Dairy Extension

Milk quality resources

Improve milk management and profitability

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Grazing wedge

The grazing wedge is a tool for managing forage in grazing systems.

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Dairy (confinement) planning budget

The production practices used to develop these cost estimates are common for confinement dairies in Missouri.

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Dairy Extension

Missouri’s dairy production and processing industry continues to evolve within a growing but rapidly consolidating US dairy industry. This site links Missouri dairy producers to key dairy production and business information at MU and other institutions.

- Herd management
  Find dairy breeding, genetics and reproduction resources
- Milk prices
  Milk price resources and tools
- Pasture-Based Dairy
  Program to help you get the most out of your field
- MU Dairy Center
  Dairy Center resources and contacts

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Events

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Women in Dairy - Holiday Party

Event date: Dec. 14, 2022

Event time: | 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Mt Vernon, MO

Come together for our annual craft day and planning session.This Potluck celebration offers an opportunity to showcase your favorite recipe. Ham is provided for all. This year we'll weave denim baskets while brainstorming program ideas for ...

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News & articles

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Missouri 4-H places first at All-American Dairy Cattle Judging Contest

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Missouri 4-H’s dairy judging team finished first overall at the 2022 All-American Dairy Show Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held Sept. 19 in Harrisburg, Pa.The team of Payton Nix, Lila Wantland and Whitney ...

Corn silage as a forage

Published: Monday, Aug. 1, 2022

COLUMBIA, Mo. – An emergency feeding situation is shaping up for Missouri’s beef producers because of the drought. University of Missouri Extension recently hosted University of Wisconsin agronomist Joe Lauer on the MU Extension Forage and ...

Tough culling decisions come with drought, forage shortages

Published: Monday, Aug. 1, 2022

COLUMBIA, Mo. – With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.Give careful thought to which grass eaters go first, says Eric Bailey, ...

Missouri dairy producers have their eyes on the drought

Published: Friday, July 29, 2022

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Northern Missouri has received plenty of rain, and dairy producers there are hopeful about making a silage pile, while those in the state’s southern counties are looking at options as drought conditions and oppressive heat have ...

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Publications

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Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) Insurance

Publication date: Oct. 1, 2022

In livestock production, gross margin is the difference between revenue from livestock or milk sales and feed costs. It is an indicator of profitability.Livestock gross margin (LGM) insurance offers livestock producers a way to manage gross margin ...

Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) Insurance in Missouri

Publication date: Oct. 1, 2022

Figure 1. Drought risk for grazing beef or dairy cattle may be partially mitigated with PRF insurance.Forage and livestock producers can buy insurance to mitigate forage production risk (Figure 1). Pasture, rangeland, forage (PRF) insurance was ...

Dairy Heifer Planning Budget

Publication date: Sept. 16, 2022

This budget presents information useful to Missouri farmers raising dairy heifers. The production practices used to develop the cost estimates are common in Missouri. Farmers are encouraged to customize this budget to fit their operation with the aid ...

Dairy (Grazing) Planning Budget

Publication date: Sept. 16, 2022

This budget presents information useful to Missouri dairy farmers. The production practices used to develop the cost estimates are common for grazing dairies in Missouri. Farmers are encouraged to customize this budget to fit their operation with the ...

Dairy (Confinement) Planning Budget

Publication date: Sept. 13, 2022

This budget presents information useful to Missouri dairy farmers. The production practices used to develop the cost estimates are common for confinement dairies in Missouri. Farmers are encouraged to customize this budget to fit their operation with ...

Fescue Seed and Forage Planning Budget

Publication date: Sept. 1, 2022

This budget presents information useful to farmers planning the production, financing, grazing and marketing of fescue in Missouri. It includes a link to the Missouri Forage Budget Generator spreadsheet. Farmers can modify the budget based on their ...

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Online courses

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Pasture Based Dairy Production: Short Course 0122

Jan. 1, 2022 - April 30, 2022

online $350.00

This is a 16-week course describing the systems approach to managing a pasture-based dairy. Participants will have a better understanding of how a grazing dairy operates with the cow-forage-people structure using a systems approach. Topics include ...

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