Do you have an idea you’d like to share with other dairy producers? Send it our way! We pay $50 for Handy Hints printed in the magazine.

To be considered, all submitted hints must include a clear, print quality photo (at least 240 dpi and approximately 4" by 6” in size). Please send items to Hoard’s Dairyman, Handy Hints Department, P.O. Box 801, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. You can also email your Handy Hints to editors@hoards.com. Please include your name, full mailing address and a short description of the handy hint with each submission.


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a collection of Handy Hints from our readers.



Here are a few Handy Hints from fellow readers.

May 10 2020
We ran water pipes into our old barn to fill the livestock drinking tanks. That barn freezes during the winter, so we used this old propane tank as an air supply tank and plumbed it into the water pipe
April 25 2020
The roll-up that stores the hose we use to wash down our parlor was getting rusty and leaky
April 10 2020
It is not recommended to write on ear tags when the temperature is below freezing because the ink won’t set. When tagging in cold weather, I turn the heater in my truck to maximum
March 25 2020
Every time I had to go mend a fence, I first had to pile all my supplies onto my truck or tractor. To get the job done quickly, I came up with the idea of making a fencing wagon
March 10 2020
I was looking for a better way to store bags of mineral and feed in my feed room so they don’t tip and spill product
Feb. 25 2020
It is important to push up feed multiple times a day. We built this feed pusher that just slides on to the corner of the feed bucket so that we do not have to change the skid steer bucket every time
Feb. 10 2020
We made this pressure washer gun to wash the insides of our calf bottles on our bottle trailers. It is made so that three bottles can be washed at a time
Jan. 25 2020
Backing wagons and carts into tight spots in the shed for storage can be a challenging job. So, I welded a receiver on the bar behind the bucket of my skid steer. Now, I can move trailers with ease
Jan. 10 2020
Do you want a faster and easier way to open soap drums? Cut a 3-inch circle out of 1/8 inch thick metal and drill four holes in it 1 3/4 inches apart. Put a 1-inch long bolt in each hole and weld the
Dec. 12 2019
We went to Peach Teat Buckets to feed calves and needed a way to hang them. This is what we came up with. Get a 13-inch by 1.5-inch piece of metal and bend it at 5.25 inches into a 90-degree ang
Nov. 21 2019
Over the years, we had problems with the garage doors in our barn not sealing tightly. We came up with a simple solution
Oct. 17 2019
I built a calf warmer from two water tanks that wouldn’t hold water anymore. I took one water tank and drilled holes in the sides to run steel piping through to create a floor base
Oct. 8 2019
To keep our calves clean, dry, and warm on harsh winter days or dry during those rainy days, I made a storm door that keeps the wet out but lets the sun in. I took a clear 4-foot by 3-fo
Sept. 11 2019
During a crazy, busy fair week, it’s hard to keep track of all your show supplies. We put colorful zip ties on our show halters and leads so we know which ones belong to us. Christine Broehl
Sept. 6 2019
To ensure the correct product is used on the proper day, we use a color-coding system for our reproductive synchronization program
Aug. 21 2019
To prevent vaccines from getting too warm when working in the sun, I came up with this simple idea. I took an icebox, in which I get my vaccines, and cut a hole with a hole saw the size of my syringes
Aug. 1 2019
Oftentimes, a task will require me to hook a chain to my loader’s bucket for lifting and pulling purposes, and I always had to figure out how to run the chain around the bucket somehow
July 11 2019
I do a lot of corn planting at night in the dark. My planter doesn’t have any work lights at the back by the row units and seed tanks, and it is a headache to always have to carry a fl
June 1 2019
We got tired of running to the milking parlor office to get calf treatment supplies, so now we use this basket. Everyone knows where the medicine is, there are easy directions in there on what to brin
May 25 2019
I made a bottomless box from pallets to “bale” plastic from silage tarp, bags, and net wrap. I place the box on a hard surface and line it with heavy plastic twine from square bales. As the...