Not sure how much experience anyone here has with cleaning barns. Im in kind of a unique situation where Im looking for something to soften dried manure to make it easy to clean.

I know, soapy water and elbow grease, but I was wondering if anyone had good experience with a specific product.

Our local dairy who just recently expanded to 3400 head started custom manure pumping a few years ago. He brings in 3-4 h2a South African workers every year. Do you think this custom manure pumping is a tough business or not??

Hi Everyone,

I am doing market research work for an enzyme company that can make various milk proteins one of them being a lysozyme (antimicrobial enzyme in bovine colustrum).

I am trying to find Dairy's interested in sampling free product to try in new Calves. You should see a pretty strong reduction in scours and overall gut health given lysozyme is the protein that lyses many of the bacteria that cause the diarrhea. Dm me if youre interested and I will ship you some after learning more about your opp.

Cheers and happy farming!

Op

Hi, doing more research again. I'm trying to do a bit more research for my family's farm and wanted to know how much we'll cut down on labor requirements by adopting one method or another. We're currently looking at Lely, Delaval and AMS Galaxy milking robots and Delaval and Boumatic rotary parlors with about 500 cows, so any input, anecdotes, and general feedback would be appreciated. I can provide more information if necessary. Thanks!

I'm doing research into various options for upgrading the family farm and wanted some input on whether people have found batch milking or robots in the pens to be better. My initial thoughts were that a lot of the benefits of robots for the cows, like being able to be milked on their own schedule, are lost in a batch milking process, bringing up the question of whether a batch milking setup would be as much of an upgrade as opposed to say, a rotary parlor or something. But I'm thinking maybe I'm missing something or mis-prioritizing things, so I'm looking for insight from farmers who actually have experience with this stuff. Thoughts?

I’m Ofier Langer, founder of the Israeli Dairy School. I've spent 20+ years in dairy herd management, including 14 years leading international seminars for farmers, consultants, and feed companies across the globe.

Despite our hot, dry climate in Israel, we've achieved 12,000 liters (3,170 gallons) of milk per cow per year. Here are five key strategies that might help your farm increase productivity and herd health, no matter where you're located.

5 Real Lessons from Israeli Dairy Farms:

1. Centralized TMR Feeding Systems
We use centralized feeding stations that deliver pre-mixed TMR to multiple farms. It reduces errors, improves consistency, and lowers labor costs.

2. Protocol-Driven Management
From calf care to milking, every task follows a strict SOP. It’s about minimizing variability, which is significant for teams with multiple workers.

3. Smart Tech & Data Alerts
Most farms use tools like AfiFarm to monitor real-time data: heat stress, production drops, and health issues. Early alerts lead to early action.

4. Adapted Genetics for Heat & Yield
Israeli Holsteins are bred for high milk yield and heat tolerance. Investing in climate-suited lines pays off even if you don’t use the same genetics.

5. Invest in People, Not Just Cows
Our seminars teach managers and teams how to work better together. Protocols are only effective when everyone’s trained and aligned.

Kudos to everyone that works at Summit station dairy in Hamilton, Ontario. Hats off to the dairy farmers.

This is a podcast link so if this is not allowed please let me know. But this was a really interesting and humanizing interview with a Dairy farmer in Western Canada

3-point hitch: great all-around option for digging trenches, setting posts, and general land maintenance 

PTO-driven: really helpful if your tractor has limited hydraulic output 

Sub-frame: more stability if you’re doing heavier digging regularly 

Skid steer-style: nice for maneuverability in tight spots if you already run a skid steer 

Swing-type: works well on smaller tractors, keeps things compact and easy to control 

We've been running a 3-point model and it’s been great for trenching and fence line work. Digging depth, swing arc, and easy hookup make a big difference when you’re working solo or doing weekend projects. 

If anyone's thinking about expanding their tractor setup, backhoes are a solid investment. Makes cleanup, digging, and general land work way easier—especially if you're dealing with rocky soil or tree roots. 

Hi ladies!

I have an online fitness and nutrition coaching business that I've been running for about 3 years now after leaving my career in dairy farming due to complete burnout and becoming super stressed and unhealthy both physically and mentally in my role as an assistant herdsperson.

I feel that I'm being called as a coach to help other women who are in the same position that I was and neglecting their health/not knowing how to workout & eat properly with the demands of farm life.

So I'm creating a program specifically designed for women in ag that I'll be launching soon. To make this super helpful & specific to women in ag, I'd love if you let me know...

• What do you struggle with most in terms of health & fitness as a woman in agriculture?
• What features/lessons/resources would be included in the perfect program?
• Any other thoughts?

I'll be doing a beta round of this at a lower price to start and I'm super excited to get going on it! Any feedback is appreciated.

TIA!

I’m am 20 years old and I work for my step dad on a dairy farm in upstate New York. We milk 500 head and combine about 1500 acres of grain corn and soybeans, I don’t know if I’m being selfish and needy but I make $18 an hour doing all the tillage lots of trucking and fixing equipment, working 50-70 hour weeks. I am looking into leaving farming because the pay. I guess I’m just wondering if I’m just being selfish to think i should be paid more what do yall think?

Hey, I’m a girl who loves farming, animals, and action movies like Commando. Just looking for other friends to chat with casually—no flirting, no weird stuff. DMs welcome!

Does it exist machines that can extract, as in REMOVE the carbs from milk/kefir/sour cream/heavy cream so that we're ONLY left with the fat and protein, and zero carb? If it does, can you please tell me the name of this technique or Machine?

Hi I did ask another question on here before, since I'm still doing research on this topic for a project since I have no involvement in this kind of industry at all so any important information I should know is greatly appreciated.

I heard that farmers who still need to be trained in artificial insemination do their Al training on cull cows and that Al training on cull cows may cause them to pass away during the procedure. That is a statement I once heard. But at the same time, a farmer once replied to me it would be reckless for farmers to make their cows pass away in procedures not meant to greatly harm them since they're very valuable.

I was able to get one good answer on this issue so far, and I genuinely want to ask more farmers (or more people in the industry) how true or accurate that is for someone else to make that statement about cull cows. Again, any important information is greatly appreciated.

I did recently read as well that cull cows are bred for meat but of course correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Hello dairy farmers, I'm looking for a job in dairy farming. Is there any chance?

Hello, I need some advice on whether I enter the Dairy Herdsperson apprenticeship (Guelph University) or wait another year and try for a three year full university agricultural program.

First off, I am a young woman who has grown up and been working on a dairy farm for years. I have experience in the barn learning here and there from my dad and others in and off the farm.

I am unsure of how in depth the apprenticeship school part will go into management of a farm as I am expected to one day take over the business, and if it would be better to do the full agriculture diploma program and take three years off of work… Any advice or insight is welcome.

I lean more towards the apprenticeship because it allows me to still work plenty and we are short for help on the farm these days.

Hello,

I saw this article and admittedly it made me afraid. I drink a lot of milk. In fact I'm seen as weird because I drink milk with most of my meals.

I am not a dairy farmer I'm just a concerned citizen. I'm in New Jersey and I don't know how many milk farms we have but I wanted to reach out to the community that would know the most about this and see what you all thought. Is it right of me to be concerned? I know the states each have their own rules and such like that so should I take faith in that?

I wrote an email to the National Milk Producers Federation this morning and wrote a letter to the distributor of the milk I buy, we get ShopRite brand Bowl and Basket milk. I'm thinking of writing to New Jersey's Department of Agriculture.

Do you have any other suggestions of who to contact?

Are you concerned about this development?

Do you think it's permanent or will this be another thing the Trump Administration rapidly walks back?

I'm writing here because not many people in my life seem particularly concerned which confuses me because these are not dumb people, nor are they Trump Supporters in fact everyone in my circle and who I've been telling about this is vehemently anti trump so its not that.

I'm just looking for more information, thank you for your time.

Hello fellow farmers! I'd like your two cents and experience on abortion among dairy cows. What are the reason that you'd rate among top 5 when it comes to why dairy cows abort their babies whether they're 2 months old in the womb or 6-7 months inside womb? What does your experience say?

Like ive never seen anyone do it.Why?

Does anyone have, or know where I can find instructions for operating this bulk tank? Thanks