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PRO-DAIRY specialists have developed new resources and updated others to support you as you navigate through the uncertain environment created by COVID-19. Recognizing the range in circumstances faced by farmers across the state, these resources cover a full spectrum.
We also have a number of additional resources online, including our WEBINARS and PODCAST series, with topics of Spring Field Crop Contingency Planning, Milk Supply Challenges, Milk Distribution, and more.
Next Wednesday at 1 PM, PRO-DAIRY and Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development partner to offer a free webinar: Disruption to Key Personnel: Developing Contingency Plans.
Direct links to COVID-19 webpages include:
Please be safe, reach out to us, and help support each other, as we navigate these challenging times.
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Ten Key Herd Management Opportunities on Dairy Farms During Low Margin Times
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By: Tom Overton, Jason Karszes, Robert Lynch, Julio Giordano, and Mike Van Amburgh
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An unanticipated significant downturn in net milk price over the next several months due to the COVID-19 disruption of consumer demand and dairy processing makes it even more critical for dairy producers to focus their management skills on making sure that their herd management is “being all that it can be”.
- Maximize milk component production
- Relentlessly seek marginal milk opportunities
- Don’t lose fresh cows
- Identify and potentially cull low value and low profit cows
- Ensure that all management protocols are still appropriate, are working and are being followed
- Don’t incur excess heifer rearing costs: raising animals longer than necessary or raising too many
- Get the most out of your reproduction program
- Optimize neonatal management
- Strategically identify ration opportunities
- Maximize your feeding management program
Read the full article Ten Key Management Opportunities During Low Margin
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Do’s and Don’ts for Dairy Farmers When Facing Financial Difficulty
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By: Wayne A. Knoblauch
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Wayne A. Knoblauch, Professor, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, SC Johnson College of Business, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has prepared a list of 25 Do's and 11 Don'ts strategies for farmers.
Read the full article Facing Financial Difficulty
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Understanding Your Breakeven Cost of Production
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By: Jason Karszes
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With the unprecedented times around the world leading to significant projections of decreased earnings on dairy farms in 2020, understanding different financial aspects of your business is critical. A key starting point is to understand different measures of cost of production and what a break-even milk price may be for your farm. While earnings are key for long term success and paying back investments, short term cash costs are important during times of negative margins and erosion of equity due to cash operating losses. Knowing these costs and how much below, or above, the milk price they might be determines how much equity might be lost during low periods, and how fast equity can be rebuilt when positive margins return.
Read the full article Breakeven Cost of Production
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272 Morrison Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
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For more information about PRO-DAIRY:
prodairy.cals.cornell.edu
Julie Berry, Editor|Tom Overton, Director|Facebook |
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Diet and Management Considerations for Emergencies: Reducing Milk Flow Without Harming Cows and Threatening Future Production
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By: Mike Van Amburgh, Tom Overton, and Julio Giordano
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Given
the unprecedented market conditions and the inability to get milk
processed effectively in the short-term, processors are asking dairies
to reduce milk supply at a time when it is not possible to cull heavily
due to decreased meat processing facility capacity for cattle.
We are
providing these diet and management considerations to help
dairy producers and their advisors meet this unusual request, while maintaining cow
health and working to ensure that cows have the capacity to resume
normal milk production relatively quickly once this situation
stabilizes. These considerations may fit management for some but not
all dairies. Every operation will have to determine what might work
best for them under their current management conditions.
Read the full article Reducing Milk Flow |
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Herd Health Do’s and Don’ts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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By: Rob Lynch
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Each
time the dairy industry experiences low milk prices, managers start
looking for ways to save money. This is smart and something that all
good businesses do. If less money is coming in, how do we cut down on
how much money goes out without hurting the business in the long run?
These decisions can be challenging when it comes to herd health expenses
since the consequences of a bad decision might not be seen right away.
Here are a few do’s
and don’ts to consider as we all turn our attention again to reducing
unnecessary expenses on the dairy. During this pandemic there are a few
additional things to consider when making cost saving decisions like
labor availability, social distancing, and cleaning protocols for high
touch surfaces. These precautions add cost to daily operations but are
effective in limiting spread of COVID-19.
Read the full article Herd Health Do's and Don'ts |
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Spring 2020 – Contingency Planning
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By: Joe Lawrence
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We face unprecedented uncertainty in preparing for the 2020 field season. While spring is an exciting time, it is also a time that strains available resources; equipment, labor, hours in a day. This year, the potential for health issues and the resulting impacts on labor availability could further stress these already limited resources. Certainly, making plans to fill unexpected labor needs is a good starting point, but it may be worth thinking about additional contingency plans. This could include some of the same strategies that have been utilized when dealing with narrow windows to achieve tasks related to weather, as we have experienced in recent wet springs.
Read the full article Spring Field Planning
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Feeding Milk to Cows?
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By: Tom Overton, Mike Van Amburgh, and Rob Lynch
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Over the past week, with dairy farms dumping milk and/or being asked to decrease milk shipped by as much as 20 percent, the topic of feeding milk back to lactating cows and/or replacement heifers has been raised. Dr. Matt Akins and Liz Binversie with the University of Wisconsin prepared an article we are sharing with the following additional key points.
View the full article Feeding Milk to Cows
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Feeding Strategies During Challenging Times
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This article by Tom Overton and Larry Chase remains a valuable and relevant resource.
Read the full article Feeding Strategies During Challenging Times
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View the Progress of the Dairy Farm Report #3: Selected Financial and Production Factors that summarizes data from 135 NY farms that participated in the 2019 Dairy Farm Business Summary.
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