As summer comes to a close, so does the end of an internship. Just like every good book, the story must come to an end. My story was only 12 chapters long, one for each week during my internship here at...
Fly control protocols for heifers set the stage for long-term mammary health. We all know the nuisance flies can be this time of year. Ruining picnics, dirtying white walls, and, perhaps most importantly...
NDQA seeks to recognize quality milk producers. As producers we can get caught in the rut of the day-to-day grind. We are doing things well, but sometimes it seems no one notices. It is days like that...
When a person decides to become a dairy farmer, they aren't choosing just a career but a lifestyle. As many of you know, dairy farming is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week job. Most dairymen and women live...
Why evaporative cooling methods fit well on our farm. Growing up in the hot Kansas heat made it difficult to keep cows cool during the warmer summer months. When we decided to make modifications to our...
The newest book from the Hoard's Dairyman bookstore sheds light on prevention, management, and treatment options for limiting antibiotic use. Antibiotics have been an important part of dairy animal welfare...
It doesn't come naturally to most people, but delegation is essential to effective team leadership. Most of us, at some point in our lives, will find ourselves in a leadership position. While many dairy...
For years, California dairy and livestock farmers have grazed their cattle in Point Reyes National Seashore Park, but that partnership may soon come to an end. By Abby Bauer, Hoard's Dairyman Associate...
Behavioral changes and bacterial cultures both show early promise in identifying metritis cases. Characterized by discolored vaginal discharge and an offensive odor, metritis is a top health and reproductive...
Turning adversity into opportunity. Like other dairy farmers who enjoy showing cows, we develop special relationships with our show cows. They're the ones who always want their heads scratched or come...
Adverse economic and environmental impacts would result if genetically modified organisms were eliminated from farming. Technology has given our agricultural industry legs to grow, opportunities to be...
Approach farm meetings prepared and with a goal in mind. Growing up, my favorite farm meetings occurred around the breakfast table. Specifically, I remember chowing down on some bacon prepared by my grandfather...
A good herdsperson not only observes but takes action. In college, I fielded many questions about my agricultural communications degree that went something like this, "So you're studying to be a cow whisperer?"...
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...
A clean environment, adequate cow comfort and footbath use all bolster your ability to prevent digital dermatitis. Lameness affects everything a cow does. Feed intake, fertility, milk production and, in...
When we throw away food, we are tossing more than just nutrients into the trash. No doubt, water is a valuable resource. We use it every single day in a multitude of ways. When water supplies get tight,...
One Wisconsin county is looking to take advantage of new manure treatment technology to turn manure into usable water. Manure may be animal waste, but a complete waste it is not. The nutrients in manure...
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...
Choosing the correct bedding material for your farm's system is an integral part of managing milk quality and production. Selecting the ideal bedding for a farm can be a difficult and intensive project....
Focus on identification and management to diminish heel wart prevalence. I can remember the first time we detected digital dermatitis, also referred to as hoof warts or hairy heel warts, in my family's...
