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What started as a small event at a restaurant in Northern Wisconsin has grown from 15 participants to more than 150. The Vita Plus Chick Day is an event for women to gather, see another dairy operation and learn from speakers and one another. This year it was held Aug. 20 at Ocooch Dairy near Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
Senior, California Polytechnic State University
Intern with the California Milk Advisory Board
Based in Modesto, California
Background
Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree?
I am a double major in dairy science and agri-business management.
Q. What is your agricultural background?
I was born and raised in the California dairy industry and have even experienced dairying in a different country. From the day I came home from the hospital to where I stand today, I have been a dairy boy 100 percent of the way. From being the worker's son to the partner in the family business, my roots are deep in dairy.
In an effort to educate local officials about modern agriculture, the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) joined forces with the Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association as part of the Agriculture Community Engagement (ACE) program to host two old-fashioned Twilight Meetings on Aug. 11 and 12.
The Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania hosted “Open House and Dairy Tours” at three dairy farms this summer. The events were held at Central Manor Dairy, owned by the Harnish family in Washington, Boro; Woodedge Dairy, owned by the Kauffmans in Reedsville; and Zylstra Dairy Farm Inc. owned by the Zylstra family in Freidens.
Players in the World Cup are amazing! Great players can kick a ball above their head, spin a ball so that it slides around the keeper and make a ball look like it is attached to their shoe string.
We know that these players did not wake up one morning with these skills. They started with the basics. They needed to learn the simple skills like dribbling and passing well to make them great.
Are the feeders you work with doing a good job? How accurate are they when loading those expensive mineral blends or supplements into the mixer? How is their bunk delivery accuracy?
These and others are some of the questions I ask herdsmen and managers when discussing feeding programs. Remember that feeders play a key role in the profitability of the dairy. Feed cost represents more than 50 percent of the cost of milk production. Therefore, the feeders’ work should be monitored periodically to ensure they are performing to your expectations.
Engine brakes are rarely seen on tractors, but in certain regions they are really important to truck drivers. If you use them, you might need to schedule maintenance a little sooner than normal, but we will also discuss when you should get regular maintenance on your engine.
Engine brakes
The four strokes of the engine are intake, compression, power and exhaust. Engine brakes work by cutting the fuel at the compression stage and releasing the air that is compressed. This cuts the power and doesn’t waste a lot of unnecessary fuel.
Most farmers thinking about consistency of performance have focused on the milking herd. How consistent is the milking process? How consistent is the dry cow management program? How consistent is the feed preparation process?
What about the heifer program? Is it consistent for developing heifers to calve at an appropriate age? On many farms, heifers are probably the most frequently ignored part of the dairy operation. This is one reason more and more dairies have been turning to custom heifer raisers where someone else will devote specific attention to heifer management. Consistent management practices are very important in developing a high- quality heifer for the future milking string.
The statement “youth are the future of the dairy industry” is often used when referring to our future dairy producers. However, this statement is also very true as it relates to the youngstock, as replacement heifers are the future of the dairy herd. The future profitability of the dairy herd relies on a good supply of well-grown, genetically superior heifers to replace the market cows or to expand the current milking herd. Considerable time and cost is required to develop quality heifers from birth to first calving.
The trend of increasing number of cows per farm has prompted many producers to examine the need to provide more labor for the milking herd. This may mean additional work hours per day, increased labor force to handle the extra workload or perhaps recognizing that a custom grower would be able to take over the heifer-raising responsibility. In some instances, a custom grower may be able to raise healthier heifers in a more cost-effective manner. A successful custom heifer-raising arrangement can free up the dairy herd owner to concentrate on other management and labor needs with the milking herd.
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