Nov. 18 2020
We can all agree that the angry animal activists are the worst, right? They don’t just comment on one post and move on, they ask their friends to attack, too
Nov. 17 2020
In my last blog, I shared insights from the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s report from the virtual Farmed Animal Conference E-Summit (FACES) hosted during the summer
Nov. 16 2020
Last week, as the North American International Livestock Expo in Louisville, Ky., finished up, it was easy to admire all the beautiful cows
Nov. 13 2020
For years, people working with dairy cows have called the drop in calcium around calving milk fever. Ironically, milk fever, also known as hypocalcemia, does not cause a fever at all
Nov. 2 2020
Cow hugging, known as "koe knuffelen" in Dutch, has emerged as a new wellness trend, complete with YouTube videos, an international media hype, and plenty of uptake on Instagram
Oct. 30 2020
Newborn calves are an everyday occurrence on our family’s farm. Each one has its own unique pedigree, birth story, personality, and set of quirks
Oct. 23 2020
I was recently involved in a discussion among some of my professors and classmates regarding consumer interaction and education
Oct. 21 2020
We all know how important the transition period is for cows. To be clear, I’m talking about the weeks surrounding when a cow calves
Oct. 14 2020
It makes me sick, nearly to the point of vomiting. It hurts my eyes so much they start to close. It infuriates me so much that I cannot stay mute
Oct. 12 2020
There’s almost always a shortage of time and a lack of space on dairy farms. When deciding which animals get the most attention and best resources, the answer is typically the milking herd, and understandably...
Oct. 1 2020
As many of you know, we switched to a robotic milking system last November. When we made the change, we had a pretty good idea of how things would go initially
Sept. 15 2020
For the past week, our farm and family have found ourselves in the path of a wildfire. It’s one of those natural disaster situations you hope and pray you never have to deal with
Sept. 14 2020
Gary Oetzel, D.V.M., a professor for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, presented “Calcium and the transition cow”. Calcium is a key determinant of transition period success...
Sept. 11 2020
Most of us have heard the popular statement that cows have best friends. While I’m not one to anthropomorphize, this is a fact that I have seen countless amounts of anecdotal evidence for
Sept. 9 2020
I know you’ve heard it before: “‘So-and-so’ is a cow whisperer; they seem to know a cow is sick before the cow does!” If you’re the lucky recipient of such high praise,...
Aug. 28 2020
For the first time in many months, I’ve spent the last two weeks at home with my family. Normally, I am back at school by now, and aside from my normally abbreviated winter break, I don’t normally...
Aug. 25 2020
I think we can all agree 2020 has been a little rocky. COVID-19 has transformed what we think of as regular, day-to-day routines into unpredictable days, weeks, and even months
Aug. 19 2020
Hello summer! It’s nice to know you’re still around . . . now please leave!
Aug. 10 2020
Bunching of animals is a common problem in dairy facilities during summer months. It can be very frustrating as it is often difficult to determine what is causing cattle to bunch
Aug. 3 2020
Chromium is a relatively “new” mineral for dairy cows