Herd and Feed Blog

From the Help Desk: Why Our Emails May Not Appear in Your Main Inbox

Illustrator Spotlight: The Christmas Cows

The Illustrator Behind the Christmas Cows

Invisible Cows: Why They Matter for Dairy Success [Video]

Are Your Dairy Herd Records Healthy?

Tracking Dairy Herd Health and Production During a Disease Outbreak

If you've ever wondered why you haven't seen one of our emails recently, you're not alone. Email providers like Gmail and Outlook automatically organize incoming messages into different inboxes such as Primary, Promotions, Updates, Focused, or...

Over the past decade, Amelicor’s annual Christmas greeting has evolved from simple email messages into a tradition featuring beautifully illustrated cows in festive winter settings. At the center of this tradition is Joshua Sagers, the artist and...

One key to efficient dairy herd management is understanding the concept of invisible cows — cows that don’t get sick, get pregnant again easily, and require little attention. These cows quietly contribute to the success of the herd without causing...

Have you taken a look at your EMR lately? If you’ve recently visited your physician or doctor, you may have heard the term “EMR” or electronic medical record, mentioned during your visit. An EMR is a collection of your personal health data stored in...

Keeping cows healthy is always a top priority, but things get a little more complicated when something like bird flu hits a herd. Milk production takes a hit, some cows need treatment, and the whole operation feels the impact. The big question is:...

Efficient Harvest - How Technology Can Help

Harvest time is one of the busiest and most critical periods for any farm. Getting things done right—efficiently and accurately—can make a big difference to the farm’s bottom line and the quality of feed for livestock. But when you’ve got multiple...

From the help desk: harnessing the power of data

In the world of dairy farming, the smallest adjustments can lead to significant outcomes. This narrative unfolds through the experiences of two dairies, under the guidance of a diligent nutritionist, Bryan Soares and Amelicor's help desk.

Optimizing Income Over Feed Cost with EZfeed

Imagine reducing your feed bill by thousands simply by using this one metric! I wish it were that simple – but the hard reality is that it’s not. Have you ever faced the challenge of deciphering which financial metrics will truly lead to cost...

Consistency is the backbone of dairy farming. Every day, farmers strive to provide their herds with steady and reliable nutrition. However, this task can become daunting when faced with feed supply issues, which can be all too common. Whether it's...

DHI-Plus Edge - Unveiling the Future of Dairy Management

At Amelicor, we've always believed that while advancements and technology drive us forward, at the heart of it all, it's about the animals our customers care for each day. Our annual Herd & Feed Management Conference isn't just another event on the...

In this article, we'll explore what accountability really means. We'll see how it's not about micro-management, surveillance tactics, or criticizing. Instead, accountability is a key part of making positive changes and reaching both personal and...

In the world of dairy farming, achieving optimal efficiency is the key to profitability and sustainability. Every process, every resource, and every aspect of the operation must be carefully managed to ensure the best results. One crucial area that...

Recording Calving Difficulty Right for your Health Records

Calving difficulty, also known as calving ease, is a critical factor in herd health management and plays a key role in the success of both dairy and beef cattle operations. This term describes the ease or struggle a cow experiences while giving...

As our understanding of antibiotic resistance deepens, new practices are being implemented to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use on dairy farms. One such practice is Selective Dry Cow Therapy (SDCT), a strategic shift from the traditional approach of...

At the end of the day we understand, it's all about the cows. Because of that, most producers find it difficult to take off a few days to leave a farm that continues to run while they're away. And because we understand that, why would we continue to...

Feeder Success: Maintaining Your Equipment

A lot of the time, jobs don't get done right because your feeders need the right equipment. Even when you have the right equipment, it has to be carefully maintained so that your feeders and your business can be successful.

The point of bunk management is to eliminate erratic intakes. This helps to reduce feed waste and digestive upset for the cows - both of which require more feed to increase production... which needlessly increases costs.

Automated Pen Change Tracking in DHI-Plus

Getting the settings right while recording dairy records data can make all the difference when it comes time to pull that data out and analyze the results. String logging is a simple setting in DHI-Plus than can make a big difference when it comes...

Tolerances - Setting your feeders up for success

One of my co-workers told me a story about how it felt when he was a feeder. He talked about a problematic experience that often happened when he was building a ration.

Even on a well-run dairy, there are always potential problems. The best way to stay ahead of the problematic trends is to analyze the data to know what is working… and what isn’t.

In 2016 the results of a study1 were published identifying the opportunity dairies have to save money on feed costs purely based on feeder performance. The study was introduced because of high feed costs (at the time it represented 61-62% of the...

Feed mixer scales go through a lot every day... and over time they can become less than accurate. This can be a problem because your operation depends on the accuracy of the scale. So the question is, how do you make sure your scale is accurate?

I was having a conversation with my coworker the other day and he asked, "What motivates you?" What a great question! Have you ever stopped to think about what motivates you?

Management Challenges: Transitioning from Cows to People

Twenty years ago, I was a young college graduate right out of school. I was still working in the retail world in a job that was only meant to get me through college. The problem was I was making good money and while supporting my young family,...

As I sat and watched my tractor tire go flat (I actually had a spring from the swather puncture it)... I had an epiphany of what thoughts in the dairy industry have had the air go out of them. In business terms, this is called a paradigm shift.

Activity Studies: The Intelligence of Cows

I was sent an article from the New York Times entitled, When the Cellos Play, the Cows Come Home1. It seems there is a school in Denmark called, The Scandinavian Cello School located on a farm. There, young musicians hone their skills playing...

Dr. Tripp's Tips: Removing Calves at Birth

I was reading an article from the OSU extension called Branding: OSU working to settle the debate of the ages. It is a study about stress levels in calves during branding time using four traditional restraint methods.

Most people outside of those who work closely with cows, probably don’t recognize the intelligence of cows—especially their complex relationships within a herd.

One of the most stressful and consequential moments in life is when something is born. In the human species, it is an experience that is never forgotten… just ask a mother.

Dairy Labor Management: The Hamburger Dilemma

Recently, my wife asked me to cook some hamburgers on the grill. However, she specified that she wanted them juicy… and not pink.

Studies on the Activity of Cows to discover if they are emotionally intelligent.

Most people that work closely with cows already know that cows are much more than what they can provide for us… which is why in the dairy industry, cow comfort is a big deal. We understand that the physical and mental health of a cow creates a...

I was talking to a dairyman recently who has done a great job with using genomic tools to improve the genetics in his herd. He told me he has a good problem, he has too many good heifers and needs to sell some of them that have lower genetic...

When we talk about how much water a cow should drink every day, we need to talk about how much a lactating cow drinks versus a dry cow. Since milk is high in water, the water requirements of a lactating cow are closely related to milk production....

Where is Mastitis coming from in my Herd?

Mastitis in dairy cows can take a toll on both production and cow health, but understanding the root causes allows you to manage it more effectively and reduce its overall impact. In this post, I’ll continue the discussion on the cost of mastitis by...

Water Studies on how often a cow will drink

There are a lot of factors that determine how often a cow will drink. And by controlling the factors that are within your control, you may be able to influence how much water a cow will drink every day.

Attending the World Ag Expo as an exhibitor has always been a great way for me to get current with customers and meet new people to talk about herd management solutions that make running a dairy operation better. This event is always a boost and I...

Dairy Labor Management - The Why versus Go and Do

I had an interesting moment while moving cattle recently. I was working with a 14-year-old who had never worked—or even been around cattle before.

Testing for disease in cows is essential for maintaining cow health and preventing the spread of illness within the herd. Even when a test comes back negative, could the cow still be sick? And if a test is positive, is it always accurate?

In my last article on mental health I talked about the depression and mental health condition of Dairy Farmers. Another interesting thing is that it bleeds over to the professions that serve them.

How does mastitis change milk production? Infection and Recovery Rate Analysis.

When analyzing mastitis infections in dairy milk production, it’s important to understand how mastitis impacts a milking cow and overall herd health management. After taking the time to analyze mastitis in a herd, I like to ask the questions, "What...

Dairy Labor Management: People, Processes, or Tools

One thing that I’ve had good success with in managing farms is a discussion of people, process, or tools. All problems that occur can fit nicely in one of these buckets.

I read an article with interest recently named Farming No. 1 for the first time in Gallup industry poll in the newspaper Intermountain Farm & Ranch. It refers to a poll asking Americans about their view of certain businesses and industries.

In my career I have asked to turn dairies around financially. When investigating the situations, the real issues behind the problems have been most interesting. These have ranged from family struggles, divorces in process, depression, burn out, and...

Working at the help desk, I often get into conversations with dairy producers and managers about cow health data. Recently I was having a conversation with a dairyman about mastitis in cows treatment and asked him this question: "Do you know the...

Dairy Labor Management: Teachable Moments

Motivating people to change is the biggest challenge for today’s manager or veterinarian who is trying to improve an animal’s situation. Most people only change when you apply either pain or pride. Both of these are negative to a relationship.

Proper placement of the EID tag in the cow’s ear can aid in preventing infection and help with tag retention. A recent conversation one of our customer service reps had with a customer about this spurred me to address the topic of best practices for...

I often get some questions on what is known as the slick bunk approach to feeding dairy cows. The idea comes from the feed lot industry and is called the staying ahead of the cattle approach or limiting feeding.

Dairy Labor Management: Perception Versus Reality

One of the hardest obstacles to overcome when changing the labor environment on a dairy is people’s perceptions. Here is an example using a phone call I received this week.

I am a big believer in not housing hospital and fresh cows together. I also like separating lame cows into a designated lame cow pen whenever possible because the pen walking surface and water trough should differ for these groups.

Dairy Labor Management: The Invisible Person

One of my family’s favorite stories is of one brother who would disappear when work needed to be done. One of these stories took place on a cold winter day when the stalls needed to be cleaned. He took the time to clean a few stalls… then he bedded...

I have a problem at my farm. One of my herdspeople has an incredibly tender heart and truly loves animals. The upside of this is that we’ve saved a lot of calves by putting them on IV treatments and nursing them back to health. The downside,...

Gunk by definition is an unpleasant sticky or messy substance. It is not only unpleasant to humans, but it also reduces dry matter intake, spreads molds and yeasts, and can cause disease in our cows. To discover it, you must be visually aware and be...

Most financial statements identify feed followed by labor as the items that cost the most on a dairy. Taxes, wages, and benefits are included in the financial definition for labor; however, I rarely see training and training time included.

Shrink is a fancy word that only means the difference between what was fed… and what was actually measured going into the feed center. It is a huge economical drain for most dairies. It is an interesting problem that results from the lack of...

Every time a cow leaves the hospital pen, it’s a chance to reflect. What does a successful treatment really mean in the dairy industry? How should we evaluate the cure rate in cows?

The Art of Feeding is techniques that require a person to observe or to act. This is what moves an average feeding department to excellence.

Vaccination plays a key role in maintaining herd health and protecting cattle from disease. In the dairy industry, we deal with high-risk groups every day—cows that have just calved and newborn calves less than 75 days of age. While vaccines can be...

If you are like most producers, at one point or another you toy with the idea of re-designing your feed center. Today there are lots of good examples of indoor feed centers and it yields the question, do I need a fancy feed center? If I take the...

I am not a big fan of amusement parks. I especially dislike the large roller coasters. I think it is my queasy stomach and the feeling of lack of control of my situation. I feel the same way about milk pricing as once again we are on a wild ride....

At the Amelicor 2019 Herd and Feed Management Conference dairy producers gathered from all over the world. Robb Bender (a consultant and partner in GPS Dairy Consulting, LLC) was one of the keynote speakers and you can watch his presentation on...

Viewing DHI-Plus Hospital Reports on the go

Are your dairy records healthy? This was a question I asked in a blog post not too long ago to talk about the importance of keeping track of health records. I don't think it's a secret that keeping track of health and production records is a core...

I had a discussion with a fellow veterinarian the other day, during which he shared an interesting experience. While doing a herd health analysis at a local dairy the dairyman mentioned that his family was quarantined because his daughter had been...

Not long ago I took a call from the nutritionist of a long-time EZfeed customer. This nutritionist consults for multiple dairies, all owned by the same owner and they employ the EZfeed system at all locations.

It doesn’t appear to be a great year in the Dairy business. Futures after four year of poor milk price look horrible for 2020. How do you survive? The following are my recommendations in your survival plan.

To create a better picture of how EZfeed software helps dairy operations, we followed 14 dairies who were testing with their local DHIA. We collected the data for six months before installing EZfeed to establish a basis for comparison. After...

There are around 40,000 dairy farms in the United States -- and most of these have been in business for generations. Low milk prices and labor shortages, however, mean that many dairy farmers have to work long hours for little profit. Is there a...

I often ask the question of our producers, "What are you in the dairy industry to produce?" This is of course a trick question because undoubtedly everything comes down to milk. However, I say we are in the industry to produce calves. Keep reading...

You know the feeling, you graduate from school and then real life starts. Does it match your expectations? Can you relate your education to what you end up doing?

The improvements that dairy herds have seen in the last several years are not natural consequences of time nor are they accidental. Every improvement within the dairy industry has been the result of deliberate decisions. Using management software...

It’s been nearly a decade since I first started working with the Dairy Challenge. Even though ten years have gone by, I still find myself getting swept up in the excitement that seems to overtake the students and participating producers.

Today's dairy science students are the industry experts of tomorrow. With a growing demand for dairy production, it has become more important than ever that those entering the workforce have the skills and hands-on experience with advanced...

Feeding cows on a dairy is probably not something a consumer thinks about every day. But for Amelicor this is a science that could be likened to an Olympic athlete with a team of nutritionists, trainers, and coaches. Dairy cows quite literally have...

From 1990 to 2003 scientists labored diligently to unravel the human genome. Understanding human genetics has helped us to understand many illnesses and how we can treat them, helping us improve human health. It didn’t take long for Genomics (the...

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to implement genomics on your dairy? At the Amelicor Herd and Feed Management Conference Dr. John B. Cole came and spoke to producers from around the country about how genetics affect dairy profitability....

Your computer is essential to your business. But why? Computers are replaceable. They get old, they wear out. What makes a piece of hardware so important? The truth is that the data on your computer is what is important and also the most susceptible...

The law of attraction suggests what you focus on grows. Depending on what we’re choosing to focus on, this could be either a good or bad thing. Credit to Dr. Craig Manning who teaches this concept along with many others in his mental strength...

The Herd and Feed Blog

From the Help Desk: Why Our Emails May Not Appear in Your Main Inbox

Illustrator Spotlight: The Christmas Cows

Invisible Cows: Why They Matter for Dairy Success [Video]

Are Your Dairy Herd Records Healthy?

Tracking Dairy Herd Health and Production During a Disease Outbreak

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