While colostrum is known to be needed by newborn calves as they are born without any immunity, there is more to this picture

The amount of organic matter present in the sand directly determines cleanliness. Put another way, high-quality sand is nearly free of organic matter

Every once in awhile we will get a cow that comes into the milking parlor with an uneven udder. No matter how hard you try to position the milking machine properly, it will squawk. My boss simp

It is hard to believe that we closed out 2017. I probably say this every year, but it seems that this one flew by in record time

I discussed the introduction of national health evaluations for Holsteins by the CDCB (Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding) in the December 2017 article “National health evaluations coming for Holstein

Automated milking systems have become top of mind for many of us who milk cows. While these installations come with a steep up-front cost, the reduced labor needs and associated predictability in milking...

At Hidden View Farm in Cambridge, N.Y., a mob feeder was constructed to meet the needs of the farm’s group-housed calves. Four holes were drilled on the lower portion of the side of a 5-gallon

Karen Bohnert Not too long after I wrote about my oldest son being praised for being the coachable kid, Tyler did a 180- degree turnaround

The author is an agricultural writer based in Dansville, Mich.University of Georgia student Kayla Alward discovered her desire to pursue a career in dairy after working as the calf manager at the university

The authors recently retired from the USDA-ARS U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wis., where they were a research microbiologist and agricultural information specialist

Peter Vitaliano Much of the talk about the economic outlook for the nation’s dairy farmers in 2018 has been rather downbeat lately

Just you wait.” I used to never like that phrase. When I was just married and before I got pregnant, which was just a few months after, everyone would tell me, “Just you wait until...

The CDCB (Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding) announced during this year’s World Dairy Expo that they will conduct genetic evaluations for six disease resistance traits

In many cases, the milk check revenue has not inflated as fast as the expense side of the ledger

The value that dairy calves, heifers, cows, bulls, and steers have in the beef industry is significant. In fact, dairy animals of all types are estimated to contribute 20 to 25 percent in any given year...

We developed a bale mover out of pallets to keep bales from sitting on the dirty ground. This also helped to keep the bale supported on one side so it wouldn’t fall apart while we took what we neede

Dave Endres of Endres Jazzy Jerseys in Lodi, Wis., came up with a solution to keep newborn calves clean and well fed. Rather than struggle to keep a newborn calf still and off the dirty floor while tr

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the cause of enzootic bovine leukosis, which is a noncurable, progressive disease that affects cattle in almost all U.S. dairy herds. The virus infects white blood

Linear score and percent of the herd not infected are two additional measures for evaluating udder health and milk quality. Of course, somatic cell counts are key, too.One of the key factors affecting

Marilyn Hershey When we give water to the pens in our calf barn, we do this by filling a 30-gallon tub using a hose. On days when that is my task, I end up tucking the water hose into the tub, le

A fundamental rule in business is that “The customer is always right.” If customers’ needs are not being met, they will look elsewhere for goods or services