By following this list of eight sensible “New Year’s Resolutions” you might take a little weight off your “dairy management” shoulders this coming year.
1. Focus on quality, not controversy. If you missed Eleanor Jacob’s editorial in last month’s Northeast Dairy Business, go back and read it. She addresses the confusion and misleading information concerning milk labeling, and infers the situation will only become more heated as we move into the New Year. Misleading or false advertising is frustrating to those of us who work in the dairy industry and truly understand what goes into the products we produce. If only we could get the rest of consumers to understand it’s what is in milk that makes it healthy, not what is not in milk. Unfortunately, we can’t use facts or science to win this argument. An excellent point that comes out of Eleanor’s editorial is that all producers should focus on producing a quality product. We know better than to argue over which milk is healthier, or which doesn’t contain hormones, etc. If you can help it, leave the controversy out of the conversation and make the point that all milk is healthy.
2. Get a handle on lameness. Studies done on lameness in the U.S. and around the world consistently show that actual lameness in herds is almost always greater than perceived lameness. In other words, dairy producers see lameness as less of a problem than is actually occurring. If you’ve been following the news in animal welfare, you’ll realize that lameness is an issue that needs to be addressed. NYSCHAP (New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program) has set relatively high standards for the levels of lameness that should be tolerated in a herd.
In order to pass the NYSCHAP Cattle Welfare Module, at least 85% of each animal management group must score a 1 on the locomotion scoring system. This may seem like an impossible standard to achieve, but when you consider the cost of lame cows (about $350 / case) it’s a goal to work toward. The first step to improving lameness in your herd is to recognize that you have a problem. The second step is to appoint a responsible person on your dairy team to become trained in locomotion scoring and to score the cows on a regular basis. Work with your nutritionist, hoof trimmer and veterinarian to establish a plan to reduce lameness in your herd.
3. Start using Dairy Profit Monitor. If you already participate in the Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary, you may be familiar with Dairy Profit Monitor, (DPM). DPM is an on-line service that you use once a month to track financial activity on your dairy in a timely, convenient manner. Once you receive your milk check, you can enter your income data, and your expenses, (such as feed costs, vet bills, etc.) and you will receive a report back on the information you enter. The report shows your efficiency in certain areas, such as income over feed cost, etc. and will also show the current month’s data compared to previous month’s data. Another benefit to DPM is to be able to anonymously compare your herd to other herds that participate in the program. This type of comparison may help you to see changes in seasonal expenses and track them as they happen throughout the year.
4. Get Involved. When you think about how many hours a week producers spend at their own operations, it’s no wonder why life can seem kind of miserable at times! If you’re not already a member of an agricultural group, get out there! Being involved in a group with other farmers and agribusiness people can be motivating and just plain fun, not to mention an important part of supporting agriculture. Some organizations to consider joining are Farm Bureau, a discussion group, (check with your county extension office), a tractor club, or a community action group.
5. Harvest higher-quality forages. It’s not too early to start thinking about forage quality. When you think in terms of forage quality, think high digestibility, not tons. This winter is the perfect time to fine-tune your equipment or make additions to your line-up of forage-harvesting tools. If your crops are custom harvested, you may want to get together with the harvesting crew to discuss the plan for the coming year. Whatever the case, you need to be ready to get on the fields in the right time frame in order to put up the highest quality forages. Have discussions with an agronomist and nutritionist and review the last year. Did your forages turn out the way you hoped they would? What could you have done better? Can you make improvements to bunks or silos? Do you need to re-arrange your forages this coming year?
6. Focus on pounds, not percents of components. All producers know they’re paid on pounds of protein and pounds of fat, not percentage points. Why is everyone so hung up on percents? Remember, pounds of fats is a number that can be measured accurately on a daily basis. The percent of fat in the milk can be easily influenced by diet, environment and ease of access to good water.
7. Be a good neighbor. This point needs very little explanation. If you’re unsure whether or not a farming practice is bothersome, think of the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
8. Manage things, lead people. This concept is taken from one of our old “Managing for Success” PRO-Dairy modules. It is a great behavior to follow. Being able to manage money, time, and possessions takes a different set of skills than managing people. Employees don’t want to be treated as possessions. Good managers don’t have to “manage” their employees because they already have an established relationship built on trust and open communication. Getting to know employees on a personal basis, giving them a smile and spending a few minutes asking them how they’re doing will go a long way. To some employees, knowing that you care is more important than a pizza party. Everyone needs to know they are appreciated, regardless of the level of their job. Set a positive example by having a good attitude toward the farm, the animals and people, and try to motivate your employees to do the same.
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