Our cows have maintained strong production levels, averaging approximately 102 pounds of milk per cow per day. Milk composition remains consistent, with 4.3% fat and 3.2% protein, which aligns with our typical herd performance.

A group of us from Miner Institute recently attended the Cornell Nutrition Conference in Syracuse. It had a great lineup of speakers this year and the program was very good. One of the speakers was Dr. Barry Bradford from Michigan State University. He has a dual appointment for research and extension and was able to share some of his recent work in collaboration with Martin Carrasquillo Mangual on evaluating feeding programs on Michigan dairy farms.

Once dairy calves are weaned, how we balance metabolizable protein (MP) and metabolizable energy (ME) in the diet becomes a key factor in shaping the kind of growth they achieve. It’s not just about how fast they grow — it’s about what kind of tissue they’re putting on.

Milk composition in the Northeast US has shifted dramatically over the last several years with significant increases in both fat and protein content. At the recent Cornell Nutrition Conference, Mike Van Amburgh and Dave Barbano shared their perspectives on the ever-evolving landscape of milk composition, dairy cow nutrition, and cheese manufacturing. Here are my take aways… Genetics are driving higher milk components. Genomic selection has dramatically improved milk fat and p

Water, known as the “universal solvent” is a crucial nutrient for life and it makes up about 60% of the human body. In dairy cattle, water is the most consumed nutrient, and it makes up about 65% of a mature cow’s body composition, and about 80% of an unborn calf. Water serves very essential purposes in the metabolism of dairy cows, including digestion, transport of nutrients, regulation of body temperature, waste removal, and importantly, milk production (85% of milk is made

Although it is hard to write this without including a pun, silo gases should not be taken lightly. Even brief exposure to silo gases can be fatal, making them one of the greatest health risks on-farm. There are two main silo gases to be aware of: carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The considerable drought conditions across the northeastern US and Canada have increased the risk for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) production from ensiling, and it has already been observed

William Miner’s Heart’s Delight Farm began making maple syrup from the sugar maple trees in its forests over 100 years ago. In those days the sap was collected in metal buckets, with the sap then transferred into a larger container and taken by a team of horses to the sugar house where a wood-fired evaporator was used to produce maple syrup.

Cover cropping is something we would like to do more of at Miner Institute. There are excellent incentive programs available for this practice, and the long-term benefits to yield, soil health, and edge of field losses have been well documented. The challenge is often just getting the seed out there at a time when bunks need to be covered, manure needs to be spread, and 5th cut is ready to come off.

In my last Farm Report article, I mentioned having a strong interest in forage quality, mainly due to a research project that I completed last summer with Alltech Inc. and Poulin Grain Inc. This project was presented this past June at the American Dairy Science Association annual conference. I know it is late in the year now to be discussing managing grass silage, as everyone is in the midst of another busy season of corn harvest,

Traditionally we have promoted, myself included, a set volume and quality of first feeding colostrum to calves. Often we recommend 4 L or one gallon of high quality colostrum within the first two hours after birth to our large breed calves. However, this blanket approach might not be what’s best for each individual calf and maybe we should be incorporating a precision feeding mindset when implementing our colostrum feeding recommendations.