Milk production in Iowa during April 2021 totaled 463 million pounds, up 4% from the previous April according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during April, at 227,000 head, was the same as last month but 8,000 more than April 2020. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,040 pounds, the same as last April.
Timing first crop alfalfa harvest by calendar date does not usually work well. Spring climates vary from year to year, and fields managed differently also affect spring regrowth. Different varieties, age of stand, fertility, last season’s cutting schedules, fall harvest or not, all influence the rate of regrowth in spring.
Since the first cutting is usually has the highest yield with 35-40 percent of the year’s total crop, it is important that it is the quality forage your operation needs. If the first cutting is taken at a very immature stage it can be difficult to feed because its fiber level is too low for most high producing cows plus it can lower the life of alfalfa stands. Timely cutting permits aftermath growth to begin when when temperature and soil moisture are favorable for plant growth and generally increases total yield per acre.
PEAQ, which stands for predictive equation for alfalfa quality, is a quick and easy method to assess when individual alfalfa fields are ready for harvest based on a forage quality estimate. All you need is a yard stick and Table 1 in ISU Extension publication CROP 3141, which is available from your county ISU Extension office or download at: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/15234
Continue reading “Timing First Crop Harvest of Alfalfa with PEAQ”
Dairy goat webinar continues with a look at disbudding management
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar focusing on “Disbudding Management” June 2, 2021, from noon to 1:15 p.m.
Over the last several years, the Iowa State University Dairy Goat Welfare team has performed a series of kid disbudding project to evaluate alternate approaches to traditional heat disbudding and pain mitigation approaches.
Continue reading “Evidence-based Approaches to Dairy Goat Kid Disbudding”