Our actions need to speak louder than words when working with livestock. Cows may not speak like we do, but that does not mean that we cannot communicate with them. We must simply interact in ways they...
There is no one-size-fits-all in feed centers, but all farms can benefit from reduced feed costs realized by measuring and managing inefficiencies. It's no secret that feed costs make up a significant...
by Maggie Seiler, Associate Editor The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) orchestrated the sale of more than 300 U.S. heifers to Pakistani commercial and research farms, reopening that export market...
The stress of calving, for both the cow and the calf, can be lessened with a proper maternity pen. There's no one cookie cutter design that all farms must follow, but general recommendations include an...
I walked around a 2,300-cow dairy in Florida earlier this month. No guide, no restrictions, and no objective other than taking a few pictures. A simple thing happened that was a first for me and it's already...
In following these three fundamentals, the Rodgers family has pushed past a 32,000-pound herd average despite Georgia's hot and humid climate. With herd health closely monitored, Hillcrest Dairy only needs...
The once steady growth in milk quality has become stagnant. After dropping by nearly 100,000 cells per milliliter from 2005 to 2012, somatic cell counts (SCC) have leveled off near 200,000 over the past...
Dairy Challenge competitions combine book learning with real-life situations. By Taylor Leach, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern It's the same old routine. You're sitting in a classroom listening to lecture...
A few factors play a big role in the quality of colostrum. While breakfast may be our most important meal of the day, for calves, that first feeding of colostrum is the most critical meal of their lives....
When stepping to the milk case, we all have preferences that weigh heavily on our selections. The same is true across the globe. The Chinese market is one that saw tremendous growth through the early part...
The dairy business is part of the agriculture commodity community. An agriculture commodity means the raw product looks the same no matter where it is produced around the world. Corn looks like corn whether...
Calf jackets can provide much needed warmth for young animals on cold days. A few mild days in the Midwest made it feel like spring was on the way, but since it is only February, we can be fairly certain...
It is no easy feat to manage labor on farms today. Owners sometimes struggle to recruit and keep talented employees, just as many businesses and industries across the country face the same challenges
"Dairy provides one of the best returns on invested capital," said Doug Adams, president of the Prime Consulting Group. "Only produce, bakery and deli outshine dairy for those in the grocery business."
Type and production are partners in extreme production. Last month it was announced that Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi produced 74,650 pounds of milk. That equates to 8,680 gallons of milk and set the single lactation...
Major renovations will be made to the Oklahoma State University Dairy thanks to a generous gift from a former student. Who would have thought that a love story from years past would lead to new state-of-the-art...
Handy Hint: February 25, 2016 PVC pipes track calf feeding Keeping track of which calves get fed milk twice per day, once or not at all is handled rather easily for the calf feeders at Paint Creek Heifers...
California is the nation's top exporter. One day each week, every U.S. cow produces milk destined for a consumer outside of America's borders. While that statement is accurate, cows in California are working...
Milk checks depend more on butter. From the time milk leaves the cows until the time it leaves the farm, dairy farmers see the milk they produce as a single liquid product. But they know that it's actually...
Not since the end of the USDA's Whole Herd Buyout Program has dairy cow culling surpassed that of their beef cow cousins. However, that is exactly what happened in 2015 as beef producers retained cows...
