Clean - without the chemicals. The milk-making process involves many steps. One crucial step is washing and sanitizing the equipment used to transport milk. Many farms use a Clean-in-Place system to wash...
Once it's harvested, it's all you have to work with. That's the story with forage quality. At last week's Tri-State Dairy Conference, Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison forage specialist,...
When placing this outstanding class of aged Ayrshire cows D-B-A-C, I found the class to break into two pairs. The outstanding rear udder and balance of D place her over the dairy-framed B. D has a rear...
I place this class of beautifully balanced Guernsey cows D-C-A-B. In a close placing, D rises to the top based on her outstanding dairy qualities. She is sharper at the point of shoulder, exhibiting more...
It is a pleasure to place this class of Jersey cows D-B-C-A. I started with a pair of youthful, balanced cows in D and B. D's length and extreme style make her stand out in this class, and pairing that...
The Idaho dairy industry, and the entire dairy industry for that matter, is becoming more dependent on foreign-born labor both on dairy operations and in dairy processing facilities. Many producers in...
In some cases, averages can be misleading. That would certainly be true when looking at the average U.S. dairy herd size. These days, the average (mean) U.S. dairy herd has 144 milk cows. That total was...
Not ALL proteins are created equal. As it turns out, whole milk delivers 32 percent more amino acids to the human diet than the best available plant source. Once this groundbreaking research makes its...
A few weeks ago, one of our parish's Lenten living bulletin inserts raised concerns with an important part of our parish family, mainly those involved in agriculture. After hearing from a number of our...
Corn, grass or alfalfa silage should have nothing in common with the spoiling food found in many shop refrigerators. Yet, personal experience and research have shown spoiled forage exists on more farms...
As printed in our April 25, 2016 issue... MILK MARGINS COULD SHRINK further, reported NMPF analysts. After spending the final third of 2015 well above the Margin Protection Program's (MPP-Dairy) payout...
Handy Hint: April 25, 2016 A row of clean bottles I was looking for a way to rinse calf bottles thoroughly and efficiently. I took 1-inch PVC pipe, 4 feet long, and connected it to the hot water line....
As printed in our April 10, 2016 issue... STRONG DOMESTIC SALES have kept U.S. milk prices ahead of other dairy export countries. Domestic consumption, measured by USDA's commercial disappearance figure,...
How a generator is made When the electricity goes out, most farm tasks are at a standstill until the power returns. This can cause major problems on a dairy farm. Some dairymen install a back-up generator...
Those in farming circles know more about the value of vaccines than almost every human population demographic. That's because we know vaccines thwart a wide variety of diseases by developing and invoking...
This is the season to start thinking heat abatement strategies as several southern states are already experiencing warmer temperatures and rising humidity. Meanwhile, it's warming up in northern states,...
The nation's biggest dairy state keeps getting smaller. USDA's official ledger says total milk production in California in February was up just a bit versus the year before (0.55 percent). But that's only...
For calves, the weaning period is almost always filled with change: a new home, new ration, new penmates, new health challenges. This transition can be overwhelming. If animals become too stressed during...
California isn't the only major dairy region dealing with water woes. Australia has its issues, too. And as the world's fourth-largest dairy product exporter, short supplies of water could further curtail...
Hoard's Dairyman Webinar Archives April 11, 2016: Target rations for your milking groups presented by Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University Brought to you by: Kuhn North America (www.KuhnNorthAmerica.com)...
