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1 day ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson
It’s history in the making in U.S. dairy animal trade right now, as springer values stay knocking on the door of $4,000 per head, and calf prices continue to soar. Newborn beef-cross calves are bringing north of $1,000 per head nationwide. Ironically, those calves also are at least partially the source of climbing heifer values. In the January 2025 USDA Cattle Report, lactating dairy cows showed an annual tally of about 9.5 million head, up about 3,000 head from the previous year.
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2 days ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson
Investing in training and building an on-dairy culture of community can make all the difference in a dairy’s success, according to Dr. Adrian Barragan, Extension Dairy Veterinarian with Penn State University. Barragan shared his thoughts on dairy workforce management on a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show. He shared a current statistic that it costs approximately $150,000 to hire a dairy manager. Perhaps even more shocking, replacing an entry-level dairy worker costs nearly $100,000.
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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson
A crop that was initially developed for the human food market is now being served up in heaping portions to the humble dairy cow. High oleic soybeans were born out of the human nutrition movement away from trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils in the early 2000s. Through plant breeding and genetic modification, soybean varieties with more monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) and less saturated fat were developed.
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3 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson
As the dairy-beef crossbreeding phenomenon continues to evolve, there remain unsolved challenges to maximizing the performance and value of those animals. We know those calves aren’t the same as fullblood, conventional beef animals. And we know we can’t feed and raise them exactly the same. But can we get closer to matching the performance of their beef cousins, particularly related to challenges like their currently high incidence of liver abscesses?
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3 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson
It’s easy to access, non-invasive, and could provide a window into the health status and welfare of calves. What is it? Believe it or not: saliva. Animal scientists are researching the telegraphing abilities of saliva in various animal species, including calves. By analyzing its chemical properties, saliva – and changes in its composition over time – can signal stress, inflammation, immune response, and sometimes the presence of disease-causing pathogens.
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4 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Maureen Hanson |Jennifer Shike |Robin Schmahl
In the heart of the U.S., a dairy revolution is thriving. The ongoing migration of dairies to the midsection of the country represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry. Gregg Doud, president and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), highlights the logistical hurdles faced by dairies out west, where the railroads complicate commodity transportation. Despite these obstacles, the midsection — particularly around Amarillo, Texas — is experiencing a surge.
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4 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Maureen Hanson |Jennifer Shike |Robin Schmahl
Class III milk futures were left red after the spot trade, where barrels dropped 2.5 cents off the $1.90 mark. However, blocks were able to find support and gain 2.5 cents, leaving the spot cheese average at $1.85. Both dry whey and NDM powder markets have stayed relatively stable despite Chinese tariffs. Stories of canceled orders for various goods have surfaced. That creates economic uncertainty, especially in the US Dollar Index, which has weakened considerably in recent weeks.
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4 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Maureen Hanson |Jennifer Shike |Robin Schmahl
Hilmar Cheese Company, a name synonymous with excellence in the global cheese manufacturing industry and a leading supplier of whey ingredients, is poised for a new chapter. On July 1, 2025, Greg Schlafer will step into the role of president & CEO, bringing with him a wealth of experience and an impressive track record of leadership in the dairy sector.
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4 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Maureen Hanson |Karen Bohnert |Jennifer Shike |Robin Schmahl
A new dashboard system designed to help compound feed manufacturers produce safe feed is being developed in the Netherlands. Researchers at Wageningen University are building the system, which is intended to identify feed safety hazards at an early stage in the manufacturing process. The dashboard, currently called the “Digital Support System” (DSS), uses 10 years of historical monitoring data, such as trends over time and world maps showing the presence of contaminants in animal feed.
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4 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Jennifer Shike |Karen Bohnert |Maureen Hanson |Robin Schmahl
In the midst of farmers busily planting in the field, a strong geomagnetic storm (G3) watch has been issued for April 16. The Space Weather Prediction Center says geomagnetic storming conditions are likely to persist into April 17 due to the arrival of multiple coronal mass ejections that left the sun on April 13. Could last year’s Gannon space storm, a powerful geomagnetic weather event that caused mass global navigation satellite system (GNSS) outages, impact farmers again?
