Getting ‘the rest of the story’ on fecal starch

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance
By Jon Urness Legendary commentator Paul Harvey always ended his daily lunchtime radio broadcasts with the affirmation, “Now you know the rest of the story.” I’m not so sure we’ll ever know the full “rest of the story” when it comes to all the factors affecting total tract starch digestibility.  A survey conducted by Vita

Dairy risk management: Understanding the basics

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance
(Editor's note:  In his 2011 article below, Randy Greenfield shares the basics of various dairy risk management tools.  A new tool to add to the list is the Dairy Margin Protection Program, as explained in the following 2014 update.  Contact your Vita Plus consultant if you're interested in further discussing these tools and strategies.) 2014

Do autofeeders fit?

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance
By Ann Hoskins Automatic calf feeders are popping up on many dairy operations across the Midwest.  The new technology offers plenty of opportunities, but it also requires a refocus on management.  The decision of whether autofeeders fit your calf program needs to be made only after careful consideration of how the opportunities and challenges will

Using coproducts: Not a ‘one size fits all’ situation

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance
By Spence Driver The theme of high feed costs is not breaking news – we’ve been dealing with it for quite some time.  That certainly pushes us to take advantage of lower-priced coproducts whenever possible. In the Midwest, we’re fortunate in that we do have easy access to coproducts.  The Midwest is the center of

Is snaplage a fit for your dairy?

Posted on September 29, 2011 in Dairy Performance

By Chris Wacek-Driver 
Have you been talking about putting up snaplage this year?  This forage has gained renewed interest with increased use of high capacity field harvesters equipped with kernel processors.  The decision to harvest snaplage (which consists of the corn grain, cob, husk and some upper plant parts) will depend on the dietary fit and production goals of your dairy.