If there was ever an industry-wide wake-up call that the fluid milk sector is in dire need of innovation, it would be the demise of Golden Guernsey. Once the pillar of innovation, the Waukesha, Wis., plant...
Simple pipe protects water source I put a bent pipe around the waterer to protect it from the bull and tractor. It has saved the waterer many times already and costs almost nothing to manufacture
Dave and I were working through a calf raising evaluation form developed by one of our drug companies. The form compared Dave's records to benchmarks at different performance levels
AS 2012 drew to a close, the prospects of a new farm bill gaining final approval splintered as House leadership refused to bring it forward for a vote. While most components of the expiring farm bill were...
They set out to reinvigorate a brand. In the process, Domino's revitalized the entire pizza category. Through teawork, Domino's and DMI partnered to improve pizza taste and quality. The relationship started...
Durable milk room port I installed a piece of 6-inch PVC pipe through the milk house wall, then added a cabinet handle to the 6-inch PVC cap. I have a long-lasting port that won't tear up the milk
Researchers from around the globe gathered in Canada to discuss breeding better Holsteins. The ongoing investigations will benefit all breeds as we learn more about the bovine genome. It's an event that...
Whether you are buying or renting, escalating land prices should cause everyone to run careful calculations before signing on the dotted line. It is somewhat unlikely that incomes would rise if interest...
Marshall McCullough was a University of Georgia dairy nutritionist who wrote for Hoard's Dairyman for many years, including the book Roughages for Dairy Cattle.One day after looking at some extremely high...
Leg bands track weaning progress To keep track of our weaning calves' weaning process, we use red leg bands on the hutch gates. A red band on the top row indicates that the calf is weaning. After one week...
Every year, about this time, I spend extra effort developing my outlook for dairy. Every year a story unfolds about why milk prices are expected to move up or down, and the story usually derives from a...
Three years ago, one of my Christmas gifts was a ColdGear shirt. The giver thought this was the perfect undergear for someone who works outside through the winter. It is thin but keeps you warm by a technology...
Now that the election is over, we urge Congress and the President to get down to the business of compromise. In farm circles, estate taxes should be top of mind in addition to the farm bill. It has been...
Springs keep buckets in place These rake springs keep our calf pails in the right spot. It's very simple to assemble. We just screw the spring into the stand for our calf buckets. Michael Kleinsasser
Before winter hits, evaluate these five pieces of your feeding program with your nutritionist to improve your feeding regime now and develop a cropping strategy
While growth continues in many dairy product categories, including cheese, fluid milk is garnering attention due to its decades-long downward consumption trend. Domino's helped move an additional 6.6 billion...
Focus on fertility pays big dividends for the five Platinum winners of the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council's Reproduction Award competition. Carefully following protocols; keen heat detection; comfortable...
Water hydrant won't freeze We had problems with our outdoor water hydrants freezing at the base (underground), making the hydrant useless until early spring. To fix this, we dug a hole about 12 inches...
Discussing the ideal size for a cow can be a contentious topic. Some prefer large cows because their udders are further from the ground which makes milking easier in a tie stall setting, and of course...
She has the IT factor," said the voice of the veterinarian who trained me to be a practitioner. Of course, I hold what he says in high regard, but I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. I asked...
Being tight with a buck may bring the highest net per cow and hundredweight, but with high-quality management, profit is still possible. More milk won't equal more money if a producer only focuses on efficiencies...