Sanitary feeding equipment is a vital part of the calf health equation, especially early in life. The equipment used to feed calves on your farm may look clean, but is it really? Oftentimes, there's more...
Over Labor Day weekend, I checked milking in a tie stall barn off my bucket list. Hoard's Dairyman editors stay close to the business of dairying through involvement on their home farms and the Hoard's...
Are we teaching youth a variety of dairy skills? As a 4-H member I remember attending monthly local 4-H dairy meetings. Held at a leader's farm, all members, from first year to the very experienced, were...
Proper selection and preparation can make a difference. Like milk, beef has a unique combination of nutrients that support a healthy body. Beef is surprisingly lean. Over time, cattle have become more...
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
Crisis management is intimidating to address but essential for long-term success. When I was 12, my family had an experience that significantly altered our operation. At 11 p.m. in the middle of wheat...
If you have good prep and good milkers, the use of an automatic teat scrubber or more conventional prep routine should have little impact on production. Forestripping serves two purposes in the parlor:...
Is the trend motivated by cost or convenience? Just about anyone could guess that health care, housing and transportation costs were higher in 2013. And they'd be right. Americans have cut back across...
Nothing is more frustrating than a problem without an answer. When we have a setback in production or a mastitis flare-up, the parlor can be a daunting place to start
If robots are the next evolution of milking cows on a large scale, then the future is here already. Except it is happening slowly and not at all in the U.S. . . . yet
Have a winter emergency plan. Winter is not just about cold weather with frozen pipes, slippery concrete and snow shoveling. High volumes of snow can lead to barn collapses. At 3:30 a.m., 70-feet of roof...
When the Seattle Seahawks' young quarterback took the field on Sunday, he was prepared. The familiarity of the opposing quarterback to high-pressure games far exceeded this second-year player's resume....
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...
Wisconsin 4-H and Big Spring FFA top Junior Dairy Management Contest. While the seven breed shows and dairy judging contests garner the most attention at the All-American Dairy Show, a not-so-well-known...
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...
Little things can be overlooked when preparing for showmanship. I attend several youth dairy shows throughout the year as a spectator, but participated in dozens during my junior years. Showmanship is...
U.S. Department of Labor numbers show that many more have the opportunity to add value to our food.Who touches your food? We often hear that 2 percent of people have jobs directly related to agriculture....
