2013 Milk Mustache Contest

It's that time of year again...time for our annual Milk Mustache Contest! Last year we received more milk mustache photos than ever before, and we hope you will send in even more this year. To enter, take a photo of you or your child proudly and prominently displaying a milk mustache and either post it to our Facebook page or email it to " gilmerdairy [at] gmail [dot] com ". Be sure you include the first name, age, and home state of the person in the photo!

All entries must be received by Saturday, June 8. Filtered photographs such as Instagram will be accepted, but please do not add special effects or text to the picture. Originality, "cuteness", and milk mustache visibility will be considered during the selection of finalists. We will announce the finalists on June 10 and allow our Facebook fans to vote for their favorite milk mustache photo. Depending on the number of entries, we may also include a semifinal round of voting to select two finalists. The winner will receive a prize and be highlighted as part of our celebration of June Dairy Month.

In years past, we've had winners all the way from North Dakota to south Mississippi. This year, it might just be you...but only if you enter! So grab your camera and a glass of milk, say "CHEESE!!!", and help us celebrate June Dairy Month by entering our annual Milk Mustache Contest!

Happy Earth Day, y'all!

People from all over the place are celebrating Earth Day today, which I tend to refer to as "Monday".  In fact, I know today is Earth Day only because it was printed on a calendar I have hanging in the milking barn. When you practice what Earth Day preaches on a daily basis, I guess you can forget that there is a specific day set aside to celebrate and embrace "being green".

Taking good care of our land and natural resources is very important to us. We utilize farming practices that minimize erosion and preserve topsoil, maximize the nutrient potential of our cows' manure to fertilize their feed crops, and maintain high air and water quality. And these practices aren't just good for business, they ensure that our farm's environment is well-suited to raising healthy cows and...more importantly...healthy families.

So Happy Earth Day today, tomorrow, and every other day of the year! I'll leave you with a couple of photos and a video of our milking herd strip-grazing, a practice we use to take care of both our land and our cows.

Friday morning farm photos

Here's a photographic recap of some of this morning's farm activity:

One of the first jobs after breakfast was to drive a group of seven "dry cows" up the road to a new pasture. We want to keep them a little bit closer as they begin to approach their calving dates.

 

We also moved our milking herd past the barn, down the road, and into a fresh grazing pasture this morning.

By the second half of the morning, we turned our attention to our disk. We now have a full (and long overdue) new set of blades on it.

The low, gray clouds finally cleared off shortly before lunchtime, so it looks like we'll get to enjoy a pretty Spring afternoon for a change.

Registered Holstein

Here's a little photo of Spike & Pet I put on our Facebook page this morning. I hope you get a chuckle!

GDF Vocowbulary: "Teat Dip"

Teat dip is an essential tool we use on every cow every time they come into the milking barn. So what is it (note- for what it is NOT, search my 3/8/13 twitter timeline for #teatdip)?  Teat dip is bacteria-fighting substance applied to a cow before and after milking. There are several different brands and formulations, but most that I am aware of use low levels of iodine as the active ingredient. Using teat dip helps to prevent mammary infections, thereby promoting good udder health and high-quality milk.

applying teat dip to a cow after she has been milked

As you'll see in the video below, "pre-dip" is applied and wiped off before a cow is milked. The pre-dip kills bacteria on the outside of the cow's teat. If left unchecked, that bacteria could work its way up into the teat during the milking process and cause an infection. An infection could then lead to lower milk quality, a decrease in milk production, health issues for the cow, and the potential need to combat the infection with antibiotics (at which point the milk would be "dumped" for several days). When the cow is finished milking, we apply a "post-dip". The post-dip accomplishes two things: 1) it fights-off bacteria until the cow's teat-end orifices can seal themselves off, and 2) it contains skin conditioners that help keep the cow's teats soft and supple.

I hope you enjoy this edition of GDF Vocowbulary, and maybe you will learn a little something about teat dip!