In this season of extremes, dairy farmer Glenn Brake still maintains a positive outlook.
“We’re a little behind. It was wet and cool there for a while,” he says. “So, I kind of think things will be a little delayed, but we’ll be alright.”
Brake owns Oakleigh Farm, a dairy farm in Mercersburg, Pa., that includes 139 milking cows with 130 young stock and heifers in a robotic milking facility. He grows more than 400 acres, including 100 acres of alfalfa, 200 acres of corn, 70 acres of small grains, and full- and double-crop soybeans.
His first 60 acres of brown midrib corn were planted over a two-day window in late April and early May. Constant rains and delayed harvest of his fall-planted oats, ryegrass and wheatlage delayed planting of his shorter-season varieties. And he still hasn’t planted all his full- and double-crop soybeans.
But first-cutting hay is in the bunk, averaging about 3 tons an acre. “As far as forages, we have a lot, which is very unusual for this time of year,” Brake says.
Heat is on
This week’s heat is testing Brake’s cows, but he hopes the high-volume, low-speed fans installed when the barn was built a few years ago will keep the cows cool enough to not drop production too much.
“The fans are wonderful, so I can’t put a dollar value on that,” he says, adding that he also feeds a yeast additive that helps lower the cows’ temperature. “With that feed additive included, I think you see a 2- to 3-pound maintenance. So, if you saw a 5-pound drop [without it], you might see a 2- to 3-pound drop with it.
“Yes, there’s more technology out there that could help, but I think the cost return, what’s going to be our biggest cost return because we didn’t have an unlimited budget, I’m satisfied with what we have,” he adds.
Watch Brake talk about planting progress and his cows in this Field Check video.