Business Management
Solid business management skills are essential as the dairy cattle industry grows more competitive, complex, and challenging. Dairy producers will find information and tools to utilize in their daily routines, as well as opportunities to connect with other professionals and dairy experts. Find resources for running a dairy operation – from market trends and insights to resources management, dairy herd metrics, record-keeping, and cash-flow planning.
Dairy Farm Management
While raising cattle and managing dairy production, dairy farm owners and managers need to also stay informed and adapt to changing variables such as cattle feed prices, dairy market trends, and regulations.
In this section, you can access many other Penn State Extension resources on dairy farm management, such as our milk production record book to monitor herd productivity, and feeding records for monitoring feed intakes and forage dry matters.
Information is also available for entrepreneurial dairy producers interested in value-added dairy products, such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. From resource planning and management to production, marketing, they can access a variety of all Penn State Extension insights on value-added dairy production.
Tools and Apps for Dairy Producers
Useful tools for dairy producers are also featured in this section, such as the Penn State Dairy Herd Metrics mobile application and the Milk Production and Feeding Records app.
Calculation tools allow producers to get a clearer picture of their dairy expenses and income and how they relate to other farm expenses. Such useful tools are the Farm Margin mobile application for calculating a dairy's break-even cost of production, the DairyCents Mobile App for income over feed costs, and the CropCents Mobile App for actual costs to produce home-raised feeds.
Dairy producers can also find records management systems for determining the actual costs of raising replacement heifers, colostrum management, metrics for monitoring culling strategies, protein and phosphorus monitoring, and many more.
Risk Management for Dairy Producers
Risk management for dairy producers accounts for volatility in milk markets, farm costs, and other factors, so that an unforeseen setback does not cost you your business.
Make the best of Penn State Extension resources on managing risk for dairy operations. Topics include managing income over feed costs, tracking milk prices and feed costs, using milk futures to lock in profitability, risk management for reproduction programs, dairy margin coverage, as well as many others. In addition to these, you could see how to use the USDA Risk Management Checklist to develop or assess your risk management plan.
Dairy Farm Finances and Market Trends
A profitable dairy farm is sustained by adept business and financial management. Dairy producers are constantly monitoring production costs and staying informed of market trends and impending regulations.
Here you can find numerous resources to keep up with market information and help your business stay profitable. Penn State Extension is regularly publishing Dairy Outlook information with current market trends. The Dairy Sense series is also a useful resource for various business management topics.
In addition, producers can find advice and tools for dairy finances, such as these five steps to monitor the financial health of a dairy business. Tips on cash flow management are also available, and you can download our annual cash flow tool to identify cash inflows/outflows for the dairy enterprise.
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Dairy Sense: Heat Stress Aftermath
Heat stress can impact animal performance weeks beyond the initial occurrence, lingering in the fresh cow period and ultimately affect overall production. - Articles
Dairy Sense: Getting Those Extra Pounds of Milk
Focus on the first 100 days of lactation to find and fix bottlenecks that are limiting milk production. - Articles
Dairy Sense: Getting Lost in the Minutiae
Trouble shooting herd problems can be very challenging and difficult. Take the big picture approach to solving problems. - Articles
Dairy Sense: Facing Financial Angst
A good record keeping system and chart of accounts goes a long way to empower producers to take the first step in learning their breakeven cost of production. - Articles
Milk Replacer Costs and Your Options
Discussion of whey protein prices, alternative proteins, cost comparisons, and considerations for feeding waste milk. - Articles
Economics and Effects of Accelerated Calf Growth Programs
Increasing heifer growth rates, regardless of the feeding strategy, improves the odds of earlier age at calving, which can dramatically lower heifer costs. - Articles
Dairy Heifer Cost Variation
Dairy heifer replacement costs represent a large investment for all dairy operations. - Articles
Job Descriptions: The Building Blocks of Organizations
The primary objective of a job description is to help employees and supervisors reach a mutual understanding about important details of a job in order to avoid future problems. - Tools and Apps
Job Description Generator for the Dairy Industry
The Job Description Generator is an online tool that automates the process so preparing a job description is quick and easy. - Articles
Standard Operating Procedures: Developing and Implementing
The seven steps that you can take to develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). - Articles
Standard Operating Procedures: A Writing Guide
Standard operating procedures used in combination with planned training and regular performance feedback lead to an effective and motivated workforce. - Articles
Little Things Can Make Big Difference in Dairy Farming
Becoming more aware of and focusing some time on the "little things" can have a big impact on productivity and profitability on dairy farms. - Articles
The Seven Steps of Action Planning
Your team and the operation will encounter challenges or problems that must be overcome. We have outlined a seven-step process to assist you in solving problems. - Articles
Take a Bite Out of Those Dairy Losses
Managers can look at mortality numbers, feed shrink, and inventories of supplies to determine if changes could reduce these steady drains on profitability. - Articles
Steering Your Dairy Day-to-Day to Avoid the "Drift"
A subtle but steady "procedural drift" away from consistency can cost dollars and cents. - Tools and Apps
Goal-Setting Worksheet
Goal-setting worksheet to help outline specific goals for a dairy advisory team with an example - Articles
Want to be a Better Leader? Work on Your Communication Skills
Whether it's your farm business or a community organization, being able to effectively communicate is a key aspect of leadership. -
- Articles
Cover Crops, Double Crops, and Cost Considerations
The use of cover crops can result in multiple environmental and soil health benefits, further sustainable intensification by utilizing those cover crops in a double cropping system may provide an additional economic benefit to dairies. - Articles
Are You Hiring the Right People at Your Dairy?
Job descriptions provide the foundation for building strong human resource management practices into the day-to-day management of a dairy farm business. - Articles
Dairy Heifer Contracting Fundamentals
Understanding the importance and components of a written contract is essential for custom heifer growers and for dairy producers using these services. - Articles
FAQ on EID: Electronic Identification for Dairy Calves
This article summarizes recent updates to the USDA's Animal Disease Traceability rule and how this rule applies to non-replacement dairy calves. - Articles
Do Your Cows Know How You Feel About Them?
Handling, transportation, environment, feed, interactions with other animals, and interactions with humans can stress cattle. Do our attitudes influence factors that can affect profitability? - Articles
Is Your Farm Right For Value-Added Dairy?
Is your farm up to meeting the demands on production and labor of a value-added operation while conveying a consumer-friendly farm image? Here are some points to consider when evaluating your farm. - Articles
Assembling a Team to Explore a Value-Added Dairy Enterprise
If you are considering a value-added dairy foods business, a useful approach for gathering information and making an informed decision may be to consider forming a profit team.
