US NDM/SMP exports in August were the lowest in over seven years. You’d think that would free up some powder here, but production was also the lowest for August since 2012.

Not really a mystery where the milk went. Whey protein is paying well enough that cheese plants can afford to pay up for it over the powder plants.

Cross-posting this to get some additional opinions and advice. ☺️

Back in March I asked here whether lameness still mostly gets caught by someone noticing a cow limping. A lot of you took the time to give really thoughtful answers, so first off, thank you. It shaped what we ended up working on.

A few things that stuck with me:

• On most farms it's still "collar flags it, someone confirms it"
• Finding a trimmer, or a vet who'll actually do feet, can be a bigger problem than spotting the lame cow
• On bigger places with auto gates or robots, nobody's really watching cows walk anymore

Since then we've turned this into a small team here in California. We were finalists in UC Davis's startup competition and we're now working with UC researchers on catching lameness earlier.

So the ask. We're looking for a few farms to try it out for free. We'd come out and set it up at no cost, and all we want in return is your honest opinion on whether it helps. Bigger herds (500+) suit it best right now, but I'm happy to hear from anyone.

And if that's not for you, I'd still really appreciate a 20 minute chat about how lame cows get found and dealt with on your place. No pitch, just trying to learn.

Comment or DM me if you're keen. Thanks again, this sub has been more helpful than you know.