A few factors play a big role in the quality of colostrum. While breakfast may be our most important meal of the day, for calves, that first feeding of colostrum is the most critical meal of their lives....
Calf jackets can provide much needed warmth for young animals on cold days. A few mild days in the Midwest made it feel like spring was on the way, but since it is only February, we can be fairly certain...
Type and production are partners in extreme production. Last month it was announced that Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi produced 74,650 pounds of milk. That equates to 8,680 gallons of milk and set the single lactation...
Major renovations will be made to the Oklahoma State University Dairy thanks to a generous gift from a former student. Who would have thought that a love story from years past would lead to new state-of-the-art...
Understanding immunity promotes calf health. Vaccinations are designed to stimulate the immune system. They aren't cures, but tools to help the calf defend its body from viruses, bacteria and parasites....
Have a plan for what you want to see and do. Winter – the season when not a lot happens in the fields. And for this reason, trade shows are scheduled to entice busy farmers to attend. With World...
Farms with more cows prove that animal welfare is still a priority. The average herd size for dairy farms in the United States keeps growing while the number of farms continues to decline. This trend is...
Young calves demand much care and patience. My two siblings and I grew up showing Holsteins, and from the time I was pretty young, I seemed to be the one who always ended up showing the flighty animals....
Jim Baird, gifted Hoard's Dairyman Art Director, passes on We would consider ourselves lucky to be really good at one thing – something that truly symbolized the essence of our being. But to be...
There are real benefits for herds that can achieve a 25 percent pregnancy rate. One common goal all dairy producers share is getting cows bred in a timely fashion. What is a realistic target for which...
Twice per day feedings may expand the time cows spend at the bunk, boost milk production and improve fat and protein content of milk. A cow's time budget allows for three to five hours of eating per day...
Select those that target your needs By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager If every feed additive delivered on its hype, feeding them all would keep pushing milk production up and up....
California's dairy industry highlighted during annual event. It was the first time in the 127 year-history of the Rose Parade, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) had a float entry. The organization...
Proper timing of forage availability can ease the rocky transition of weaning. Weaning time is easily one of the more difficult management challenges for producers with calf and heifer feeding programs....
Independent report says the agency illegally tried to shape public opinion about its water rule proposal. The firestorm that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignited last May with a proposal...
Gadgets and devices aid – not replace dairy management. All that cool technology that people use to communicate, record exercise levels and monitor their sleep patterns, now are being applied to...
Make a ride in the cattle trailer safer for your young bovine passengers by following these AABP guidelines.There are times we need to get our livestock from Point A to Point B, and that process often...
College students can't solve their own problems according to psychologists and professors, but farm kids are raised differently. by Maggie Seiler, Special Publications Editor I was 16 or 17 years old,...
New research shows the predicted warming of the climate could spell a decline in Wisconsin dairies' economic productivity between 2020 and 2039. Farmers have one guarantee: change. Farming, more than almost...
Cottonseed availability was going to be lower even before Hurricane Joaquin flooded major growing areas. Even with milk prices down, whole cottonseed prices were on track to be up this year – and...
