Farms that utilize medicated milk replacer or calf starter should make adjustments now before the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) takes effect on January 1

Mother Nature can be good and bad. This year saw amazing examples of both, starting with winter storm “Goliath” that pounded key dairy areas in eastern New Mexico and the West Texas Panhandl

This November’s national election was historic. Not only did the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, win the presidency, both the Senate and House held their Republican majority. In rural area

"You always . . .” “Yeah, well you never . . .” Imagine those phrases, spoken in a loud, angry voice, and you can probably finish the sentences with words that you have heard uttered...

The nation’s dairy herd reached an impressive 9.36 million cows in September . . . a level not observed since the third quarter of 1996. The number of dairy cows has grown

One of the most important economic factors that determines a milking herd’s profitability is the average days in milk (DIM). That parameter obviously depends on getting the cow pregnant early

All I needed to make this homemade calf hutch door to protect calves during winter storms was a pallet, a tarp, staples, nails, baler twine, and slat wood. First, I took a tarp and folded it so

We built this 12- by 12-foot-square frame building to wash our calf hutches. It is 8 feet tall, has a floor grate that is 16 inches off the ground, and old windbreaker panels on three side

Design considerations we have used for decades could soon be going out the window,” forecasted Tom Haren with AGPROfessionals based out of Greeley, Colo. “We are going to have to unlea

DMI opened our eyes to dairy,” stated Taco Bell’s Heather Mottershaw. “DMI just brought such a different level of knowledge to us. Our focus is now cheese.” Mottershaw...

With each passing year, we do a better job growing calves and heifers. That has meant younger age at first calving and an earlier return on investment from herd replacements. Several years ago

All dairy farms can be financially viable. However, larger dairy farms tend to be the most profitable while smaller farms also carve out a profit. Some dairies between 100 to 700 cows tend to ha

We transport milk over to our calf area using 5-gallon buckets with lids. I was annoyed by how quickly our already hard-to-see premarked milk amount lines (using “longer lasting” ear tag pen

In the testing phase, the Stuffed Garlic Knot Pizza took seven minutes to create. With the work of in-house and partner chefs, Pizza Hut was able to get prep time down to less than three minutes from

One of the most perplexing questions regarding the sustainability debate centers on “What should we eat?” While a host of advocates champion one diet or one farming method over others, a comprehen

Forage systems match modern cows and farms Alfalfa cutting schedules, corn silage's growing role in diets, and storage demands due to larger herds highlight changes to forage practices in the past 40 years

We had to make a better pizza Dairy Management Inc., via the dairy-farmer checkoff, provided the shot in the arm that not only turned around Domino's, but the entire pizza category

This trifecta led to better milkout. By monitoring these big three - two minute milk flow, time in low flow, and unit on time - better milkout can be achieved while minimizing

Handy Hint: September 25, 2016 Wash bottles with a push of a button I was searching for a more efficient way to wash and dry calf milk bottles. Two years ago, I bought a dishwasher through Craigslist for...

If you build it, they will come Wisconsin prepares to focus on agriculture education each and every day with a $13 million facility. If you build it, they will come."

Our farm created this calf pen with a roof that can be lifted up and down. My dad, Fred Ritsema, and employees from his 3,000-cow dairy welded the pen. The roof is lifted by a hand winch and strong cable,...