Sometimes we must slow down to see important details about dairy cows. So many things cows tell us with their behavior can only be seen with a trained eye and a slow walk

Dating back to my days on the family dairy farm, my favorite tool has been a multi-tool strapped to my belt. While I’ve converted and upgraded nearly all of the mechanics and woodworking tools in...

Today’s athletes have different goals than their counterparts from prior decades. Athletic goals in this era are attributable to new technologies, training techniques, advanced analytics, new strate

Despite the many advances in dairy cattle nutrition, we are still faced with some challenges. One of those challenges is to ensure adequate dry matter intake (DMI) in transition cows to optimize health

To all the avid Hoard’s Dairyman readers out there — thank you! Over the nearly 15 years since graduate school, I’ve written articles for different publications

High-forage diets for dairy cattle are becoming more popular due to the cost-effectiveness of homegrown forages and potential benefits on milk components

More and more I get questions about the proper chop length for silages and what is a desirable particle distribution for a total mixed ration (TMR) when using the Penn State Particle Separator

A cliché is an overused word or phrase that can deviate from or even betray the word’s intended meaning. In some cases, clichés are used so frequently that they become unnoticeable...

Dairy producers are well aware of what milk fever does to a cow. Muscle weakness and recumbency are the most visible signs, and if the condition is left untreated, it can lead to death

Homegrown forages are vital ingredients in dairy diets with corn silage being one of the anchors in rations for dairy cows. High-quality corn silage not only supplies energy for maintenance

Carbohydrates often make up 60% or more of the ration dry matter and provide 70% to 80% of the cow’s energy needs

Nutritionists rightly focus on ration formulation, but the best ones understand that management expertise and cow comfort can make or break a ration

Feed efficiency has become a common measurement reported in research journals. Not only is it an economic measure on dairy farms, but it has become part of our genetic base in selecting bull semen

Whether exercising, practicing your sport, or sighting in your rifle, repetition equates to power. We know this based upon experience. In exercising, repetitions build strength over time

Detection of hyperketonemia, more commonly referred to as subclinical and clinical ketosis, has progressed greatly in the last decade

Lists are critical for dairy farms. In the following discussion, we’ll work through a butterfat checklist your dairy can use to evaluate milkfat depression factors prior to the grocery store

if 2020 had been a package received in the mail, we would like to “return to sender.”

Proper mixing of dairy rations is one of the key jobs on a dairy farm operation. It is crucial to carefully manage this process

Covid-19 has turned the dairy industry upside down, threatening the health of family and labor resources, milk prices, and available markets for milk

The cropping enterprise is an integral component to the success of the dairy enterprise and the whole farm in generating profit. Purchased feed costs are usually monitored regularly by producers