We tend to assume that in automated milking systems (AMS), cows spend little to no time waiting to be milked compared to cows that stand in a holding area, waiting to be milked in the parlor
Women have always been integral to the operation of a dairy farm, through work on the farm itself and decisions made at the kitchen table. USDA’s latest Agricultural Resource Management Survey reports...
In the simplest terms, price volatility is the change in a commodity’s price over time. Daily, weekly, monthly, and annual periods are often typical points to track to reference price movements....
I was in the middle of a right displaced abomasum (RDA) surgery when the lights went off. Yes, it was later than we usually do these procedures, but Dave and his crew had been busy chopping hay and a cow,...
They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, but one tool that every dairy farm uses to get jobs done each day is the tractor. From fieldwork to feeding, these machines make chores easier
The dairy farming journey of Troy and Barb DeRosier and their son Jordan of Crystal Ball Farms has been anything but straight and short — long and winding would be a more accurate description
National, regional, and state show honors adorn nearly all of the cows in the 93rd annual Hoard’s Dairyman Cow Judging Contest, and these animals represent the best of their breeders’ and owners’...
Despite how commonly calves are transported, surprisingly little research has been conducted to evaluate this practice. In addition, the research that has been done has mostly focused on physiological...
Sometimes I am reminded that not everyone has the same values we carry; trust and strong character are a part of a farmer’s makeup. Our handshake is as good as a signed contract, and we don’t...
A required nutrient must be supplied to cells for the cow to maintain normal health, produce milk, and reproduce. Just because a nutrient is required, though, does not mean that a specific requirement
Wildfires are nature’s way of renewing the landscape. However, Mother Nature’s wildfires have grown larger and raged longer in recent years, driven by larger reserves of stored fuel across...
One of the reasons that corn or sorghum silage has become the leading forage choice for larger dairies is the consistency from day to day throughout the entire silage-feeding year
Before container ships began to pile up off the California coast, lumber prices skyrocketed, and car manufacturing came to a standstill, the agricultural industry was thrust into the spotlight
Inspire” served as the overarching theme for the 2023 Dairy Forum as the industry’s processors, leaders, and greater dairy farming community from across the globe gathered to discuss the sector’
The topic of self-locking stanchions is on my mind. As I write this article, I have just read a thought-provoking piece in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel, “Lock-up time is lost milk time,” about...
Surprising comments rolled into our office following our coverage of a northern Wisconsin county’s plan to require milk haulers to purchase permits to haul milk during the spring thaw. Perhaps we...
In the United States, adults, on average, claim they wash their hands 96% of the time after using public restrooms. Research has shown that this number is dramatically lower than reported. A case stud
Cold air has settled into the area. I am not referring to a little chill in the air; I am talking about the extreme cold that blows through every article of clothing and settles in our bones. It is th
The medallions placed around their necks were not first-place blue, or even runner-up red. You’d never know it, though, because third-place white had never looked as good to the members of the Purdue...