March 2025 Vol. 4

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Check out what's coming this week on The Dairy Signal. Tune in every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday live from noon to 1 p.m. CT, or catch previous episodes on demand here.

March 25 - What's up with my bank(er)?

March 26 - Leadership vs. management

March 27 - Nitrate leaching: Midwest trends to Wisconsin research

Previously on The Dairy Signal

March 18

Maximize the first day of a calf's life by properly assessing and stimulating newborns. Learn management practices that will set calves up for a lifetime of success.

• Dr. Ryan Breuer, DVM, Clinical Assistant Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine, UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, an Diagnostic Case & Outreach Coordinator, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

March 19

Tune in to learn about potential implications of tariffs on dairy and ag economics as well as strategies for risk management in uncertain times.

• Will Babler, Principal, Atten Babler Commodities LLC

March 20

Gain insight on the latest news and analysis of agricultural markets and trends that will impact dairy producers and ag industry.

• Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

For Your Dairy

REDUCING STRESS TO BOOST TRANSITION COW HEALTH, PRODUCTIVITY was the focus of a presentation from Dr. Trevor DeVries, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Guelph, at the 2025 PDP Business Conference. He emphasized that stress on dairy cows, particularly at transition, may have long-lasting negative effects. While some stressors are inevitable, those can be counteracted by several actions, including:

• Encourage consistent eating patterns by minimizing changes in diets, including physical characteristics such as particle size and density. Feed additives may also improve energy metabolism and help stabilize rumen and eating behavior.
• Minimize the number of group changes and movements, including keeping first lactation cows separate from mature cows as much as possible throughout the transition period.
• Ensure comfortable environments, including adequate bunk space and water access, and pay even closer attention keeping feed pushed up. 
• Provide cooling, particularly for dry cows. Research shows that calves born from dams who received dry cow cooling produce more milk in their lifetimes.

DRY MATTER 101. Understanding the nutrient value of the ingredients is key to optimizing feed utilization and minimizing waste. Because water in a forage dilutes all the other nutrients, knowing the dry matter content of your forage is the foundation of formulating a quality ration. An article from UW-Extension highlights how adjustments in the diet based on changes in dry matter can improve cattle performance, enhancing milk production, reproduction, and overall health. While the most accurate way to measure dry matter content of forages is to send a sample to a certified lab, there are several ways to quickly determine dry matter using a Koster Moisture tester, microwave oven or air fryer. Read the article for detailed instructions and more.

Your Farm - Your Footprint

Dairy Currents

DIETARY GUIDELINES SCIENTIFIC REPORT AFFIRM ROLE OF DAIRY in the diets of Americans. In December 2024, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) issued their final scientific report to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) to inform the development of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). The International Dairy Foods Association highlighted several recommendations that reinforce dairy’s health and nutrition benefits, including maintaining dairy as a separate food group, maintaining three servings of dairy per day across recommended dietary patterns, and recognizing dairy’s vital role in health equity and its nutritional benefits for Americans from various racial, ethnic, socio economic, and cultural backgrounds. Read the full Dairy Foods article to learn more.

MARK THE CALENDAR: DISCOVER CONFERENCE SET FOR MAY 5-8. The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) will host a conference in Itasca, Ill., for research and academic community, university extension specialists, dairy producers and herd managers, consultants, feed & pharmaceutical industry leaders, veterinarians and members of governmental and regulatory agencies. Conference sessions will explore innovative strategies to identify and mitigate stress factors impacting cattle and people on dairy farms, and the dairy industry as a whole. The discussions will delve into the long-term consequences of stressors, including transgenerational impacts on herd productivity and well-being. Learn more on the conference website.

PDP Podcast Weekly

A Salute to Professional Dairy Producers

Tom Thibodeau is fresh off attending another successful Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference in Madison. He returns to the podcast to share his wonderful experience visiting with dairy producers and industry professionals from all over the world.

"There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns."

- Edward de Bono

Business Management & Advanced Finance Workshop

Oct. 29-30, 2025

Managers Academy

Jan. 20-21, 2026

International Tour - New Zealand

Feb. 2-15, 2026

Cornerstone Dairy Academy

March 3, 2026

2026 PDP Business Conference

March 4-5, 2026