Producer Spotlight - T&T Cattle
T&T has a dynamite bonus plan
With emphasis on cow comfort, milk quality and relentless training, the values are paying off in real cash for the team at T&T Cattle. (MORE)
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Management Message - Mike Wright, MBA
Feedback on bedding, a new poll question...and a new headquarters!
Last month's Quick Poll asked readers about bedding systems. See the results here. Our Tip of the Month shows you how to use IOFC to track long-term herd productivity. We also have a new Diamond V headquarters! And, our new Quick Poll asks about your most important metric in charting your dairy's business strength. For the first 20 respondents, a healthy prize is in store. There's a little something for everybody in this issue. Enjoy! (MORE)
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Technical Feature - Brian Perkins, Ph.D.
Feed efficiency is important, but $$$ are what really count
When you track IOFC over time, it will become obvious that generating more income from milk is far more effective at increasing profit than attempting to shave pennies from ration costs.
(VIEW PDF)
(VIEW ESPANOL - New!)
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Risk Management - Kyle Schrad
Trading basis
Basis, the difference between the cash price and the futures price for the time and place where delivery occurs, gets overlooked somewhat because futures prices are far more visible and they are generally more volatile as well. (VIEW PDF)
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Director Global Research and Marketing
While sand seems to be the bedding system of choice for those who answered our Quick Poll last month, take a look at the following comment from one reader. Ingenuity always seems right at home on a dairy farm: "I purchased a sand washer from a mining supply company. We capture the sand in three sand traps around the dairy and haul them to the washer. We wash with manure water and stack it about 15' high. Great purchase. "  Be sure to fill out this month's Quick Poll. The first 20 respondents get a 30-day sample of EpiCor, a natural human immune support supplement manufactured by Diamond V's sister company, Embria Health Sciences.
We've Moved! Almost to the day, 12 months later, we're finally in our new global headquarters. This new high-technology 17,000 sq. ft. facility is located on the 77-acre Diamond V campus and will provide additional space for training and client meetings. The official building dedication will take place next month. For reference, the new address is located on our website at diamondv.com. Abstracts for 2012 Joint Meeting Diamond V invites you to visit us at the 2012 ADSA, AMPA, ASAS, CSAS and WSASAS joint annual meeting being held July 15-19 in Phoenix, Arizona. Stop by our booth (#702) and learn what's new at Diamond V and allow us to share some of our science with you. Here's a summary of our more recent research that will be presented. Kind regards, Mike Back to main page |
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 Training, comfort, quality...and bonuses!
Who: Greg Troost, owner of T&T Cattle in Parma, ID
What: T&T Cattle milks 4700 cows in two facilities.
From Cali to Idaho: Greg, Joyce, and their three daughters moved from Corona, CA to Parma in 2000 when the main dairy was built. They added Pearl Dairy in 2007.
Schooling for a bonus: The attention to detail at T&T Cattle is very apparent when you first drive on the farm. With a sizable bonus if their SCC averages less than 100, Greg and long-time manager Mark Mourton definitely sweat the small stuff. They have averaged 85k SCC for some time and can't point to any one thing that accomplishes that goal. "Cow comfort is a must", said Greg. They bed the freestalls with sand in the summer, and use sand and compost in the winter. Beds are raked and filled daily to make sure cows have a clean, comfortable place to rest.
In the parlor the emphasis is on training and procedures. "New hires are put on my best crew to learn the job", said Mark. "We also have a Head Milker on each shift that is responsible for both training and leading that crew." They have routine milker schools and parlor evaluations to ensure things are working as planned.
Diamond V and the future: "Diamond V feeds bugs and allows for higher production, simple as that", said Greg. So what does the future hold for T&T Cattle? "Enjoy the ride and wait to see what God has planned for us next."
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Tip of the Month
A long-term IOFC tracking method
A great tool to track a herd's progress over time is to build a spreadsheet that calculates IOFC weekly or monthly for a herd based on static values for milk price, component value and feed cost. This will allow you to evaluate your herd's ability to transform management into profit across multiple years without being influenced by fluctuating market prices.
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