In bunker silos, pay attention to the silage quality on the surface and in the upper foot or so of the ensiled material. It's amazing sometimes how much rot is up there. Surface spoilage is a serious issue, but good management can help prevent it.
Hot weather is a challenge every year in California's Central Valley. But this year the drought and high demand for good employees is compounding the normal challenges. At Vista Verde Dairy near Chowchilla, constant technical progress is essential to a successful business strategy
Although U.S. agriculture has an accidental death rate 10 times the national average for all industries, dairy-specific safety statistics are hard to find. If your dairy is large enough, then OSHA rules may apply. And, on the heels of the recent dairy science meeting, we include an abstract of a research report from Israel, where high-priced feedstuffs and heat stress are common challenges to cost-efficient dairy production.
A safety measure taken by some dairies is to place a cable across the top of drive-over piles. The cable is secured to large concrete blocks on either side of the pile. The blocks are pushed down the silo as the silage is fed out. Workers wear safety harnesses and strap themselves to the cable when removing tires and plastic. An alternative safety measure is to have a large loader bucket raised up adjacent to the area where workers are removing tires. The loader bucket is then moved down the silage face as the tires and plastic are removed.
At Diamond V's sibling company Embria Health Sciences, more than 70 years of science and research supports the human product technology of EpiCor. This month's EMBRIA Update explores how EpiCor helps the body respond rapidly to immune system challenges through serum antioxidant levels and "natural killer" cell activity. Good health to you and your family!
