VAS PULSE Platform brings data from all facets of your business to one central platform, making it a valuable tool for any dairy. However, where there is technology, there is the possibility things can and will go wrong. Luckily, there are easy fixes for some of the more common issues you may come across. One…(Read More)
There are many moving parts when it comes to operating a successful dairy farm. Your team members, consultants, and other service providers all play important, yet different roles. As some may say, it takes a village. Platform has many uses and different features to take advantage of on your farm. In order to do so…(Read More)
The data available on a dairy farm is limitless, as cows are constantly giving us new information to measure. To better use this data for daily management decisions, you need a tool to consolidate and evaluate your records. You may already be using herd management software, feed management software, or another type of tracking system…(Read More)
The first step in getting timely sample results is a timely arrival of samples to the lab. Recent USPS delays have slowed the submission process of some samples. While this does not affect the time it takes to analyze samples once they arrive, it does delay the start of that process. Luckily, there a few…(Read More)
Dr. Chris Dutton, VMD, joined the Dairy One Integrated Farming Solutions team in 2016. Prior to coming to Dairy One, he spent time working as a practicing veterinarian, something he still manages to squeeze into his schedule, and at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center, VT. His passion for education, community, and the dairy industry…(Read More)
Postal service mail delays are becoming increasingly common. In fact, the USPS is currently experiencing unprecedented nationwide slow downs. These delays are affecting all mailed reports, particularly those from processing centers. If you are experiencing a delay in receiving your DHI reports, there are other options for receiving test day data: Web ReportsIf your records…(Read More)
For most herds, individual cow data is the foundation of cow management. DHI testing has been around for a long time. Like many service providers it has evolved to accommodate the changing needs of customers. If one of the following obstacles have kept you from testing, call us. It may be time to revisit Dairy…(Read More)
Congratulations to our outstanding Quality Milk Award recipients! Each year, we are pleased to recognize those members whose herds have maintained a rolling herd average somatic cell count of 175,000 or less in the previous calendar year. See the full list of winners here…(Read More)
While we have begun to see some improvement in milk prices, there are still some farms that are being asked to maintain a lower level of production than they are used to. Many industry leaders have cautioned the importance of balanced production when it comes to sustaining an ideal milk price. Some are choosing…(Read More)
Dr. Chris Dutton, VMD, discusses the benefits of milk pregnancy testing vs vet checks and the role both can play on your farm. For additional assistance in using data to make decisions on your farm, email datadriven@dairyone.com. https://youtu.be/dyjsO2AOzu4…(Read More)
Carol Benway, Director of Dairy One DHI & Field Services, discusses which cows are eligible for milk pregnancy testing, how your DHI technician can help identify those cows, and what you can expect from results. For further assistance using data to make decisions on your farm, email datadriven@dairyone.com. https://youtu.be/x5nwzGp-wzk…(Read More)
MUN is another component (like protein and butter fat) that can be measured in milk. It is an important measurement because it indicates how effectively the cow is using the protein in her diet. MUN values that are higher than the recommended range generally mean the cows have too much protein in the diet or…(Read More)
Hear from Dairy One DHI and Field Services Consultant George Cudoc about the 5 things you should consider before drying off a cow early and how milk pregnancy can help. For assistance interpreting your data and using it to make decisions on your farm, email datadriven@dairyone.com. https://youtu.be/YD-cKjf5VtM…(Read More)
In these challenging times, many farms are being asked to reduce their production. A complete picture of production helps you make informed decisions about feeding, breeding, early dry off, and culling. When adjusting to meet new market conditions, consider the following goals:• Maximize components while lowering milk volume• Improve milk quality by monitoring individual cow…(Read More)
All milk pregnancy samples processed before June 30, 2020 will be just $3.75, a $0.75 discount! This includes both milk pregnancy testing through DHI samples as well as milk pregnancy strip samples that are shipped to the lab. To send samples directly to the lab, visit our online store to order a milk…(Read More)
Hear from Dairy Records Service Manager Kim Gregory about how our DHI field staff are serving farms during COVID-19. https://youtu.be/SiM8YEIpDX0 For more tips on how to use data to make informed management decisions, subscribe to our blog! Subscribe here…(Read More)
Dairy One recognizes how important our business is to your business. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented a wide range of measures that will minimize risk to our staff and keep our business operating at the highest level possible. Our field staff are continuing to service farm customers and have been…(Read More)
The health of the environment and climate affects few industries as directly as agriculture. From soil health to major weather events, the livelihood of farmers depends on mother nature. While we can’t control the weather, there are many things farmers are doing to address the issue of sustainability. We sat down with two VT…(Read More)
Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Pennsylvania to visit two of our board members and their farms. Bill Itle of Vale Woods Farms, joined the Pennsylvania DHIA Board of Directors in 1986 and became a Dairy One board member when Pennsylvania DHIA joined Dairy One in 2001. I had the opportunity to…(Read More)
Earlier this fall, one of our Agricultural Consulting Services (ACS) planners, was asked to put together some information for state legislators describing the value of farming in the northeast and the regulatory requirements that must be met to do so. This has great information for consumers unfamiliar with farming in the northeast or farmers …(Read More)
Dairy One is excited to add Allflex Livestock Intelligence (ALI) cow monitoring systems, formerly known as SCR, to its fleet of services. Farms that are currently using ALI technology on their operations can now receive support for their equipment from the Dairy One Agricultural Management Resources (AMR) team. Additionally, customers interested in introducing ALI systems…(Read More)
Most of you are familiar with the Farm Service Technician, or DHI Field Technician label. Some of you may even remember a time when we referred to the person who showed up at the farm, collected milk samples, recorded important data, tagged the calves, and left reports for them to use as a “tester”. The…(Read More)
Dr. Chris Dutton, VMD Since rolling out our new MUN report earlier this summer, we’ve had some questions on how the information provided can be applied to pasture based or grazing herds. Dr. Chris Dutton, a member of Agricultural Management Resource Support Team, was one of the team members involved with the development of…(Read More)
At the beginning of September, Dairy One employees from our laboratories and Ithaca office visited Sunnyside Farms in Scipio Center, NY to see Dairy One services in action. Sunnyside is a customer of Dairy One on many levels, using our cameras, networks, software support, and DHI testing services. They are also a customer of our…(Read More)
If you haven’t yet made it to the Great New York State Fair this year, be sure to put the Dairy Cow Birthing Center on your list of exhibits to visit. If you’ve already made your trip to the fair and didn’t fit the Dairy Birthing Center in, there’s still time…(Read More)
By John Tauzel, Director of Business Development Last fall Dairy One launched a project to screen DHIA cow samples for Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN). We then alerted farms that had over 50% of the cows in the herd outside of the normal recommended range (8-14mg/dl). We identified over 1,100 farms that had…(Read More)
The transportation and courier system covers about 14 states and is comprised of 25-30 couriers who drive more than 160,000 miles per month. This is the method by which the majority of Dairy One DHIA samples and bulk tank producer payment samples end up at the Dairy One Milk Laboratory every day. Rain…(Read More)
Since the weather has improved over the last few weeks, ACS and Dairy One field staff members have been a rare siting in the office. Farmers have been out in the field taking advantage of the good weather, which means our ACS staff have been especially busy. One of the best parts about the staff…(Read More)
Near Infrared Reflectance spectroscopy, or NIR, is an effective and efficient method of analysis, used most commonly in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. In the pharmaceutical world, NIR is used as more of a quality assurance method while in agriculture it is used to analyze the nutrients present in feed and forages. The way it…(Read More)
Dairy One’s Agricultural Management Resource group, known more commonly as the AMR group, is the on-farm technology team at Dairy One. While providing herd and crop management software and support is a large part of what they do, another highly valuable service they offer is camera system and network installations. There are a…(Read More)
Dairy farmers are paid for their milk based on volume and quality, which is measured by fat, protein, somatic cell count (SCC), and bacteria presence. When the milk is picked up by the milk truck, a sample is taken from the farm’s bulk tank. These samples are then sent to a lab, like the…(Read More)
Being a company focused on providing data and information, it shouldn’t be surprising that we have a number of laboratories here at Dairy One. That’s not to say that it doesn’t create some occasional confusion. There’s the Dairy One Milk Laboratory and the Agro-One Agronomy Laboratory. Then we have the…(Read More)
Nestled in the back corner of the building there is a little office where any samples from hay and corn silage to eels and banana trees are entered into the Dairy One Laboratory System to begin their nutrient analysis journey. This is home to our Forage Lab Customer Support group, who would likely refer to…(Read More)
When the Dairy One center in Ithaca officially comes to life at 8 am every morning, Jennifer (pictured right) and Jyll (pictured left) assume their respective positions as Receptionist and Administrative Support/Graph Design. They take their places at the front desk, greeting anyone who walks through the front door and directing them to where…(Read More)
Agricultural Consulting Services, or ACS, is the crop consulting organization at Dairy One. ACS offices can also be found in Henrietta, NY. While they may not appear to fall directly under the Dairy One umbrella at first glance, ACS is a crucial piece of the Dairy One puzzle. Everything on the farm starts from the…(Read More)
Appropriately named, our Agricultural Management Resources (AMR) group works to provide farms with a variety of technological resources to help manage and increase the overall efficiency of data use on your farm. The AMR group offers everything from identification tags to herd management software to on-farm camera installations. This dynamic team is constantly working…(Read More)
One of the best parts of my role at Dairy One is having the opportunity to work with a variety of different business units. This requires committing a large amount of time to gaining a better understanding of how all the different pieces of the Dairy One puzzle fit together. The first puzzle piece I…(Read More)
Increased Somatic Cell count (SCC) can be costly. Not only can these elevated counts decrease milk yield, they can also lower your milk premium. Working with a Dairy One Farm Service Technician can help you track individual SCC and tank contributions as well as identify the financial costs and opportunities surrounding SCC. These financial opportunities…(Read More)
My name is Molly Gildea and I am the new Assistant Manager of Marketing and Communications at Dairy One. I grew up in Southern New Hampshire and developed the horse crazy bug at a young age. I began riding at the age of 9 and spent every moment from that point on finding any excuse…(Read More)
by Chris Dutton, VDM Recent trends in weather and milk prices have lead many farms to increase focus on their heifer-raising enterprises. Forage shortages due to drought in parts of the Northeast will mean higher purchased feed costs, and current milk prices have diminished margins at the farm, leaving no room in the budget…(Read More)
Sally Flis, Ph.D. – Feed and Crop Support Specialist It is that time of the year again, corn is almost ready for chopping. Harvesting corn silage for the maximum quality and best fermentation requires monitoring and management. The first factor to check is whole plant dry matter. Corn silage should be between 50 and 70…(Read More)
Sally A. Flis, Ph.D. – Feed and Crop Support Specialist, Dairy One When we discuss silage pile shrink, most of the time we are talking about wet weight shrink, which is measured as the difference between the amount of feed delivered to the bunk at harvest versus the amount of feed that makes it to…(Read More)
Sally A. Flis, Ph.D. – Feed and Crop Support Specialist, Dairy One – sally.flis@dairyone.com In the February blog post, I talked about the change from aNDF to aNDFom, but I forgot to talk about why the “a” was added to your NDF. Starting in January, all of the Forage Lab reports had NDF…(Read More)
We tend to only think about water intake in the summer when temperatures are increasing and increased intake is needed to help with cooling. In the winter, water intake can also increase due to increased intake to meet energy needs. Additionally, freezing water lines, water bowls, or water troughs can go unnoticed for hours at…(Read More)
Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) is a national association that helps dairy producers create and manage records and data about their cows for use in making management decisions. The associations were originally organized by state, and as with many services, have consolidated into regional services. The services that DHIA programs offer have also grown over…(Read More)
In last week’s blog, I discussed feed loss from the field to the bunk. This week, we will look at feed loss in the bunk and during feeding. I have identified 5 ways you could be losing feed at the bunk, but I am sure you can think of a few more, and I…(Read More)
Fall is here! Are you considering taking another cut of hay? Here are 4 Things to Think About Before Taking a 4th or 5th Cut of Hay: 1. Stand Health – Crop Rotation Plan – A late fall cutting of hay, especially alfalfa, can have a detrimental effect on the winter survival and spring regrowth…(Read More)