In winter as in summer, cows are subject to thermal stress. And while you can’t control the weather, you can reduce its impact on your herd and improve milk production efficiency.

“Winter brings its share of herd management challenges,” says Jean-François Lemay, a technical and business strategy coordinator, Ruminant sector for Covris and Novago Coopérative.  “And if the cold isn’t managed properly, it affects productivity.”

Since farmers adapt their facilities to house pregnant sows in groups, AlphaGene has taken steps to provide animals genetically conditioned to live in groups.

Although weather has a big impact on yields, planning sowing is essential for optimizing soybean yield.

With adequate soil conditions, optimum pH, and well-managed compaction, the two management points most likely to increase your soybean yield are:

1. Planting date

2. Variety choice

The most complicated forage element to replace isn’t protein or energy, but fibre. This is apparent when precipitation is less frequent and the volumes of forage available to feed specific herds are limited. To have an effective diet, it’s important to understand the concepts of digestible and indigestible fibre effectiveness.

For a number of years, I have been planting my dryland grazing corn with my air drill because that is the equipment that I had available, and I didn’t know if spending the money on a custom planter would be worth it. So I made a small experiment to compare the two systems. It shows how planting corn with a planter can make a difference on yield.

Feed costs are a major expense on a dairy farm, so it’s normal to monitor them closely. However, due to the limitations of certain indicators, care must be taken in their interpretation if feed costs are to be properly measured.

Intensive grazing is good for your wallet and good for the environment, two good reasons to adopt it and equip yourself to do it effectively.

Managing your pastures to get the most out of them is an art. It’s not enough to move your livestock from one field to another from time to time without any further agronomic consideration. There are several methods of pasture management, but for optimum results, intensive grazing has proved its worth.

Heavy and frequent rains come with a fair share of problems for hay farmers and horse owners. With harvests delayed week after week and limited drying time, forage can become less nutritious and less healthful. Below, you’ll find some tips and possible solutions for dealing with this issue.

Genetic engineering has made it possible to introduce different technologies into soybean cultivars to manage complex weed control situations.
 

In our era of sustainable agriculture and climate change, the increase in areas under direct seeding and reduced tillage with dethatchers has led to some weeds becoming more established in the field.

Cash flow on a dairy farm is affected by a number of factors. Grain and milk prices come to mind as having a direct impact, but there are other, often overlooked factors that can give you a different view of your business. Here are three factors that positively and negatively influence cash flow and are documented in Lactascan.