Top animal welfare expert praises animal care, impressed with newest lameness research. Temple Grandin visits Vir-Clar Farm in Fond du Lac, Wis. "I saw dairy cows who have a wonderful life today." That's...
It doesn't come naturally to most people, but delegation is essential to effective team leadership. Most of us, at some point in our lives, will find ourselves in a leadership position. While many dairy...
Saturday is World Veterinary Day and our opportunity to stop and say thanks to an integral part of the farm team - veterinarians. "Do you know what that is?" This was the prompt that started many a conversation...
Who do consumers trust? Some days we think people are so naïve to believe everything they read. Other times, they are so skeptical of even the most logical and safe practices. I laughed when I read...
Keep your focus so you don't get pinned or pushed out of the ring. By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager Wrestling can be a bit like dairy farming. Farmers must be scrappy to stay mobile...
Dairy Challenge competitions combine book learning with real-life situations. By Taylor Leach, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern It's the same old routine. You're sitting in a classroom listening to lecture...
Young farmers need opportunities to develop leadership skills. We all know that dairy farmers wear many hats. I spent the last several days wearing my leader hat. First, while finishing Phase III of the...
National organization continues to develop skills of young people. National FFA Week concludes tomorrow. This weeklong celebration of FFA happens every February, and in honor of the occasion, I recently...
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...
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...
An array of factors help this Illinois dairy farm maintain a below average somatic cell count month after month. When it comes to milk quality, Sycamore, Ill., dairyman Bill Deutsch focuses both inside...
One million children have already learned safer living An ounce of prevention . . . When the idea to host events to teach children about farm safety began in 1995, I doubt the Progressive Agriculture Foundation...
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...
Disappointing milk price situation likely to get worse before it gets better. Since they became a key part of the worldwide dairy export pipeline, American milk producers have seen these "dots" before...
A clean environment, adequate cow comfort and footbath use all bolster your ability to prevent digital dermatitis. Lameness affects everything a cow does. Feed intake, fertility, milk production and, in...
National-winning FFA Dairy Judging Coach talks about preparing a non-traditional dairy judging team. "This was an extremely hard-working bunch of kids," commented coach Bland Baird. His dairy judging program...
Now is the time to conduct a postmortem on your heat stress mitigation plan and evaluate potential modifications. With full bunkers and only a few remaining harvest tasks to check off the list, the warmth...
Adequate protein consumption is crucial. Beef can play a central role in meeting that need. Most people readily recognize the "Beef, It's What's for Dinner" slogan. Yet, higher than average beef prices...
