University of Wisconsin-Madison
Today it costs more to raise dairy heifer replacements than to purchase one, but farmers prefer to raise their own due to controlling genetics and management of these heifers for the milking herd. Farmers have recognized breeding a heifer to give birth to her first calf at 23-24 months of age is the optimal time […]
Tina Kohlman, Regional Dairy and Livestock Agent Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of society, including the agriculture sector, is a concern for all. The agriculture sector contributes 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions, behind transportation, electricity, industry, and commercial and residential sources. Greenhouse gas emissions from the barn comes mainly from enteric (rumen) […]
Each year, hundreds of youth in the 4-H and FFA Dairy, Beef, Sheep, Swine, and Meat Goat Projects raise, manage, and feed their project animals in hopes of a grand champion ribbon or making a quality meat sale at the county fair. But how does a youth livestock project fit into real-world agriculture? Recently Extension […]
As of January 1, Fond du Lac, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Washington Counties Agriculture Extension Programming is moving to a regional model, providing stronger support and educational resources in the area of dairy production management, crops & soils management, and farm business management. Michael Ballweg | Crops & Soils | michael.ballweg@wisc.edu | 920.459.5910 Tina Kohlman | Dairy & […]
Silage is one of the main ingredients in dairy cattle diets and is an important source of nutrients, particularly energy and digestible fiber. Much progress has been done allowing farmers to grow and harvest quality forages including plant genetics, optimum maturity, soil fertility, and storage facilities. However, this progress does no good if the […]
Dairy farmers have improved animal husbandry, herd health, and reproductive management in such a positive way, we now have one of the largest national dairy heifer inventories in history. As profit margins get slimmer in the dairy business, as well as the excess number of heifers raised on farms, many farmers are starting to use […]
Pricing corn silage is a difficult decision because it often comes at a time when the emotions of sellers and buyers are high. The seller has the opportunity to sell a corn field for either silage or grain and incorporate the fertilizer value of the stover back into the field. The buyer has the opportunity […]
During extreme cold or hot temperatures, calves utilize extra nutrients to maintain their core body temperature. The temperature range at which a calf uses no additional energy to maintain its core body temperature is called the thermoneutral zone. For a newborn calf, a calf maintains its core body temperature with no additional nutrients from […]
When it comes to health issues on a dairy farm, lameness is usually the main concern along with mastitis and reproductive issues. Lameness includes any abnormality which causes a cow to change the way she walks. It can be caused by a range of foot and leg conditions including foot rot, digital dermatitis, laminitis, and […]
A calf’s successful transition from a milk-based diet to a diet of grain and forages requires proper rumen development. However, rumen development is a process that takes time. Regardless of how much milk one is feeding calves or what age they are at weaning time, if the rumen is not ready, calves are going to […]
