A classic game, Jenga tests players' ability to strategically remove blocks from a sturdy tower. One by one, blocks are pulled until the stack comes crashing down. The individual with the steadiest hand...
Lameness and hoof health have garnered a great deal of attention in recent years. At the Vita Plus Dairy Summit, veterinarian Gerard Cramer discussed how we can address hoof health globally. An often-mentioned...
Strong production by most major dairy exporting nations during the second half of 2014 collided with weakening economies in much of the world to swamp global markets, cut demand, and trigger the rapid...
Dairymen balance their feed budgets on pennies. Ingredients are often pulled from a ration based on the perceived cents per cow it could save the bottom line
Forage digestibility can be a game changer. For dairymen who were banking on the harvested tons to add some breathing room back in their forage budget, a crop like 2014's provided little relief
Haste makes waste. An idiom that's long been applied to children completing their household chores is just as relevant to our corn silage harvest and storage. Occasionally, in the haste to stay ahead of...
Virtually no one doubts that U.S. farm milk prices will be lower in 2015. While many different predictions are out there, the only debate is about how far they may fall
"In the best-case scenario, we'll lose only 2 to 3 percent of our harvested forage tons to fermentation shrink," noted John Goeser, Rock River Laboratory, at the Penn State Dairy Nutrition Conference
This year's harvest marks two very different ends of the spectrum. Some dairies have been blessed with an abundance of forage to feed over the coming year
A cow that's come down with milk fever is easily recognizable. Oftentimes, the cow, unable to stand, has its head against its side, and its ears are cold to the touch
Holstein million-unit fraternity hits 50. Breeding and then marketing an elite bull is a tough undertaking, and only a few have been successful. Bulls need to appeal to a wide audience of producers, but...
When mastitis was detected in the week after insemination, the likelihood of the cow carrying a calf was greatly diminished. A dairy's success or failure hinges on a number of variables, one of which is...
Limited pen space on-farm often ties our hands when we attempt to develop a grouping strategy. The options, such as separating cows based on stage of lactation, reproductive status or body condition, are...
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
Rabobank outlook sees worst effects of global supply and demand imbalance during first half of the year. by Dennis Halladay, Hoard's Dairyman Western Editor The "wave of milk" now coming from the U.S....
A 26-point spread separated Wisconsin's Jordan Seimers from Michigan's Lucas Moser. by Amanda Smith, Hoard's Dairyman Associate Editor The stars aligned at the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest...
It was a battle between the Badgers and Big Red for the blue. 2014 University of Wisconsin-Madison Tie was the word of the day at the National Collegiate Dairy Judging Contest. This year marked the third-ever...
Annually the city hosts 190-plus 4-H Dairy Conference delegates from across the nation, as they delve into the industry's history. For many years it has been the pleasure of the Hoard's Dairyman staff...
