When it comes to milk production and meeting the needs of its citizens, 27 states fall short of even producing enough milk to fill beverage demand. Those states each produce less than 300 pounds of milk...

With the right design, tie stalls can provide excellent cow comfort. If you're milking in an older setup, evaluate what changes could be made to foster comfort and production. by Emily Morabito and Jeffrey...

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...

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...

Complimentary professional services for dairymen are available to Wisconsin farmers. When things get tough for dairy producers, they look for help. A family member, friend or trusted confidant can be...

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...

Format that attaches at every stall attracted many lookers at World Ag Expo this week. Goodbye milkers. One of the busiest dairy exhibits at World Ag Expo this week in Tulare, Calif., gave an up-close...

Research shows that healthy and unhealthy eaters alike select foods on taste over nutritional value. An apple is healthier, but why do we reach for the doughnut instead? Most likely because we know it...

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...

Keep fresh cows "fresher" by identifying high risk cows early on. The high-risk fresh cow: She's older (third lactation or greater), had a difficult calving and is battling lameness. She had a longer lactation...

The dairy industry could learn a thing or two from motorcycle powerhouse, the Harley Davidson Motor Company. Motorcycles and cows don't have much in common, but when it comes down to image and product...

Handy Hint: January 25, 2015 This mineral feeder stays in place We use this concrete pipe to offer our cows a mineral block and sodium bicarb. It is roughly 20 inches tall and 20 inches in diameter. It...

In a 5-to-1 decision (with one additional justice not participating in the case), the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that when manure enters a groundwater well, it can be considered a pollutant. In making...

by Abby Bauer, Associate Editor Farms with high milk production do many things right, but a lot of it comes down to the four feet a cow walks on. "A sore foot impacts everything she does," said University...

It was drilled into my head from a very young age to watch out for calves with droopy ears, sunken eyes and clear signs of illness. Many producers use physical and behavioral signs such as these to detect...

It seems like every day there's a new video or angry blog post that condemns farmers and their practices. While these are usually exaggerated and hold few truths, animal agriculture and dairy, in particular

Print or digital, it's the same contest . . . with the same cows . . . and the same judges. The only difference . . . You can view the five classes and enter electronically. For 85 years the Hoard's Dairyman...

Today's dairy producers use the lactation curve to schedule milk harvest from a cow. Her milk production level dictates ration changes, housing group and may push up or move back her dry-off date

Handy Hint: December 2014 Shield keeps stalls dry We had cows splashing water from the drinking fountain into the first two stalls of our freestall barn, and no one would lie in them. To stop this, we...