Small grains are harvested for feed on many dairy farms. These can be great additions to the forage inventory and can be incorporated into lactating dairy diets. Often the juggle of other forage inventories, crop rotation, nutrient management programs, and weather may all influence the decision of when to harvest small grains. The planning and execution of harvest timing relative to forage maturity may influence the nutritional composition and digestibility of the harvested f

A cow doesn’t need to be sick to be struggling. Often stress shows up quietly on farms through reduced intakes, reduced lying time, or a fresh cow that just never reaches her full potential. These cows may seem fine as you walk through the pen, but the little things add up quickly. Stressors will limit milk production, weaken their immune system and set the stage for the rest of their lactation.

Nutritional strategies that increase the energy content of the diet without compromising rumen function are critical during the immediate postpartum period. Supplemental fatty acids (FA) and oilseeds in diets have been used to increase postpartum energy intake. Specifically, whole cottonseed (WCS) is commonly included in dairy cow diets due to its high FA and crude protein content. However, more research is needed on how WCS and FA supplementation interact, and the effect of

Watching a cow groom herself with an automated brush is often a highlight for non-farm visitors to our farm. The skill with which a cow maneuvers the bristles around her body never ceases to amaze those in attendance. Providing access to a brush promotes natural grooming behavior in cows, improves cow hygiene, and helps visitors feel confident about the care our cows receive. Grooming brushes are not unique to our farm. They are becoming more common on farms for several good

2026 Cow kissing team. A crowd gathered on Thursday, February 12 in Miner Institute's dairy barn to celebrate the United Way of the Adirondack Region's successful 2026 campaign, which raised a total of $680,000 to support health and human service programs in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties. "It was a valiant team effort among campaign volunteers, United Way staff and employee campaign representatives, but most of all, it was the generosity of businesses, organizations a

Automated activity monitoring systems have become a common management tool on many herds and are often used to detect estrus and ovulation of cows more easily. These tools can help identify groups of cows that may act and respond differently to common reproductive practices and potentially be managed under a more individualized or targeted approach.

The transition period is a crucial time for dairy cows, as they experience many concurrent changes during a time that already has the highest occurrence of metabolic disorders and infectious disease. With changes in hormones, metabolic stress, and nutritional challenges, most cows decrease their dry matter intake (DMI), thus entering a negative energy and protein balance.

Our wonderful team here at Miner Institute has achieved something pretty incredible! According to our last DHI test, our herd has a Rolling Herd Average of a little over 33,000! That's over 55,000 pounds of fluid milk produced by our herd each day! We also recently received an award for the high quality of our milk, presented to us by Agri-Mark, our milk cooperative.

The preweaning period is a pivotal stage that can have lasting consequences, influencing growth and future milk production. It has been found that calves experiencing illness within the first four months of life have negative effects on first lactation 305-d mature equivalent milk, actual milk, protein and fat production (Heinrichs and Heinrichs, 2011). Antibiotics are a common way of preventing or treating illness during this timeframe, and they can significantly decrease mi

In my September Farm Report article, I discussed why taking feed samples correctly is one of the most critical steps in building accurate rations and preventing unexpected dips in cow performance. I emphasized that feed values can fluctuate significantly from one day to the next, and while some of this variation reflects true changes in the feed — especially depending on storage method, face management, or where material is removed —sampling errors can add additional variabil