It's vital to getting cows bred back on time. How we feed and manage cows during the transition period can minimize illnesses, set them up to get bred back, and boost milk production throughout lactation
Let mortality be a reminder to live and love fully. At the urging of a good friend, I started listening to podcasts while traveling. If you're looking for a way to make your next road trip thought-provoking...
4-H livestock projects were blasted at a recent HSUS annual conference. Like many of you in the dairy industry, some of my best memories and closest friends are from my time in 4-H
When we get out and see other places, we learn more about the industry and pick up new ideas. Sometimes the stars all align, and we find ourselves with some time off of the farm. We always take advantage...
Comforting a child during hard life lessons. Losing a favorite cow at any age can be heartbreaking, but it seems to sting even more when you're young. Not only do you lose an animal, but you also lose...
Good nutrition plays a key role in hoof health. Hoof issues are a concern for many dairy producers. They can limit feed intake, sacrifice milk production, and impair cow comfort. Along with a comprehensive...
Thanks to his mechanical talents, this dairyman kept two first-crop alfalfa harvests on track. Near dusk on Sunday, May 22, I set out with our Hesston hay mower to cut the last field of first-crop alfalfa...
As the competition began, door guards checked back tags, known in the dance world as competitor numbers, and made final calls for late entries. Tardiness was rarely accepted as 8,057 entries crossed...
Make time to sit down with family and talk succession planning. Raise your hand if you have an up-to-date, written, signed, notarized personal will? Keep your hand raised if that also contains a succession...
Practicing healthy habits at an early age can influence one's lifestyle for years to come. Stretching out sore, tired muscles after an evening of training for your next 5K race is something most runners...
Looking back, the intense fat-related studies of the 1960s and 1970s did not prove that removing saturated fats and replacing them with vegetable oils made people healthier. That was the hope of the research...
Our little boy's passion made me realize the weight we carry as advocates and educators of our industry. Our local preschool class did a fun project this year where all the kids picked a topic and did...
Behavioral changes and bacterial cultures both show early promise in identifying metritis cases. Characterized by discolored vaginal discharge and an offensive odor, metritis is a top health and reproductive...
Electrical fire serves as wake-up call. Fire. There might not be another word so capable of quickly igniting fear in the hearts of farmers. I'm sure you can imagine the level of panic we felt after smelling...
Turning adversity into opportunity. Like other dairy farmers who enjoy showing cows, we develop special relationships with our show cows. They're the ones who always want their heads scratched or come...
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...
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...
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...
Prussic acid and nitrate poisoning should be a concern as first frosts arrive. As autumn progresses, it is accompanied by cool weather, better milk production and easier reproduction for dairy herds. However,...
