What can you afford to pay for land rent and still be competitive? Margin management has become critical to farm success. "Keeping in mind feed market volatility, it looks like feed will be cheaper based...
New faces and familiar ones mark the latest sire summary. by Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager Sire summaries occur three times each year. Sometimes it seems the top bulls rarely change;...
Hoard's Dairyman webinar discusses considerations when going to robots. Larry Tranel, Iowa State University, spoke on robotic milking during the August 12 Hoard's Dairyman webinar, titled "Is robotic milking...
By getting to know the parts of a calf's respiratory "engine," farms are better equipped to troubleshoot breakdowns in defense. "It's tough to fix an engine until you know how it works. The same is true...
Favorable feed cost outlook sets the stage for herd rebuilding to begin this fall. The fatal production problem that has driven many dairy producers out of business in recent years – sky-high feed...
Extensive research conducted five decades ago still serves as the basis for milking practices today. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile, nonsporulating,...
Creating solutions to forage needs. Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois, presented "Playing the crop-year cards we've been dealt" webinar on Monday, July 8. Labeled the "perfect storm" by Mike Rankin,...
Using technology to identify lameness earlier can help farms better treat this widespread disease. Lameness is a health and welfare issue for the entire dairy industry. In North America, an estimated 21...
Despite public perception, growing herd size does not have to equate to less individualized care for animals. by In a conversation about animal welfare, or more specifically poor animal welfare, oftentimes...
High feed costs force heavier culling. Frazer Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, LLP prepare accounting records for dairy operations in seven western states – Washington, Oregon, California...
Association appraisal team apply final scores. by Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manger The Hoard's Dairyman Farm began in 1899 and Jerseys arrived in the fall of 2009 to join our long-established...
Association appraisal team applies final scores. The Hoard's Dairyman Farm began in 1899 and Jerseys arrived in the fall of 2009 to join our long-established Guernsey herd. Last week, the Jersey herd was...
2013 Farm Progress Hay Expo had plenty to see and learn about. For hay and forage enthusiasts, the 2013 Farm Progress Hay Expo was the place to be. There were numerous equipment line-ups and demonstrations...
While soft sales late last year do toss up a red flag, demand for dairy products in leading U.S. markets should remain strong throughout 2013. "Predicting U.S. dairy exports is always challenging, but...
Mastitis occurs in individual cows. Our control programs are designed for the whole herd. "The ideal system for recording clinical mastitis will allow the practitioner to evaluate important cow factors...
Why California dairies should plan on having strict emissions regulations forever. If dairies in California need a reminder about why they operate under the most strict air quality emissions regulations...
A field study done by Penn State Extension suggests water quality may be linked to dairy herd milk production. Penn State Extension recently completed a field study of water quality on Pennsylvania dairy...
Foot health impacts reproduction, production and early culling. Nigel Cook presented theHoard's Dairyman monthly webinar on Monday, May 13, 2013, entitled "No more lame excuses." Lameness prevalence has...
Having a heifer enterprise won't make sense for every operation. Most dairies have three enterprises on-farm: cows, cropping and heifers. Within this subset, the cost of raising replacements also accounts...
It took an NFL stadium to contain the excitement Minnesota youth had for the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program. It's not every day you get to meet an NFL athlete, especially as a 6th grader. But if you're in...