For the past week, I have been preparing to take a vacation. That means doing all of my regular tasks on the farm, plus making lists for my daughter and my herdsman of things I would like accomplished
When dairies find themselves with limited space, one option is to locate a new home for calves or heifers. For some farms, this means a rented facility down the road
Let’s be honest, Mother Nature can be one of a dairy farmer’s worst enemies. The unpredictable power and ability to literally make or break us, gives us a great amount of respect
High somatic cell counts have traditionally been associated with other problems in the herd, from digestive upset to reproductive inefficiencies and mobility problems. Particularly when discussing the
The presentation began with an overview of the forage situation. In 2016, there was a summer drought in the west and northeast sections of the U.S. (and Canada)
Most people live life going to a job five days a week, seeing their immediate family a few hours each night before going to sleep, and seeing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins maybe once o
With lights dimmed, spotlights shone on seven exceptional cows as they entered the Coliseum for the presentation of 2016 World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion. Each beautiful cow represented the bes
While all eyes in the dairy industry turn to World Dairy Expo this week, my gaze will be from a distance. This time of year I feel the pull of the 2,010 miles (not that I’m counting or anything)
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa. The show has a huge youth component with judging contests, junior management competition, seven youth breed shows,...
The leaves are changing, the temperatures are falling, and the excitement of the 50th World Dairy Expo is in the air. In less than a week, students from across the country will gather to compete
With 13 university teams from across North America, the Wildcats topped the Collegiate Dairy Judging Contest held at the All-American Dairy Show earlier this week
As my daughter, Caitlin, and I have written our blogs for Hoard’s Dairyman, we have tried to emphasize the positives of being dairy farmers even though this past year has been extremely hard financially
Few things in life are free. Unfortunately for dairy farmers, even incidences of unwanted disease, like lameness, come with a price. The most obvious costs of lameness are associated with treatment
Mastitis control in any herd begins with good protocols facilitated by informed employees who are cognizant of the importance of identifying and handling mastitis cases early and effectively
It's vital to getting cows bred back on time. How we feed and manage cows during the transition period can minimize illnesses, set them up to get bred back, and boost milk production throughout lactation
Make sure that you have high-quality colostrum in stock. The excitement that a newborn calf brings can be one of the best feelings in the world. Unfortunately, the disappointment you feel when you discover...
