Cows fed extra fermentable carbohydrates pre- and post-calving produced 5 pounds more milk per day than herdmates on standard diets in a study at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Your herd’s mileage may vary, but it’s a good idea to make sure your dry cows are getting plenty of fermentable carbohydrates starting two to three weeks before calving. Proper carbohydrate nutrition before and shortly after calving may also help prevent metabolic disorders during lactation, according to dairy science grad student Doug Minor and Ric Grummer, a dairy nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

High school students and their parents have a chance next month to visit the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and see if the Farm and Industry Short Course will meet their needs.

Wisconsin, historically a leading state in apprenticeship training, may look to New Zealand to help revitalize dairy farming as a career, according to a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.

Milk components and component pricing will be featured at Marshfield Dairy Day, Dec. 5 at the University of Wisconsin Marshfield Agricultural Research Station.

University of Wisconsin-Madison biologist Neal L. First, a pioneer in the field of reproductive physiology, has been named the recipient of the 1997 Wolf Prize in Agriculture, the world’s most prestigious award for agricultural research.

With increasing concerns about herbicides and environmental problems, more innovative ways of controlling weeds need to be studied. Living mulch may be an option for producers using an integrated weed management system, according to Jerry Doll, extension weed scientist in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Managing crop residues and ground cover for erosion control is important when establishing, maintaining and rotating out of perennial forages, say researchers at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The researchers studied establishing alfalfa with an oat cover crop, growing alfalfa with smooth bromegrass, and killing alfalfa in spring or fall.

Many state dairy farmers are waiting a bit too long to chop corn for silage, and that’s hurting their milk checks. The latest research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that chopping at 65 percent moisture will maximize milk and milk protein yields, according to Randy Shaver, a dairy scientist and extension dairy nutritionist at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Many students seem to learn more when they are actively studying an issue in a community rather than digging through the library for information.

Everyone knows that Wisconsin is the Big Cheddar in U.S. cheese production. And now we’re on our way to becoming the First Feta, the Major Manchengo, or the Radical Roquefort.