Ration strategies for groups of dairy cows summarized. Maximize production, but don't waste resources. That sums up the art and science of formulating rations for milking groups. The challenge is that...
Science shows that "farm kids" are less likely to have allergies, but what about those of us who do? Science has proven over the years that children who grow up on dairy farms run a lower risk of developing...
Transparency is certainly a buzzword in agriculture right now. For today's consumer, transparency is the idea of knowing where food comes from and how it's made
As a zoonotic disease, tuberculosis can infect both people and cattle. That also means that tuberculosis can cross back and forth from humans to cows. Unfortunately, these days, if a cow contracts tuberculosis,...
The USDA Prospective Plantings report unveiled a major surprise in this year's corn acreage. With a whopping 93.6 million acres expected to be planted, new crop corn futures quickly moved lower
For years, a great number of us have relied on immigrant labor to milk cows and handle other farm tasks because most locals are unwilling to apply for farm jobs. With improving economic conditions in Mexico,...
Handy Hint: April 10, 2016 Keep winter's wrath away from calves Here in southern Pennsylvania we received nearly 3 feet of snow during one storm in January, and I needed a way to keep that snow out of...
While the breed-changing demand involves chickens, it does illustrate the changing tide among retailers and consumers alike. It also puts recent dairy controversies such as tail docking into clearer perspective....
There is mounting evidence that today's parents are quite simply . . . neat freaks. Our modern-day zeal to utilize products that kill microbes might be counterproductive, even detrimental, to developing...
Manure isn't cheap energy. The excitement surrounding the green power of poop appears to be waning as the number of anaerobic digesters on U.S. livestock operations plateaued in 2013. As of May 2015, 260...
Hand-scoring and double-checks is still the most efficient for us. The Cow Judging Contest has been part of the Hoard's Dairyman brand for 86 years. Images of the cows were originally printed in just black...
Proximity to plants and competition have a number of benefits. For dairy farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and bordering states, those positive attributes include low hauling costs that even continued through...
Overall, 94 percent of dairy cows come from two breeds - Holstein or Jersey. That's according to data collected by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in its recent Dairy 2014. The comprehensive,...
Attentiveness and observation are still important to success in automated calf feeding systems. Just like many management areas on the farm, calf feeding requires careful attentiveness in order to be successful
Strategize for ways to minimize heat stress. Even though we are not ready for sunglasses and shorts, warm weather will be here soon. Mike Brouk, Kansas State University, presented "The latest on beating...
Students who grow up on dairies stand out on scholarship applications. College, as we all know, can certainly cause financial stress on a family. Especially to those who grew up on a small dairy farm such...
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...
