On The Cover:
Harvesting the sun
Doug Donkers is looking to nature for answers. On his Branchton, Ont. dairy farm, cooler-season forages like fall rye are doing more than filling the bunk. They’re part of a whole-farm management approach that focuses on working with the soil, the weather and the sun itself to produce high-quality feed for his herd.
More from this issue
Building a reliable workforce
Finding reliable labour continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing Ontario dairy farmers. That’s one of the reasons producers are turning to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to help fill the gap and most importantly, maintain consistent day-to-day operations.
There is no magic protein number
As milk pricing systems evolve, producers are paying closer attention to protein, butterfat and solids-non-fat (SNF) ratios. SNF is the milk protein and the other solids portion of the milk, basically lactose and minerals. That makes sense. But chasing one number without considering the whole farm can create expensive mistakes.
Brushing up on cow comfort
Cow brushes are increasingly common on dairy farms, and many producers have noticed that cows use them multiple times throughout the day. Previous research shows that cows are strongly motivated to use brushes, and new research suggests that they actually favour different brush types for different ways of grooming.
Cooling strategies for calf housing
Calves become especially vulnerable to heat stress
once temperatures reach around 26°C, and the risk intensifies even further when humidity levels are elevated.
