Holy cow! Can you believe that it’s already June?! Yeah, me neither. But I’m sure you know that June is dairy month! (I had to throw that in…check out these … Continue reading At least its not 2012
Category: Cows and Crops
In Synch: Breeding Cows using Synch Protocols
Last week we bred eight cows and six heifers. This is a pretty high number for our herd, but we’re breeding all heats in an effort to get ahead before … Continue reading In Synch: Breeding Cows using Synch Protocols
National Ag Day: 365 Sunrises and 100 Mouths to Feed
Today is National Ag Day, and this year’s theme is 365 sunrises and 7 billion mouths to feed. At our dairy we have about 100 Holstein cows to feed twice … Continue reading National Ag Day: 365 Sunrises and 100 Mouths to Feed
Tough Decisions
Two weeks ago, I pulled up to the barn before I headed out the driveway to work. I spotted number 1106 and couldn’t help but shed quite a few tears … Continue reading Tough Decisions
Calf Care Part 2: Why do dairy farmers house calves in hutches?
Last week I wrote about many of the reasons that we choose to separate newborn calves from their mother cows shortly after their birth (read: Calf Care Part 1: Why … Continue reading Calf Care Part 2: Why do dairy farmers house calves in hutches?
Calf Care Part 1: Why do dairy farmers separate calves from their mothers?
At a holiday party last fall I had a casual conversation about our farm with another local farmer’s wife whose exposure to agriculture was primarily related to raising grain and … Continue reading Calf Care Part 1: Why do dairy farmers separate calves from their mothers?
Is it cold enough for you? – Caring for Cattle in Cold Weather
Cold and snow come with winter. It’s part of life in the Midwest, but deep snow and extreme cold are things that require extra preparations for those of us raising … Continue reading Is it cold enough for you? – Caring for Cattle in Cold Weather
Thinking Outside the Breed
We did something recently that we’ve never done before. We intentionally crossbred Holsteins. Before I let my crossbreeding friends get too excited, I’ll explain – we used Angus semen and … Continue reading Thinking Outside the Breed
Heifers Having Heifers
You may remember that we were trying out a technology called sexed semen, but we had limited success with our first go-around. Not easily discouraged, though, we forged ahead with … Continue reading Heifers Having Heifers
Harvest 2013 Update
Harvest is not a cohesive event at our farm. I know some farmers in some parts of the country get in their combines and run until they’re finished, and that’s … Continue reading Harvest 2013 Update
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