The success of a robotic milking system depends on four good feet to get each cow to the robot with ease. "Healthy feet are absolutely critical for success in robot barns," said Jack Rodenburg from DairyLogix...
We Need a Show is now available for purchase from the Hoard's Dairyman bookstore. Booths are deconstructed, cows are headed home, and the 49th edition of World Dairy Expo is wrapped up. If you had the...
Cows in Wisconsin had a lot, cows in California did not. Two very different songs sum up what milk production per cow was like in the nation's two biggest dairy states this summer. In Wisconsin it was...
Leachate and runoff can drain nutrients from your bunk while hampering water quality. When it comes to feed, shrink – or nutrients that are lost before they have a chance to be consumed – can...
Aggressive management yields impressive statistics. The Hoard's Dairyman Farm has been in existence since 1899. Numerous advancements have been made in technology and management since those early days....
Students interested in dairy and journalism are encouraged to apply for the 2016 Hoard's Dairyman editorial internship. College students often find themselves faced with the question, "What do you plan...
Researchers are delving into animal personalities and the effects they have on production. They have personalities. For anyone who has managed cattle or spent much time around them at all, it is pretty...
USDA slightly cuts its average bushels per acre forecast. Across the U.S., cornfields are clearing out and silage bunkers are filling fast. And as they do, USDA has slightly changed its mind about just...
And one product that defies the FDA's standard-of-identify rules is being called out. Just Mayo is anything but. And the FDA has notified Josh Tetrick, the owner of Hampton Creek and developer of Just...
Webinar stresses the importance of diligent administration protocols. "People are not perfect," stated Pam Ruegg, D.V.M., with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For that reason, every attempt should...
Sanitary feeding equipment is a vital part of the calf health equation, especially early in life. The equipment used to feed calves on your farm may look clean, but is it really? Oftentimes, there's more...
Over Labor Day weekend, I checked milking in a tie stall barn off my bucket list. Hoard's Dairyman editors stay close to the business of dairying through involvement on their home farms and the Hoard's...
Average cost is approximately one-third higher than it was in 2006. The cost of making milk never seems to go down, a hard reality that data from the nation's largest dairy accounting firm drives home...
Performance evaluations identify the milking routine bottlenecks that are holding your herd back. Farms operate on pennies and seconds. The pennies saved per head after a ration reformulation can equate...
Nearly 60,000 openings each year for new graduates, but do students have the right skills? "Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have...
Feed makes up the bulk of cattle rearing costs, but other expenses chip away at profits, too. Today's high price for beef may entice more dairy producers to raise some steers as a second enterprise. Mixed...
Article in Washington Post is a huge and high profile challenge to common perceptions. We in agriculture are often angered by articles about food or farming in publications with huge readerships that...
Circulating chilled water through a waterbed may be another avenue to alleviate heat stress. As the latter half of the year looms, our thoughts have started to turn toward harvest and our winter checklists....
Autumn is the perfect time to promote farm health and safety. National Farm Safety & Health Week, September 20 to 26, is the perfect time to reiterate why safety matters. Whether it's your first or 51st...
Computers and the internet are becoming an integral part of every day farm life. The internet can provide a wealth of information for dairy producers . . . if they have access to it. A frustration across...
