Improving Your Herds Most Important Nutrient: Water
At first, Jeremiah Lungwitz, managing partner of Yuma Dairy, was skeptical. Now he considers it one of the smartest decisions he has ever made. The team at Silver Bullet promised a dramatic reduction in bacteria and biofilm in Lungwitz’s water troughs; without smelly chemicals that deter cows from drinking water. Silver Bullet was already delivering these results -- not just for dairymen and other livestock farmers, but other sectors that require water treatment across the country.
Manure and Groundwater Quality
Animal waste is a major source of pollution to waterbodies. To protect the health of aquatic ecosystems and meet water quality standards, manure must be safely managed. Good management of manure keeps livestock healthy, returns nutrients to the soil, improves pastures and gardens, and protects the environment, specifically water quality. Manure applied at the appropriate agronomic rate and under appropriate conditions can improve the quality of the soil without the added expense of synthetic fertilizers.
Water for Grazing Systems
Within any grazing system, water must be provided to livestock in adequate quantity and quality. Clean water and ample high quality forage are essential for improved livestock production. Inadequate livestock water developments in pasture areas can contribute to serious livestock losses, prevent efficient use of forages, encourage overgrazing near existing water supplies and under-grazing away from the water sources.
Burrowing Rodents Worst Nightmare
Burrowing rodents are not only nuisances but they steal profits, as well. Gophers, ground squirrels, moles and prairie dog mounds are silent thieves limiting cash flow into the pockets of forage crop and livestock producers worldwide. Machinery breakdowns, damaged stands, injured animals, critical harvest time lost as well as reduced hay quality from dirt in the hay are serious factors for cattlemen.
Extralabel Use of Animal Health Products
Even for dairymen, who see the dawn of each day before the rest of America, it’s not so easy to see how the future will unfold. That’s because our industry is changing at a faster pace than ever before, especially as it relates to new technologies. And while those enhancements have made production more efficient and cost-effective, they’ve also raised challenges.
Wholly Cows!
As the slogan goes, “It does a body good.” It is our first food. It’s a leading source of calcium, Vitamin D and a host of other nutrients for a balanced diet. Any time there’s a camera around, you hear someone yelling, “Cheese!” A warm cup of milk to help us sleep, part of a favorite after-school snack, strong bones, and healthy smiles, and the precursor to a favorite photo – milk is a part of our lives, dairy is ingrained in our culture.
The Schweig Custom Mill
Today’s dairymen face a multitude of obstacles when it comes to being profitable. When analyzing why some producers are more profitable than others, milk production and feed costs are both strong indicators of profit. That being said, could something as simple as the manner in which feed is milled improve both these areas of your dairy business and more? A Wisconsin entrepreneur named Nathan Braunschweig says, “Yes!”
Dairymen’s Directory of Dairy Cows for Sale and Dairy Farms
The American Dairymen Breeder Directory contains over 200 dairy farms in the United States as well as a listing of dairy cattle breeders. Published 12 times a year, American Dairymen contains feature articles on farm equipment, dairy farmers, and the latest information on the dairy industry. Our web site offers back issues of the magazine as well as its extensive data base of dairy farms.
