HD Notebook

It is December 7 and sire summary information has been released. It used to be a really exciting time when there were only two sire summaries per year, as the momentum would build in January and July. In my youth, several A.I. representatives were in the yard with their new information and full of enthusiasm soon after the information became official. Read more

As a group, the Hoard Guernsey herd had outstanding feet and leg scores, averaging 81.86 points on 342 cows at the most recent classification. There are a number of reasons for their solid feet and legs: some is genetic, some is the facilities, but a lion’s share can be attributed to a diligent hoof-trimming program and the steady use of footbaths by the Hoard Farm crew headed up by Jason Yurs. Read more

An $860,000 donation from a husband and wife has created a new Dairy Center and dairy professorship in the Food Science and Technology Department at Oregon State University. Read more

This Tuesday, USDA released its monthly Milk-Feed Price Ratio, which was 2.22 for November, down notably from October's 2.4o. The ratio was 2.26 last November. (The Milk-Feed Price Ratio reflects the pounds of a 16 percent-mixed dairy ration equal to the value of 1 pound of milk.) The drop in the ratio for November came as a result of a lower milk price and higher feed costs. Read more

While dairy operations become more efficient and populations grow, the objective is to see consumption of dairy products increase, which ensures a strong long-term demand for our nutrient-rich products. Read more

Where are land prices headed? They are up everywhere except where dairy cows are found. That’s the short answer to a more complicated question. Read more

Making milk in the nation’s largest dairy state is expensive, and part of the reason why are workers’ compensation insurance rates that are among the highest in the U.S. Read more

Milk production nationally was up 2.9 percent during October, marking eight straight months during which milk production was higher than the same month last year. Cow numbers were up just 0.2 percent during October, but milk per cow was up just over 2.6 percent. Compared to the previous year, milk per cow has been up every month during 2010 except January. Read more

We recently received a note from Scott Crandell, a dairy nutritionist in Mifflintown, Pa. One of his clients, Centerview Farm also of Mifflintown, experienced a remarkable delivery this fall. Read more

For the first time in over two years, many western U.S. dairy herds began showing a small profit. While these positive numbers are a welcome sight for many dairy farmers, they fall way short of making up for losses during 2008 and 2009.

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