CSI-DAIRY A COW-SIDE INVESTIGATION INTO MANAGING EXPANSION CHALLENGES Numerous ‘culprits’ on dairy farms combine to rob herd performance and injure a dairy’s bottom line. Identifying and arresting the offender isn’t always easy, and a proactive investigation can help reduce chal- lenges before they arise. By Kevin Putnam had grown slowly from 100 cows in the mid-80s to 1,000 In 2008, Bilow Farms, Malone, N.Y., cows in 2008. The current was preparing for another expansion of herd averaged 75 lbs. of milk/ both the dairy and farming operations. Owned cow/day, with the high group by partners Vincent Bilow; his wife Trudy; son averaging 110 lbs. Rations Andrew; and nephew Mike Poirier, the farm consisted of 47% forage with some purchased corn. The farm produced adequate forages needed for the current I Kevin Putnam herd size. Overall, the opera- is a Pioneer Dairy Specialist. tion was performing well. Contact him via But, with major expansion e-mail: Kevin. plans in place, Vincent knew putnam@ refi ning his management prac- pioneer.com; tices was a necessity. Making phone 585-245- the next jump to 1,650 cows 1239; or visit www.pioneer. was a colossal investment and com/forages. certainly one that needed to You want more than a milk check from pay for itself. The expansion called for preci- your Cooperative. sion. Evaluating the entire operation was essential. Vincent understood the need for more effi cient time, money and management practices. A criti- You want more services that help increase cal component of success would be Vincent’s ability to produce enough high-quality feed to profit margins. Representation that tells support his expansion. To take the herd to the Capitol Hill what farmers need. Innovation next level would require more tonnage and that takes your milk from farm to table. more starch from corn silage acres. FYI That’s More Cooperative. www.dfamilk.com Assembling the investigation team Vincent always worked with several experts in a variety of fi elds, staying current on new management practices and products, meet- ing with each expert and gathering individual recommendations. With an expansion looming, Vincent recog- nized a typical consultation with each expert wasn’t enough. So, he gathered his advisors as a team, including: crop consultant, Mike Contessa, Champlain Valley Agronomics; seed supplier, Floyd Morter, Bourdeau Bros. Inc.; area manager, David Kosztyo, Pioneer Hi-Bred; and nutritionist, Neil Andrew, Cargill. During the team’s fi rst meetings, they identifi ed fi ve key issues: 1) Reduce variability and increase forage quality 2) Increase tonnage from fi elds 3) Improve forage starch content to support milk production Please turn to page 18 16 April 2012 EASTERNDAIRYBUSINESS www.dairybusiness.com