Outside perspectives can benefit your herd in many ways. We recently took my nephew Michael out to our family's dairy barn for the first time. At just under four months of age, Michael couldn't say what...
Locomotion scoring can help detect lame cows and gauge overall herd health. When it's not a problem, foot and leg health is something that flies under the radar on a many dairies, but soggy spring conditions...
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....
Animal activists are becoming bolder in their actions; even events like dairy shows could attract guests with ulterior motives. You've lined up the judge, secured the award sponsors and ordered the ribbons....
A good herdsperson not only observes but takes action. In college, I fielded many questions about my agricultural communications degree that went something like this, "So you're studying to be a cow whisperer?"...
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....
The Holstein breed would look different without the influence of Roy Ormiston. As dairy producers, we can all appreciate the power of a single generation or a single cow to alter the course of genetic...
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....
Colostrum offers newborn calves benefits beyond immunity, including critical energy used early in life. Carrying around a few extra pounds of holiday weight gain, some of us in colder climates may joke...
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...
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...
Whether you're in the barn or the showring, you have to stay calm. You never know who's watching. by Hannah Thompson Earlier this year, I was in the crowd at a county fair's dairy show for the supreme...
The employment rate in rural America is slowly recovering after the recession. Many of us working in agriculture, myself included, grew up in the country. I think most "country kids" would agree that small...
A warming box can save young calves born during the frigid cold. There's definitely a chill in the air, and for those of us in Northern climates, that chill is not going away any time soon. Falling temperatures...
Action can be taken to reduce feed losses during the TMR mixing process. Now you see it . . . and now you don't. Just like that, feed that was once available for your herd can be lost due to mold, pests,...
Introducing heifers to the milking barn or parlor before calving may be the ticket to reducing stress. When a dairy heifer has its first calf, its world changes dramatically. A first-lactation heifer is...
Managing corral conditions year round in open-lot dairies is important for cow health, comfort and production in the rainy season. In the areas of the country where open-lot dairies are popular, the onset...
Veterinarian shares ready-to-use information. "Technology is great, but you still need to manage it," shared Scott Poock, D.V.M., during the Hoard's Dairyman webinar, "An update on repro technologies and...
A deep dip in rumination during the week prior to calving could hint that a cow is on track to develop a health disorder. While it's strongly driven by a cow's diet, rumination time is influenced by much...
