The Kastenschmidts used the same facility to upgrade from stanchions to a parlor and then from a parlor to two robotic milkers. See photos of the operation below. Click here to read the article from our Jan. 1, 2017 print issue.

The old limestone barn had likely stood on the Kastenschmidt family farm for decades before Doug’s great-grandfather purchased the farm in 1953. The outside appearance has not changed much over the years, but inside it has gone from stanchions to a parlor to robotics.

During the winter months, birds can be a costly nuisance on the dairy, but there is help available to producers to effectively reduce the population of their feathered foes.

From schoolchildren to politicians, Vir-Clar Farms hosts a variety of groups looking to learn more about modern dairy production, and the addition of a new visitor center right on the dairy will take that experience to a whole new level.

Whenever anyone says they just “love” snow, I always think, “They never had to get cows milked through a snowstorm.” I am not a total curmudgeon about seeing a few snowflakes, and I do think snow scenes can be pretty, but the reality is: Snow robs many hours each year because farmers have to deal with the snow as an additional chore during an already busy day.

I’m here to tell you the benefits of winterizing your equipment makes the hassle well worth it. Post-season maintenance can save you a great deal of time and money in the long run.

Mechanical ventilation in tunnel- and cross-ventilated barns can be well worth the resources it requires to maintain a controlled, comfortable environment, but there are a few questions to be addressed:

In the past several years, there’s been an increasing push for better animal welfare on dairies. Various organizations and companies have written guidelines for producers and given them criteria to follow, but how that’s carried out varies based on several factors, including the dairy’s size, location, management and resources.

Stan and Sue Gausman, along with their son, Grant, are now eight months into welcoming their 102-cow herd under one roof on their dairy farm near Baldwin in northwestern Wisconsin.

Great attention is focused on how to build calf barns to get babies off to the right start, as well as facilities for adult cows to maximize health and production, but let’s not forget that critical phase in between.