Posts by Keith

Furthering the dairy industry by advancing agricultural science Forty to seventy percent (40-70%) of cows have one or more hoof lesions, according to studies. Lesions can cause fertility and milk yield to drop, lead to premature culling, and otherwise negatively impact animal health. Given these potential side-effects, it behooves us to determine top causes of…

Maximizing efficiency and effectiveness on your dairy is a crucial element of farm management. Not only does it help your operation run smoother, but it impacts your bottom line. Data collecting is a critical first step in understanding how your dairy is currently operating. With data in hand, it’s easier to analyze areas that are…

Harvest is over and the opportunity for inventory tracking is at the top of your mind. With increasing feed costs and the current economic situation, there was never a more important time to have a good handle on your actual inventories. As producers, you want to know the value of what’s on your farm at…

25 years ago, Keith Sather, Founder of KS Dairy Consulting, had an idea he couldn’t stop thinking about. It was the ability of dairy farmers to use data to make critical decisions on their farms. He envisioned farmers knowing exactly how much feed they were giving their cows and the ability to mix the rations…

This August we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Feed Supervisor®.  What started as a dairy consulting business has expanded to innovative software solutions that fit seamlessly into the daily routines of dairy farmers. Today, we offer nutrition consulting through KS Dairy Consulting and three software programs: Feed Supervisor, Truck Supervisor, and Hoof Supervisor. Our…

Acknowledged as a leading cause of lameness in the dairy industry, digital dermatitis (DD) is a widespread problem. Also known as hairy heel warts, this costly and highly contagious disease progresses quickly. If not caught in the early stages, DD can result in permanent hoof damage. DD produces painful lesions and typically attacks the skin…

I have been a dairy nutritionist for over 33 years, and I am usually the first to know when one of my dairies is having hoof health problems. While many issues with cow health point back to nutrition, I have found that hoof problems, more often than not, stem from environmental causes rather than nutrition.…