By now, your crops are fully planted, and you’re into rounds of cutting hay. Summer is in full swing. Days and nights are continually getting warmer.

Eighty-seven hoof trimming enthusiasts attended this year’s Wisconsin Hoof Trimmers Getaway held in Tomah, Wisconsin, February 10-11.

Max and Melissa Benedikt operate a direct-marketing farm in New Hampshire. The farm raises everything from Jersey milk cows to laying hens and plenty in between. For such a diverse operation, the adage “Necessity is the mother of invention” has become a sort of motto.

Just as the old phrase states, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” We handle our cows much in the same way, “Here’s the water, and there’s plenty of it, so drink.” However, dairy cow hydration isn’t just about drinking enough water. The full benefits come with proper absorption.

How confident are you in your ability to eyeball a cow’s bodyweight? What about your ability to notice a 200-pound difference between two animals? What about your employees’ ability to notice that same difference?

Dairy producers have been utilizing beef sires to take advantage of strong markets throughout the past decade. This breeding strategy increases a dairy’s value of bull calves and non-replacement heifers.

Low milk prices and tighter margins have dairy producers and those exiting the dairy industry looking for alternative sources of income. Feeding dairy steers can be a viable and profitable option to supplement farm income.

What makes a team successful? There are a lot of factors, but one critical piece is having the right players in the right positions to achieve your goals. The same goes for the milk quality team on your dairy.

The current state of the dairy industry is putting pressure on dairy producers. Excess milk in the market has allowed dairy processors to be more selective with the milk they are purchasing.

Monitoring U.S. average bulk tank somatic cell counts (SCC) over many years shows a clear peak during summer months. Higher temperatures and humidity levels during the June-September period create heat stress in cows and negatively affect their immune response.