Dairy doesn't bait kids with bright colors. Bright colors attract the attention of children. That's why we see brightly colored toys, vibrantly illustrated books, and vividly animated movies. The same...
Reader Response: Nondairy drives convenience A few years ago, I did a survey of drink products at common shopping centers and convenience stores and came to the conclusion that less than 8 percent of total...
Which country tops the beef export charts? Since the turn of the century, India's beef exports have expanded rapidly. With that growth, the South Asian country surpassed Brazil to become the world's largest...
Consider everything to lower cell count. "Whenever you lose interest in being better at something, chances are you have already stopped being good at it," challenged milk quality specialist Andrew Johnson,...
One Michigan dairyman took a unique approach at romance. You know you're a dairy farmer when . . . You propose to your girlfriend using cow manure. It may sound like a joke you would hear from a Jeff Foxworthy...
This isn't just my work; it's my passion. I recently saw a quote that really struck me and made me think about how lucky we are in the dairy industry. The things you are passionate about are not random,...
Reader Response: Mature cows are profitable I found this short article, "Older cows digest feed better," in the July 5, 2016, Intel, to be very revealing. Many of us involved in dairy cattle genetics have...
Reader Response: Comments on "Brexit" News publications such as Hoard's Dairyman can only print what they know to be true at press deadline. By now we all know that the reaction to "Brexit" was short-term...
What is the national cull rate? Cull rates are one of the bellwethers of herd health. However, herd health and dairy cow removal aren't the only factor that drives cull rates . . . the inventory of herd...
Could vegan cheese be the next nut juice? by Corey Geiger, Managing Editor Since 2010, sales of nondairy alternatives such as almond and soy beverages have surged 54 percent, reported Bloomberg's editors...
Older cows digest feed better. With the onset of sexed semen and other management factors, the average age of the American dairy cow is getting younger. That being said, many dairies still benefit from...
It's more than just a number. At the National Guernsey Convention held earlier this week in Minneapolis, Minn., members listened to a presentation on genomics by Laurel Mastro of Neogen Corporation. While...
Learning more about different breeds of dairy cattle can be beneficial. I'm not colorblind, but I only see black, white, and brown on my family's dairy operation. Our 40-cow herd is made up of mostly Holsteins...
The good kind of cover-up. While a criminal trying to "cover up" a crime is a bad thing, crops used to "cover up" fields between cropping seasons are just the opposite. And even though cover crops are...
As caretakers of animals . . . whether farm animals or companion animals . . . we often face tough decisions. When an animal is ill or injured, it's our great responsibility to decide if we can to save...
During a 20-year span, the number of small dairy farms in our ranks has dropped dramatically. And with it, where our cows reside has changed, too. That situation was detailed in the April 25 Hoard's Dairyman...
In the strongest rebuke we've read in some time on geographical indications, known to many as GIs, one opinion columnist wrote, " . . . the profligate use of state-forced GIs smacks of producers trying...
After losing a tank or two of milk due to the bulk tank not cooling right, I bought a separate thermostat and wired red and green lightbulbs to it. Red goes on when the tank is hot or empty, and green...
