the state.

While in many ways her career is just getting started, she’s amassed a notable amount of experience since leaving her hometown 10 years ago, through building a college resume to gain relevant work experience to landing her first job straight after college graduation. As high school and college students prepare to graduate and think about their future careers, Houin has nine pieces of advice to pass on.

Nine ways to be successful during your schooling

What time of year do you buy your inoculants?

Vote here. (Look for the gray box to the right.) 

This poll is sponsored by United Animal Health.

Select the right process technology for your dairy RNG project

Paul Green for Progressive Dairy

In recent years, dairy farmers have shown an increased ability to enhance farm revenue by installing anaerobic digesters. The latest business model of choice has been to convert the biogas from the farm’s manure to renewable natural gas (RNG). Producing RNG can help the farm earn lucrative carbon credits from such programs as the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits from the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Additionally, it can also reduce farm methane emissions to enhance farm sustainability. When looking to engage in an RNG project, however, farmers garner the greatest longevity and long-term value by selecting the right technology for key components of the design process, which include bedding material, digesters and gas upgrading.

Things to consider when installing anaerobic digesters