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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
When cows' light exposure is limited during the dry period, a milk production boost in the next lactation is likely. When light hits the eye, a cascade of hormonal events is triggered in the brain's pineal...
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...
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...
State showcases family dairy operation in video series. The Georgia National Fair just concluded this weekend and celebrated its 25th anniversary. During the 11 days of the annual state-sponsored fair,...
The success of a robotic milking system depends on four good feet to get each cow to the robot with ease. "Healthy feet are absolutely critical for success in robot barns," said Jack Rodenburg from DairyLogix...
The National 4-H Dairy Conference brings together 200 young people with a strong interest in the dairy industry from across the U.S. for an educational and networking event each year in Madison, Wis. On...
Circulating chilled water through a waterbed may be another avenue to alleviate heat stress. As the latter half of the year looms, our thoughts have started to turn toward harvest and our winter checklists....
Research in calves may have unlocked the key to treating a certain respiratory disease in children. Whether you are a caregiver for calves or children, your top goals are to keep them safe, growing and...
Divisive attitudes toward others in the dairy industry will get us nowhere, especially as more farmers are choosing to leave the business. As a member of several dairy industry groups on social media,...
To beat the heat, the nation's cows are concentrated in more temperate regions of the United States. know that cows tend to seek out the coolest places on the farm: beneath shade, under sprinklers and...
A dairy in southwest Indiana has reaped major benefits from installing precision dairy technologies on their farm. When one visits the Koester family farm in far southwestern Indiana, they'll notice a...
Kiefland Holsteins in southeastern Minnesota installed its first robotic milkers in 2011, and the family has learned a great deal in the past four years
