Think back to when you were a kid. If you broke something at the neighbor’s or got in trouble at school, how long did you wait to tell your parents? Chances are, someone else beat you to it, right? So how is that any different from the way you (or your kids) communicate bad news today? Most managers will agree that one of the most frustrating realities at work is that nobody will ever admit to breaking something or making a mistake. When you eventually ask “What happened?” and “Who did it?”, the most common replies are “I don’t know” and “It wasn’t me.” And as hard as you try to persuade your team to be up-front and honest about these accidents, that seems almost impossible to accomplish!

Today’s tough economy gives experienced farmers an opportunity to teach younger farmers planning and decision-making skills they might not learn in good times, a Purdue University agricultural economist says. Those looking to pass their operation on to next-generation farmers can show them how to plan strategically and make decisions under poor market conditions, says business planning specialist Angela Gloy.

Wisconsin Dairy Business Association members had an open floor to ask questions concerning immigration at the organization’s Annual Business Conference last month. The questions were fielded by three attorneys: Leon R. Sequeira, labor and employment attorney, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Washington, D.C.; José A. Olivieri, partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Erich C. Straub, Immigration Attorney LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Q. What’s happening with the Labor Certification Program that would allow you to bring people to the U.S. in 12 or 14 months and grant them permanent residency?

For Lee Jensen of Five Star Dairy LLC, it started the morning of May 12. He was sitting in the farm office preparing for a first-quarter meeting with his lender and consultant, when an unmarked car drove up to the parlor and out climbed five people. They said they were from the Wisconsin Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division and OSHA (or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). However, they did not provide any identification. They said they were there to inspect the employee housing and employees’ wage records.

Winter can pose a number of specific challenges to producers who raise cattle, but proper management can help lessen the impact of cold weather.

Post-weaned dairy calves endure a considerable amount of stress during the move into group housing. Multiple stressors – a new environment, diet change, social adjustments, even transportation – all combine to weaken the calf’s natural defense system. At the same time, commingling with other calves increases pathogen exposure and encourages disease-causing organisms to flourish. This combination of reduced immunity at a time of larger pathogen loads allows respiratory disease-causing bacteria to penetrate the calf’s natural defenses and causes clinical pneumonia. In fact, respiratory disease is the cause of almost half of all heifer deaths after weaning.

There are probably as many ways to raise dairy replacements as there are people raising dairy replacements. Most of these methods are successful; however, everyone knows that some are more successful than others. At the most recent ADSA meetings in Denver last summer, we presented an evaluation of data we have collected to determine what impacts growth of neonatal calves through eight weeks old.

Ask a student about colostrum, and the response will be passive immunity. That’s correct, but it is only part of the story with respect to the biological activity of colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mammary gland prior to parturition. This first milk is rich in immunoglobulins (proteins) as well as other chemical constituents and cells that impact the health of the newborn calf. At birth the calf is very susceptible to disease because in cattle there is little, if any, placental transfer of antibodies, in contrast to humans where placental transfer of antibodies from mother to fetus is high.

The Grober Young Animal Development Centre opened its doors in 2009 with the mission of uncovering and presenting best rearing practices for young animals. Over the past two years, approximately 160 calves and 40 lambs have resided at the Woodstock facility for the purpose of conducting nutritional and management research. Grober has partnered with others from the industry (feed companies and producers) in order to ensure the research is applicable in today’s farming community.

Calf health, as reflected in morbidity and mortality, is a consistent and major issue facing the dairy farmer. Data from Europe and the U.S. clearly show that dairy calf mortality remains above 5 to 8 percent year after year, representing a significant economic impact on the dairy farm economy. Recent data from USDA:NAHMS put pre-weaned calf mortality at 7.8 percent in the U.S. (2007). In addition, morbidity remains high, which adds to the economic burden through added labor and health supply costs; over 50 percent of morbidity is related to neonatal scours.