several years ago, Duane and I took advantage of a cost share program with our county conservation organization

When the Maddox family expanded their dairy herd to 3,200 cows in the late 1970s, there weren’t many farms of that size in California or across the country

Recently, a reader who delved into my book Dairy Money Matters sent a thoughtful email on a number of questions related to both dairy farming and dairy processing

The most important employees on a dairy farm are the cows. What we do for our bovine employees during the dry period plays a big role in how they perform once they re-enter the milking herd

“Dairy farmers don’t consider themselves beef producers, but they should,” said Aerica Bjurstrom, a University of Wisconsin Division of Extension agriculture agent, said during a “Badger...

High milk production brings new challenges, one of them being the beginning of the dry-off period

It's Monday morning and you start the day by feeding calves as the sun comes up over the hills

Farmers continue to perfect both the art and science that goes into raising dairy cattle. With that has come more milk per cow per day.“

We’ve seen firsthand over the past year that disease is anything but simple. While we’ve been experiencing it for ourselves, the same is true for illnesses in our dairy animals

For New York dairy farmer Jim Davenport, a hoe is one of the most important tools on his dairy. It helps him maintain a 33,583 cells per milliliter (mL) average annual somatic cell count (SCC)

A combination of factors contributes to high-quality milk, but for New York dairy farmer Jim Davenport, he believes a low somatic cell count begins at the teat level

Do you need a handy way to hold your dipper when milking cows?

A decade ago, I received the news that my mother had gained her angel wings. That day is forever etched in my brain and heart as if it were yesterday

The benefits of feeding sugar, often by means of molasses, to dairy cows have been well-researched. From a physiological standpoint, sugar supplementation improves microbial efficiency and supports fiber-digesting...

Whether your dairy farm is staffed entirely by family, brings in a few outside workers, or employs dozens of people, providing a safe, desirable work environment is key to making sure you have people to...

While automated milking systems sound appealing in many aspects, it takes careful consideration to determine if robotics are the right fit for a dairy

Every business likely knows its cost of production, and a dairy farm is no different

Natural ventilation is used successfully in many dairy barns, and it has been for years. As our dairy farms grow and as milk production climbs, some may wonder whether natural ventilation will be able...

“Reproductive efficiency improves the farm’s lifetime production and lifetime profitability if done correctly,” said Rob Lynch, D.V.M., a veterinarian with Cornell’s PRO-DAIRY group

Dairy technology has exploded in the last few decades, and for that we have both innovation and necessity to thank