Yearly family and farm goals help prioritize your daily to-do list. The new year stirs optimism and goal setting in many of us. Goals help focus your business and life. But before you charge forward with...
DDGS prices have actually gone up since last summer. If the price goes down for a commodity whose processing waste is a by-product feed for cows, then the price of that feed will go down too, right? So...
Five days and a dozen people helped revamp our educational offerings. The first five issues of the year of Hoard's Dairyman are best known for their covers, launching yet another round of the annual cow...
Harsh winter temperatures raise the needs of all animals, especially young stock, on the farm. Another harsh, cold day is upon many of us across the country. Amy Stanton, animal well-being specialist...
The Hoard Farm team headed up by Jason Yurs continues to be pleased with the performance of young sires' daughters. On December 13, a number of young bulls had daughters either scored for the first time...
Of the 110 factors studied, 13 ranked as the most important factors at locating a new dairy. For many years, the West ranked high on many of them. by Margaret Seiler It is no secret to those involved in...
By outlining animal care expectations with all staff, dairy farmers can ensure the best cow care possible. by After the dairy industry made national headlines earlier this month due to mistreatment of...
By improving heat detection efficiency, reducing heat detection errors and honing our inseminating skills, we can get more heifers bred. When it comes to heifer fertility, reproductive experts say to focus...
Through June, cash flow on milking cows ranged from minus 59 to positive 80 cents per hundredweight. Net farm incomes in the West have been varied, according to mid-year reports assembled by Frazer, LLP....
Taking the time and effort to prevent hay fires has never made more sense. Dairy hay has never been more expensive than in recent years, making it vital to make sure that hay fires don't happen. University...
"People's lives are written on the fields of old farms." You know that moment when you bump into another farmer and he starts in on a story illustrating the love of what he does? The farmer says he could...
Make sure your bedding is doing its job by evaluating cow cleanliness and comfort. Cost and ease of handling are often the first considerations when it comes to bedding for dairy cattle. Ideally, bedding...
When the call comes from the popular press, we must be prepared to answer it. by Amanda Smith, Hoard's Dairyman Associate Editor There are a number of people we willingly let on our dairies each day. Most,...
Toby Gerhart, Minnesota Viking backup running back and former Heisman Trophy runner-up, took the time to reward a Minnesota farm family for winning a photo contest by feeding calves and asking questions....
Heightened calf care can keep calves healthy and growing during winter weather. "This is the time of the year where we face the most challenges with raising calves," said Noah Litherland from the University...
The more a cow produces, the lower its environmental footprint will be. Climate change has always occurred. Yet, the heating trend over the last decade has been outside the normal range. Humans and livestock...
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....
Plan ahead to maximize your crop's performance. Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin, shared "Growing high yield and high quality corn silage in the northern Corn Belt" on the December 9 webinar, sponsored...
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...
Regular performance reviews can be a daunting task. Feedback. Our society craves it, depends on it and thrives on it. Why then, is it so hard for farmers to provide regular feedback to employees? Knowing...