A fresh take on fresh-cow DMI and profitability

Diamond V TheTrusted Experts in Nutrition & Health^{TM
April 2013}

Why good fresh-cow DMI means $$$

When cows eat well in early lactation, good things happen. Fresh cows with good dry matter intake reach peak production earlier, and lose less weight post calving. Learn more (Espanol)

Going deep

TMR videos teach critical control points

Toughing it out and winning

The Ally family endured setbacks to achieve dairy excellence

A good time to lock in profit

With uncertainty ahead, prices keep rising

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DV Management News

Going deep

Last month in this column I introduced readers to the upgraded Diamond V web site, its easier navigation and the considerable new video content we've added. You could say our web content is a digital representation of all of the animal health and nutrition expertise, science and service to customers that we've accumulated over the past 70 years. And if you click the "Celebrating 70 Years..." badge at the bottom left side of our web front page, you'll open a new video highlighting the seven decades of our evolution.

We're proud of our history, but "what have you done for me lately" is what producers care most about at the end of the day. And that need is always top of mind for us as well. One way we're carrying out our commitment to results for customers is a new TMR training video series (for preferred partners and clients on the secure My Diamond V portal...see your Diamond V representative for further details).

The videos, soon to be completed and posted, will cover the critical control points of ration management, focusing on:

Silage inspection
Mixing basics
TMR delivery
Maintenance and safety

An additional video on how to conduct a TMR audit is also included in the lineup. It's the latest example of our ongoing commitment to provide Diamond V nutrition and health expertise to customers through multiple, easily-accessible channels.

As always, we appreciate your readership of DairyAdvisor and always welcome your input.

Kind regards,

Mike

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Producer Spotlight

Toughing it out to reach their dream

Who Koen and Els Ally, owners

What Optima Dairy

Where Friona, Texas.

Koen and Els started this dairy two years ago with 100 cows and have grown it to a 1200-cow dairy. The success they have achieved did not come easy.

Grit at an early age About 100 years ago, Koen's great grandparents came to the United States. Searching for a better future, they moved to Moline, Ilinois and worked for Deere and Company. They started their family and their own farm. Their two daughters, Koen's grandmother and sister, were orphaned at the age of 12 and 13. They traveled alone back to their family in Belgium, spending six weeks on a train and a ship.

Tough sledding leads to new opportunity Hardships have continued in the current generation as well. Koen and Els with their three boys, Tim, Stef and Dieter, had a dairy farm in Belgium. After experiencing enormous problems with zoning, they decided to relocate their dairy to Indiana with a project developer. Because of failures from the project developer, the dairy in Indiana was never built.

After two years on the project, the Ally family had to make a decision: Either leave the United States or search for that last opportunity to do what they came to do; milk cows in the United States.

Great quality, great achievement Their decision led them to Friona, where they currently operate Optima Dairy. Koen and Els strive to produce the best quality milk possible and, as a result, have earned the "Outstanding Quality" award for the last two years from Lone Star Milk Producers. Koen is continually striving to improve the dairy business. He has developed three patents to improve robotic milking. He has also earned the "Handy Hints Award" from Hoard's Dairyman.

The quest continues Optima Dairy teamed up with Diamond V this past year to move forward in their endeavor to provide quality milk. Diamond V technical experts have assisted them by looking at breeding records, conducting parlor audits and TMR audits to improve their dairy operations.

In the future, with the help of other dairymen and business partners, Koen and Els will continue to improve and grow their operation.

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