For the first time in many months, I’ve spent the last two weeks at home with my family. Normally, I am back at school by now, and aside from my normally abbreviated winter break, I don’t normally...
Major media outlets have been forecasting the death of dairy after Dean Foods and Borden both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In making dairy’s doomsday prophecy, those journalists compl
Just as each fatty acid has its own characteristics, so do fatty acid supplements. This topic was covered in the Hoard’s Dairyman monthly webinar “Incorporating supplemental fatty acids in...
For most 17-year-old teenagers, managing the family business and finances is not the first thing that crosses their mind in the morning. The same held true for Michael Oosten . . . until his father unexpectedly...
Is your tank half full or running on fumes? Some of us prepare ahead, others act in the moment; both modes of operation can fit certain aspects of a dairy. It never fails; when my wife and I go on a road...
When deciding what to plant this year, more farmers than normal chose to side with soybeans. While planted corn acres are at their lowest level since 2010, at 88.9 million acres, soybean acres have reached...
Craig Finke has one of the most automated dairy facilities in the country. While setups like his are common in Europe, very few producers in the United States have dove as deep into technology as he has
If a picture is truly worth 1,000 words, the opening photo depicting a powdered milk can equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) says everything about the value store managers in Southeast...
For those looking to shed pounds, dodging dairy fat may be bad for your waistline. Fat is having a heyday. For decades, the standard recommendation within the nutrition community has been to avoid fat...
By now school is back in full swing. For many students that brings excitement, nerves and the promise of new beginnings. For students who come from dairy farming, it might mean feeding calves before the...
The data is mixed when it comes to antimicrobial resistance. While some livestock and retail meat sectors have gained ground compared to their previous five-year average, others have slid backward, as...
Intensive management nets an extra $35 per heifer, without considering the value of additional milk. Replacement heifers have long been viewed as a two-year economic sinkhole. "While heifer programs usually...
Genetic evaluations are at a crossroads. Both the science of genomics and government's funding limitations are reshaping the field. As decisions are being made on a new structure to fund and calculate...
Memo to Chile: Don't seal up that mine just yet. "Hide and Ignore" appears to be a political strategy across the Atlantic, where the 27-member European Commission has proposed a five-year ban on animal...
