From wide-ranging challenges presented by the global market place to changing consumer demands and preferences, the of year 2019 has certainly presented many obstacles. Locally, an expansive winter kill on our hay fields and a late, low producing harvest along with low milk and commodity prices continue to make it difficult to remain optimistic. What […]
Attaining a high silage density is important for two primary reasons. Most importantly, density and dry matter content determine the porosity of the silage. Porosity, in turn, sets the rate at which air moves into the silo and subsequently the amount of spoilage which occurs during storage and feed-out. Ruppel (1992) measured dry matter loss […]
Drew Mizgalski, Precision Agronomy Specialist/Agronomist This year has provided many challenges – from widespread alfalfa winter kill, to challenging planting conditions and an extended/late season. Compared to an average year, more acres were seeded down due to poor established alfalfa stands and amplified by lower forage inventories. Now we’re challenged with balancing alfalfa winter survival […]
Farmers with years of experience will frequently look over a field and make an off-the-cuff assessment on crop condition and production value. But what they see above the surface at that moment in time may not be a true indication of what is going on below the surface and the impact that could have down […]
Silage fermentation is the conversion of plant sugars to acids by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This process drops the pH, stabilizing and preserving the forage, in effect, “pickling” the forage. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Fermentation, What Happens? The LAB population needs to be 100 trillion/ton of crop before pH will start to decline in […]
Most people like consistency in life and work. Consistency should be a major goal in how we feed our baby calves too. Here we will discuss how feeding consistently can improve your calf-rearing program. In a study published in the Professional Animal Science Journal, calves were fed a low-fat milk replacer (17 percent fat) more […]
A Celebration Of Farmers Like You! Ever wonder about the level of impact your work on the farm has on the world off the farm? Sometimes these things are difficult to step back and consider, especially when daily challenges of pulling calves, broken equipment and inclement weather are top of mind. But good news is […]
Our feed mill will be undergoing scheduled maintenance on Friday, June 7 2019. If you need feed please call your orders in by Thursday, June 6 to ensure that we will be able to manufacture and deliver your order. We will be operating fully again on Monday, June 9.
This past winter there were extreme temperature drops when there wasn’t much snow cover across Wisconsin. With alfalfa stands suffering some degree of winterkill, we need to consider replanting. Different options are appropriate depending on the farmer’s situation. Option 1: Terminate The Current Stand Before First Cut If there are <50 alfalfa stems per square […]
Your nutritional strategy can help your cows beat the heat when on-farm management protocols aren’t enough. Lactating dairy cows are prone to heat stress when the temperature humidity index (THI) rises above 68. A drop in milk production follows within 48 hours. While managing heat stress with on-farm protocols is necessary, nutritional solutions can also […]
