64th Annual Hoard's Dairyman Round Table: How these farmers got their start The road to farm ownership is rarely easy, but these four first-generation dairy farms are proof that options exist for young...
The People Side: The road to healing While we can't rescue someone from domestic abuse, we can extend our hand and be there as they determine their path
Week-long celebration promotes national ag program. We are in the heart of national FFA week, which started on Saturday, February 21 and concludes on February 28. The week is celebrated each year over...
Effluent planning can be done now to make harvest easier this year Growing up on a small dairy farm, silage effluent wasn't something I was overly aware of other than it smelled, and I tried not to get...
"The day your cows calve, they need to have on the best running shoes that you can give them," noted Karl Burgi, Sure Step Consulting, at the Leading Dairy Producers Conference. "If a cow is lame at transition...
Drought, less acreage, and rising global demand are reasons why. Droughts in the West and rising demand around the world are increasing the price of hay and other forages for U.S. milk producers. And...
Watch the cows to be sure your facility provides the resting space they need. Cows are busy creatures, and one of the most important activities they do is rest. "We want to see high-producing cows lying...
It makes sense that herds with a standardized milking routine would have much lower rates of clinical mastitis. Yet, many parlors lack the consistency cows crave. "The people we depend on in the parlor...
Two new apps are now available to help producers evaluate calves' respiratory health. Respiratory disease can be a devastating issue for the calf caretakers on your farm. According to Terry Ollivett from...
Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity among children have been hot-button issues long before First Lady Michelle Obama raised the flag of concern six years ago. However, the First Lady's efforts...
For the first time since 2007, the U.S. dairy and beef cattle herd has expanded. After reaching the lowest number of cattle since 1951 at the start of last year, 2015 is heading in the opposite direction....
After calving, a cow's immune system has its defenses down, bacteria pounce, often leading to a mastitis infection. While a clinical case is easily detected, its subclinical counterpart is a bit more elusive....
We hear a great deal of discussion about sustainability. Just what that means is like asking, "What is grass-fed beef?" The true definition should be evaluated from two points of view. One, producer sustainability...
"We face a period of darkness before the dawn," Rabobank's global dairy strategist Tim Hunt told attendees at the 2015 Dairy Forum. "The U.S. is still one of the best dairy bases in the world. However,...
You're hot, sweaty and tired. You gave your workout your all, and now your body is in need of rehydration. So, what do you reach for to recover from your time logged at the gym? Recent work from Griffith...
In a fast-paced world filled with personal electronic devices, garnering the attention of today's shoppers will require even more nimble strategies than ever before. Dairy will have to evolve and deal...
DHIA milk sample-based method is 91 percent accurate identifying herd prevalence. Next to mastitis, perhaps no subclinical health problem is as common, as unseen (if not outright ignored) or as costly...
In difficult economic times, we become better managers. Shrink is one area where we can tighten our belts. Dairy rations are balanced on the cents per cow that an ingredient will add to or cut from a feed...
Hints to help you save time and computer space. Ah, a clean desk. No piles of brochures and papers surrounding your computer. Few farm offices can claim a pristine desk appearance much less a decluttered...
One of the keys for a breed to remain economically viable is the ability to make genetic progress, and small populations are at a large disadvantage in this respect. Genomic selection may create an even...
