Profit Tips
Review your biosecurity practices
(8/30/2010)
Recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Japan are a good reminder to be vigilant in preventing disease entry onto your farms and ranches.
Strategies for small dairies
(8/30/2010)
The Cornell Small Farms Program has announced the publication of a new book of profiles, “NY Small Dairy Innovators: Successful Strategies for Smaller Dairies.”
Troubleshoot financial problems
(8/27/2010)
Untangling a farm business that is experiencing financial problems can be a rather daunting task, says Robert Jolly, ag economist and farm finance specialist at Iowa State University.
Tips for testing your forages
(8/27/2010)
Dave Taysom of Dairyland Laboratories based in Acadia, Wis., shares tips on testing your forages for optimal ration formulation.
People feel heat stress, too
(8/24/2010)
Livestock producers invest money and effort to relieve heat stress in their animals. Crop producers fret about the impact of hot weather on crops, especially when moisture is short.
It’s all in the attitude
(8/18/2010)
A recent University of Minnesota extension survey of farmers in southwest Minnesota shows that a positive attitude can make or break farm business success.
Be careful when hiring new employees
(8/15/2010)
Your hiring process has become a lot more complicated, thanks to animal-welfare activists.
New 'Small Dairy Resource Book' available
(6/29/2010)
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Outreach has released an updated version of “The Small Dairy Resource Book.”
Wisconsin benchmarking tool
(6/29/2010)
The Wisconsin Dairy Farm Ratio Benchmarking is a spreadsheet-based tool. It compares dairy farm’s financial status with more than 500 dairy farms in the state.
TMR mixer wagon checklist
(6/28/2010)
Is your feed mixed consistently every day?
Watch your margins
(5/15/2010)
“You don’t put money in your pocket from the milk price, but from the margin,” says Kevin Bernhardt, University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the UW-Extension Center for Dairy Profitability farm management specialist.
Put that halter on right
(5/15/2010)
When restraining cattle, it is very important to put the halter on properly.
Solar water-pumping guide available
(5/15/2010)
A guide to choosing a solar water pump for remote (off-grid) applications has been published by Agricultural Research Service scientists.
Baffling flies
(5/3/2010)
These white baffles hanging in the heifer facilities at Wiese Brother Dairy in Greenleaf, Wis., serve a simple purpose: attract flies.
Tips to handle animals
(5/3/2010)
It’s important to understand when handling cattle that cattle are prey animals, says Bob Patrick, veterinarian with Shamrock Animal Health Services in Eatonton, Ga.
Better answers to 'What if?'
(5/3/2010)
Decisions are made daily on a dairy farm — some involve cow and labor management; others address crop and business concerns, and there are a host of others in between.
Check out the Specht Report
(4/12/2010)
Ranking the top sires of AI sons and the top herds contributing sons to the AI industry was begun by Larry Specht in the mid-1970s.
Do you make this mistake?
(4/12/2010)
“The biggest mistake in using a colostrometer incorrectly is to not measure colostrum when it’s at room temperature,” says Sylvia Kehoe, professor of animal and food science at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Miscanthus can host western corn rootworm
(4/12/2010)
The western corn rootworm beetle, a pest that feasts on corn roots and corn silk and costs growers more than $1 billion annually in the U.S., also can survive on the perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus, a potential biofuels crop that would likely be grown alongside corn, researchers report.
Do you need to take that last cutting?
(3/3/2010)
The results are in for the third year of the Wisconsin Alfalfa Yield and Persistence Program, and while agronomists say the findings are not conclusive based on only three years of data, they do think there are some trends worth noting.
Warm floors mean less slipping
(3/3/2010)
When they built a new calf facility this past year to accommodate more calves and a computerized feeding system, 3-D Dairy in Malone, Wis., also installed in-floor heat where calves feed to prevent icy floors.
Score arriving heifers
(3/1/2010)
A visual analysis of heifers arriving at your calf operation can set the stage for a successful program.
Set technology boundaries for workers
(2/25/2010)
Talking on a cell phone or sending text messages while on the clock is costly to the employer and potentially dangerous, says Chris Zoller, Ohio State University extension educator in Tuscarawas County.
Get a handle on your cash-flow plan
(2/25/2010)
This last year has provided some valuable, yet painful, lessons for everyone in the dairy business — like the roller coaster effect of dairy revenue on their cash flow.
Make your own fuel
(2/25/2010)
An hour-long Webinar is now available for those interested in making their own biodiesel.
New risk-management tool
(2/15/2010)
A new e-book, “Get Started Marketing Well,” is now available to help educate dairy producers on using risk-management tools.
Evaluate replacement and dry cow feed costs
(2/13/2010)
Feed costs for replacement and dry cows are usually calculated as $/day for each animal.
Tips to handle vaccines
(2/1/2010)
Compliance and proper vaccine handling and administration are two of our biggest issues in dairy vaccination programs today.
Tips to prevent residue violations
(2/1/2010)
In order to get a handle on drug residue violations, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service is requiring slaughter establishments to provide information about the source of all animals found to have violating residues.
People comfort is important, too
(2/1/2010)
Heifer barns give calf-care employees and their charges relief from inclement weather at Wiese Brothers Dairy, Greenleaf, Wis.
Leadership test
(1/29/2010)
The last several months have been a real test of your leadership skills, says Bob Milligan, senior consultant at Dairy Strategies and professor emeritus at Cornell University.
Reduce feed costs by 30 cents per hundredweight
(1/29/2010)
How can you reduce feed costs by about 30 cents per hundredweight for a 100-cow herd averaging 70 pounds of milk?
Be vigilant against mold damage
(1/29/2010)
Cold and wet weather conditions this fall have increased the risk of moldy feed.
Check quality of kernel processing
(1/29/2010)
When harvesting corn silage, make sure that the corn kernels are broken up for better digestion.
Decision-making widgets
(1/25/2010)
For some people, making decisions is very easy. For others, it can be a challenge. A new set of tools from David Galligan, economist at the University of Pennsylvania, may be of use to make decisions.
Energy-saving calculator
(1/13/2010)
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service developed four Web-based energy calculators designed to estimate potential energy-savings for farmers and ranchers in the areas of animal housing, irrigation, nitrogen and tillage.
New tool for determining feed quality
(1/13/2010)
Ask your nutritionist if he has heard about infrared cameras for detecting heat loss in bunker silos.
Is your child ready for farm chores?
(1/1/2010)
The North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks is an online resource that can help you determine age-appropriate farm chores for your children.
A smoother transition
(1/1/2010)
When Wiese Brothers Dairy in Greenleaf, Wis., began raising its own heifers again about four years ago, the transition from calf group pens to the heifer barn didn’t always go as smoothly as they would have liked.
Fuel center helps control costs
(11/30/2009)
Pagel’s Ponderosa in Kewaunee, Wis., installed a fuel center on its operation this year.
Communication self-evaluation
(11/30/2009)
Communication within your business and within your family is important, especially when stress levels are high, say experts at Lookout Ridge Consulting.
Are you really measuring cost of production?
(11/30/2009)
“Know your cost of production,” is a common refrain heard lately, but are you really measuring this on your dairy?
Bet the FARM
(11/23/2009)
The National Milk Producers Federation, with support from Dairy Management Inc., formally launched the “National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management” at World Dairy Expo.
New online animal-health resource
(11/23/2009)
The Animal Health Institute recently announced the launch of the Healthy Animals campaign Web site.
Is your glass half empty or half full?
(11/23/2009)
These 10 behaviors can turn your glass from half empty to half full.
7 tips to be a better boss
(11/16/2009)
The No. 1 reason people leave jobs is poor supervisory behavior — in other words, bad bosses.
Listen closely
(11/16/2009)
Successful interpersonal relationships with clients, partners, colleagues, family and friends start with listening, says Bob Milligan, senior consultant for Dairy Strategies, a dairy-business-consulting service.
Scratch my back
(11/16/2009)
One part of cow comfort at Pagel’s Ponderosa in Kewaunee, Wis., is to provide cows with scratching posts.
Calf illness and death: Do your calves measure up?
(10/5/2009)
The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association has established a set of Gold Performance Standards for calf- and heifer-raisers.
Increase your nutrient use efficiency
(10/5/2009)
The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center is highlighting a series of tools to help measure and manage feed, manure, and fertilizer nutrients on dairy farms.
