FEED & NUTRITION

The 2019 crop year was a challenging one. Planting and harvesting conditions were tough across most of the country. Hay supplies are tight, and supplies of premium hay are very short.

Just tossing any trace mineral pack into a dairy ration is no longer adequate to support high-producing dairy cows.

The last few winter seasons we’ve experienced have not been easy for grasslands. Winters dotted with ice, followed by a dry summer, often led to the death or significant decrease in forage yields across the country.

Mould and mycotoxin development in corn ears and stalks, and the resulting corn silage, continues to be a major concern for dairy producers. Mycotoxins can result in a range of problems for livestock throughout the year as they are ingested with the feed.

On Aug. 16, 2009, at the World Track and Field Championship in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in only 9.58 seconds, achieving a feat no person had ever achieved.

The initiative of raising replacement heifers from birth to their first lactation is a major, yet often overlooked, component of a profitable dairy operation.