Before you even consider the best price to lock in your milk, you need to have a starting point of what your costs are. Know your cost of producing one hundred pounds of milk. Feed is a large expense and needs to be a focal point. Other inputs should be factored in as well. Once the cost is known, you can project your cost for a time period in the future. With that information in hand, start looking at futures milk prices that coincide with the same period.

The goal is to see what feed cost can be locked in and then what milk prices can be locked in to establish a margin. If you can secure a $2 or $3 margin and are satisfied with the marginal profit, this should result in a positive transaction.

For more information, check out the resource below or contact your local Vita Plus representative. Consultants have spreadsheets and that can assist producers in determining the cost of producing milk.

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The business of milking cows requires a great deal of invested capital. Owners must manage production, cow comfort and crops - and of course maintain profitability. During turbulent times of high input costs and low milk prices, you must revisit long term goals with an immediate action plan.

In order to cash flow a dairy farm in these times, clear communication with your lender is essential. Get a firm understanding of your financial status and then set up a meeting to discuss your plans. Furthermore, don't forget the value of increased efficiency during turbulent times. Look at your operation and troubleshoot the areas where you can save time and money. For more details, check out the two resources below and visit with your Vita Plus consultant for assistance.

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This can be an important economic loss. Available evidence suggests that a fat test depression is generally caused by changes in the rumen environment which subsequently affect milk fat synthesis. Some things to check include:

• Too much vegetable oil in the diet
• Too much grain or fermentable carbohydrate
• Particle size of diet too small
• Not enough dietary fiber to slow passage rate

Troubleshooting a fat test problem may be as simple as changing one thing in the ration, but typically more complex interactions occur. For example the effect of any of the above parameters may be increased by the inclusion of Rumensin in the diet. It doesn't mean Rumensin caused the problem, it just made the problem a little worse. Genetics and heat stress can be involved as well. Your Vita Plus dairy consultant can assist you in evaluating your situation to determine the best action plan.

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In component pricing of milk, generally the protein component is very valuable, so even a 0.1 percent improvement pays big dividends in the milk check.

In order to maximize the milk protein content a few dietary items that deserve consideration include:

• Keep ration fat levels in check
• Make sure there is enough degradable protein and carbohydrates for maximum microbial growth in the rumen

However, the balance of individual amino acids is just as important as the total amounts. Vita Plus is a leader in this technology. Your Vita Plus dairy consultant has the knowledge and computer tools to evaluate the methionine and lysine status of your ration and make recommendations to improve your protein test by adjusting the dietary amino acids.

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Weather conditions during the growing and harvesting season or improper storage of harvested feeds can lead to the formation of molds. Under certain conditions, molds can produce mycotoxins. Just because you have molds does not mean mycotoxins are present. On the other hand a small amount of mold could produce substantial amounts of toxins. The only way to know for sure if mycotoxins are a problem in your feeds is to test. Certain laboratories specialize in these types of analyses. Proper sampling is essential. If you suspect a problem, we suggest that you contact your Vita Plus dairy consultant for assistance.

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Summer heat hurts milk production and breeding success. In extreme cases, it can kill cows. Your heat stress plan should be developed well before the summer season arrives. Consider the following components of a good heat-stress management plan:

• Start with shade
• Keep air moving with the right configuration of fans
• Use water applied to cattle with sprinkler systems to help dissipate body heat
• Monitor the ration - adjusting potassium and buffers may be helpful
• Provide plenty of clean, fresh drinking water

Your Vita Plus dairy consultant can assist you with more details on each of these strategies to limit your summer heat losses.

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Just like the carpenter adage to "measure twice and cut once" so too it is with dairy expansions - look, study, ask, and look some more. Once a facility is built, it is nearly impossible and very expensive to go back and redo something. Get very involved in the planning stage.

Vita Plus dairy consultants can provide you with guidelines to help in the planning. They also are well networked throughout the country to connect you to someone else who has probably already done what you are contemplating. These visits could answer your questions and alert you to things you never would have thought about.

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Reproductive management is not easy. It is complicated by the many factors which all interrelate to determine if and when that cow becomes pregnant and delivers a healthy calf. One expert divides the factors into man factors, cow factors, and herd factors.

The largest component of variance between herds relates to the man factors. These include:

• Heat detection - efficiency and errors
• Inseminator skill
• Fertility of AI bull
• Semen storage and handling
• Environment - heat stress, footing etc.
• Nutrition

The cow factors include the health status, vaccination status, and genetics. The herd factors include age and milk production status.

For a reproductive program to be successful all of these factors must be acceptable. Through records analysis and personal observations, your Vita Plus dairy consultant can help you zero in on the most limiting steps in your program. The consultant can explain many of the new tools available to help in your efforts to optimize the breeding performance of your herd.

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The decision to feed milk replacer or whole milk should largely be made on the economics and adaptation to your operation. For most operations that have minimal amounts of non-saleable milk, it makes sense to use a milk replacer. On the other hand, there are situations where feeding whole milk makes economic sense. The practice of feeding raw milk to calves is discouraged because of the potential for disease transmission. Pasteurization of milk on commercial dairies and calf ranches reduces that disease potential.

So before investing in a pasteurizer consider:

• Installation requirements
  • hot water heater
  • water supply
  • electrical
  • space
• Installation cost
• Labor available to use and clean the equipment
• Variable cost to run the equipment
• Service
  • Is the equipment reliable?
• Who will monitor the performance?
• Will you supplement with added vitamins, trace minerals or antibiotics?

The calf experts at Vita Plus are available to help you evaluate your situation. We have experience with many different calf operations to help give you the answers you need for your situation.

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