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Consider Grazing Replacements

Maybe you’ve thought about grazing on your dairy farm. You may think your farm is too big or that grazing is just for organic farmers. Anyone at any scale or with any type of operation can graze. And the simplest and most cost-effective way to add grazing into your farm management is to graze your dairy replacements. Grazing dairy heifers is not new and has been researched. Besides positive anecdotal evidence from farmers and custom raisers who already raise dairy replacements on managed pasture, Wisconsin dairy farmers in general see benefits to this management style.
 
In the October 2015 Wisconsin Agriculturist article Consider Grazing Replacements, UW-Extension Dairy & Livestock Agent Jennifer Blazek shares the numerous benefits to raising dairy replacements on managed pasture that can translate into economic returns for the farm.
 

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Season 5, Episode 11: New Split Suckling Research Reveals Surprises

Video: Season 5, Episode 11: New Split Suckling Research Reveals Surprises

A recent research collaboration between a university and a commercial farm studied 1,500 sows and 22,000 piglets and discovered unexpected findings about the common practice of split suckling. Their research found that this long-standing practice might not be benefiting piglets on day one as much as producers previously thought.

Discussing the research are Mikayla Spinler, a graduate research assistant at Kansas State University, and Ashley Hartman, a research coordinator at Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics. The two discuss how the research was chosen, conducted and next steps on today’s episode.