Enrollment for New Dairy Farm Risk Management Program to Begin Sept. 2 USDA Launches New Web Tool to Help Producers Manage Unforeseen Economic Challenges Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced...
What ration do your cows eat? The ration created on paper often differs from the one that is delivered, consumed and digested. Only when we deliver a consistent ration and cows consume it according to...
Spending a little more to design transition cow housing the right way can lead to financial and herd health successes. by Rebecca Brotzman, D.V.M., Nigel Cook, D.V.M., and Ken Nordlund, D.V.M. The authors...
What every transition cow barn needs These four features should be a part of every transition cow barn design. by Rebecca Brotzman, D.V.M., Nigel Cook, D.V.M., and Ken Nordlund, D.V.M. The authors are...
Solve your transition housing puzzle Well-designed transition barns should include space for cows to rest, eat and calve with minimal disruptions.There are four characteristics of excellent transition...
The FDA is tightening antibiotic use in food animal production with a voluntary request to pharmaceutical companies. I've received numerous questions recently from local dairy producers who have heard...
How do your hoof blocks wear? Wooden hoof blocks are commonly used in the treatment of toe, heel and sole ulcer-derived lameness. Traditionally, an epoxy glue is used to adhere a wooden block to the sound...
These four features should be a part of every transition cow barn design. Room to eat, a comfortable place to lie and a stress-free calving environment all contribute to fresh cow performance. Excellent...
The surgical correction of displaced abomasums is not only financially defensible, it's sound animal welfare. Mother Nature made two great mistakes when she designed the dairy cow. First, she placed the...
Frequent soil testing and proper fertilization will help to ensure that your crop has an adequate supply of nutrients. by John Goeser and Dustin Sawyer Goeser is director of nutritional research and innovation...
The author has a dairy nutrition consulting business, Paradox Nutrition, LLC, in West Chazy, N.Y. At one time, I was a big advocate of two dry cow groups: a far-off group (60 to 21 days before calving)...
The emphasis of dairy stockmanship training has always been on humane handling of cattle, and with that comes a secondary benefit - enhanced safety on the farm. Little did we know just how significant...
Soil sampling do's and don'ts. A soil analysis is only as good as the sample on which it was based. Therefore, sampling should be done by either the farm's crop consultant
Here is some additional information to compliment the March 10, 2014, article on page 170 of Hoard's Dairyman. photos by Paul Queck, a free-lance agricultural writer
Take a stand for cows that can't Down cows deserve special care to bring them back to health or, if necessary, to a humane end. by Geof W. Smith, D.V.M. The author is at the College of Veterinary Medicine,...
Dairy producer attitudes towards margin insurance were revealed during a series of workshops across Missouri designed to teach producers to insure their margins. In the process, we learned that margin...
Real dairy history took place when the President signed the new farm bill into law this past February. That momentous shift included the elimination of three underperforming dairy programs. Gone are dairy...
The MILC or Milk Income Loss Contract program was the first program that recognized that a safety net program needed to incorporate feed costs. However, MILC payments only offset 45 percent of the milk...
Hypocalcemia is more than a "low calcium" problem Milk fever cannot be overcome in a reactive fashion. Prevention programs must be in place to help cows successfully transition into lactation. To better...