Dairy Cattle & Production Tips

Dairy support price trimmed starting March 1

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News January 15, 2015

Canada’s dairy producers can expect their overall revenue from sales of industrial milk to slip nearly two per cent starting in March. The Canadian Dairy Commission on Thursday announced it will snip the support price it sets for skim milk powder effective March 1 to $6.3109 per kilogram — down from the current $6.4754 — […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

China’s small dairy farmers dump milk as sector enters downturn

By GFM Network News January 9, 2015

Beijing | Reuters –– Small dairy farmers in China are dumping milk and selling cows as demand from processors slows in a sharp turnaround from last year, when a scramble for supplies prompted a huge surge in milk powder imports. Slower growth in milk product consumption, higher yields from modern dairy farms and the excess […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, The Dairy Corner

Push up a diet of stable DMI for optimum milk production

Before making any substantial changes, be particularly aware of the natural laws of general feed consumption

By Peter Vitti January 5, 2015

For years, getting lactating dairy cows to eat as much dry matter intake (DMI) as possible has been a common goal among dairy specialists aimed at getting cows to produce more milk. Some of these specialists took note of the more extensive university and extension dairy trials, which report that maximum feed intake is still […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Reuters

Italian court orders new trial for bankers in Parmalat scandal

By Reuters, GFM Network News December 7, 2014

Parma | Reuters — Italy’s top appeals court on Friday threw out jail sentences against prominent bankers Cesare Geronzi and Matteo Arpe in a case related to the country’s biggest corporate scandal, the 2003 collapse of dairy group Parmalat. The Court of Cassation quashed the sentences handed down by a lower court in 2013 and […] Read more

Equipment such as this offal blow tank at Quebec’s Levinoff-Colbex plant was sold to buyers onsite and online on Dec. 2. (BidSpotter.com)

Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Machinery, Markets

Shuttered Que. beef plant’s equipment sold

By GFM Network News December 5, 2014

The chance of a rescue for Quebec’s Levinoff-Colbex cull cow packing plant has passed, now that the facility’s equipment has been sold off piecemeal at auction. Provincial investment financing agency Investissement Quebec and other creditors still own the Colbex building and land at St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, in the Centre-du-Quebec region. But the plant’s receivers sold its equipment to a consortium of […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Farmers focus on improving Ayrshire dairy cattle genetics

Quebec: Dairy herd just part of a diversified third generation farming operation

By Lee Hart November 26, 2014

Continuing to improve the genetics as well as facilities within their dairy and hog operations tops the priority list for Quebec farmers Bruno Soucy and his wife Helene St. Pierre, as they look at where their farm is headed over the next few years. Further improvements to barns used for a 1,500 head hog finishing […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Production efficiency improves dairy cattle operation

Ontario: New technology means more milk, fewer cows 

By Lee Hart November 25, 2014

Producing more milk with fewer cows has been the management focus of Eastern Ontario dairy farmers Jason and Amanda O’Connell, over the past few years. When they returned to farming in 2006 and began working with Amanda’s father on the family dairy farm at Carleton Place, west of Ottawa they were milking about 115 head […] Read more

Richard and Nicole Brousseau with Ethan, Cassie and Emery

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, News

New barn grows dairy

Alberta: Moo-Lait Farms makes plans for future growth 

By Lee Hart November 21, 2014

Nicole Brousseau figures her husband Richard walked their dairy herd through every corner of their new northeast Alberta dairy barn at least 1,000 times (in his head) before they even began construction of the barn, which was completed and put into service in March. The 72’x160′ loose housing structure that connects to a double seven […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Dairy Cattle

Measure the moisture in forage rations

Moisture has the greatest impact on feed consumption, nutrient intake for dairy cows

By Peter Vitti November 5, 2014

It’s that time of year when harvested forages are tested for their nutrient content and an emailed back analysis sheet can list up to 80 laboratory results for each forage sample submitted. Much of this data can be inputted into dairy ration balancing software to develop on-the-farm TMRs that supply essential nutrients in the right […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Livestock

In-vitro bovine embryos allowed from the U.S.

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News October 29, 2014

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced a new agreement which allows in-vitro fertilized (IVF) bovine embryos to enter Canada from the U.S. Previously, only IVF bovine embryos produced within Canada were accessible to producers. A Canadian Food Inspection agency release said this represents the first agreement Canada has developed with another country to permit the […] Read more

Daily Network News

USDA attachés forecast some changes in China’s oilseeds, cereals

China urges hog producers to manage output, vows timely reserve adjustments

Farm Credit Canada offers aid to farmers, companies affected by Iran war price spikes

Dairy Cattle