W.D. Hoard's Notice to the Help set the standard for all farm staff over a century ago. The recent video showing employees at a northeast Wisconsin dairy mistreating dairy calves and cows is very disheartening....
The NFL announced another 5-year commitment to the program that encourages healthy eating and physical activity in schools across the nation. You could feel the excitement the minute you entered the door...
The Class III futures average has jumped 58 cents in just a month. The early Christmas cheer that dairy producers received two days ago - November's announced Class III price of $18.83 per hundredweight...
To avoid this, the nation must sustainably grow milk production at a price the consumer can afford. The European Union leads the ranks in world milk production. But, on an individual nation basis, India...
Interviewing tips for young dairy applicants. It is the season when many breed associations have conventions and often youth awards are presented at these annual events. Some awards require interviews...
When genomic testing became commercially available a few years ago, it was almost immediately incorporated into genetic evaluation systems for dairy cattle. Today, genomic data is used to select young
Getting your employees to work more cohesively could be as simple as three words: mission, vision and values. Every farm should have mission, vision and values statements. Did you just stop reading? Are...
A prep routine checkup may provide an opportunity that ties directly to your wallet. Cows love routine. Proper, repeatable milking procedures are your best friend when it comes to harvesting high quality...
Know your numbers to better know your financial standing. Gary Sipiorski shared his wealth of banking experience within the dairy and agricultural community on the Hoard's Dairyman webinar on Monday,...
Avoid negative energy balance, which has been shown to lead to negative reproductive performance in dairy cows. High milk production is oftentimes linked to poor reproductive performance in dairy cattle....
Don't wait to show appreciation to those you admire. People do not like filling out forms, they don't want to seem self-promoting or don't feel their contributions are award-worthy. While struggling for...
Facility design, space and frequent stirring are essential elements in successful compost bedded pack barns. "Compost barns are not your grandfather's bedded pack," explained Jeffrey Bewley, assistant...
After sluggish production last year, Europe and New Zealand milk production is now expanding. The U.S. is steady. While milk production never really missed a beat in the U.S., even with last year's drought,...
Calves need more energy in cold weather just to stay alive. Welcome to November; it's officially "that time of year" again. Even if snow isn't a normal part of winters where you dairy, colder temperatures...
Over 55,000 are expected to converge on Louisville, Ky., this weekend. The National FFA Convention and Expo is a highlight for many FFA members. With nearly 580,000 FFA members in every state, along with...
Buy land, build a plant and start processing milk, right? Ha! Every state, county and city likes to claim it is "business friendly" in hopes of attracting new companies and the economy-sustaining jobs...
Innovation and choice must be allowed on farm or all hope is lost. In a changing tact from the 50-70-100 message he has spread since 2009, Elanco's Jeff Simmons has three new numbers for us to consider....
Webinar focuses on maximizing feed inputs. "The crop year's over ... now what?" That was the topic of the webinar on Monday, October 14. Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois, presented the webinar and...
The type of pathogen and history of the cow should play a role in mastitis treatment decisions."You must know the mastitis pathogen to know how to treat it," said Pam Ruegg, extension milk quality specialist...
If done well, grazing can lower forage costs and still maintain growth rates for dairy replacements. Raising calves and heifers can be the second largest cost on a dairy operation, shared David Combs,...
