Form-A-Feed’s Dairy Conference is coming up on January 17-18th, 2019 at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing, MN.  You don’t want to miss out on Rising to the Challenge with Form-A-Feed. Here’s why: Learn about key management and financial strategies for producers of any size to be successful and “Rise to the Challenge.” […]

The secret to getting more cows pregnant in a timely manner could already be at your fingertips. In fact, it may be just a few key strokes away. Valuable data is already available for most dairies, and digging into it can unearth both sweet spots and trouble zones that affect reproduction. By targeting areas of […]

The lactation curve of milk production on some farms can be complicated. The question of how we get more production from cows comes up in many conversations between nutritionists and their producer customers. A “normal” lactation curve can be broken down to some simple basic principles. One of those basic principles is: The higher the […]

It is calving season! A lot of calves have already hit the ground. Although we focus on making sure the calf receives a clean and adequate amount of colostrum, cows also need special attention during the transition period (21 days before and 21 days after calving). Fine-tuning during this phase can set up the potential […]

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. Dairy operations already possess several assets that make up a successful dairy steer feedlot: a source of bull calves, a […]

As part of my summer internship with Form-A-Feed, I had the opportunity to visit with many dairy farmers in the Upper Midwest that are utilizing robotic milking systems.  During my visits with the robotic herds, I came across some common advice from those farmers:   Do your homework! Research robot brands and barn designs. Do […]

I often tell a dairy producer that I must speak for the cows when I am justifying the need to make a change to a feeding strategy, management protocol, facility design, and so on.   I don’t like to give human emotions and qualities to cows, but we often hear about the importance of having happy […]

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs and poultry. It is caused by microscopic protozoan organisms known as coccidia. They live in the cells lining the intestinal tract. Nearly all mature cattle are infected with coccidiosis, but they have developed a natural immunity to the disease and show no signs or symptoms. […]

Form-A-Feed is excited to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of the Tend-R-Leen program this year. Tend-R-Leen was first introduced to the market in 1963 after years of extensive research as the first high energy, whole shell corn program for dairy steers.  Since that time, the program has evolved to incorporate new technology and feed enhancements to […]

Form-A-Feed is excited and proud to unveil our new calf program, Prime Life™. The Prime Life program was developed to provide livestock with high quality nutrition during the prime stages of their life. Starting out as young, healthy, growing calves, that successfully transition into strong production animals, the Prime Life program is designed to optimize nutrition […]

Based on the Minnesota Farm Business Management annual report, feed costs represent 40 to 60% of the total cost of producing milk on dairy farms (this includes heifers & dry cows also).  Prices paid for purchased commodities or forages greatly impact feed cost and farm profitability.  Dairy farmers have little control over these prices, unless […]

As 2018 arrives, so do many new opportunities. However as many know, it also ushers in a period of lower milk prices. In these tough times, there is a real desire for strong communication between myself as a dairy nutrition specialist, and my clients. Being united as a team will bring answers to questions that […]