speckled cow on pasture with barn and silos in background.

Soil Fertility Guidelines for Pastures

As we start to enter the harvest season, it is also a good time to think about completing soil testing for the upcoming growing season. The publication A4034 Soil Fertility Guidelines for Pastures in Wisconsin provides some context about where to test in pastures, where NOT to test, and some general guidelines about liming and […]

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Hereford and black baldie cows on pasture with wooded background and clear blue sky.

Short on Pasture?

Are you getting short on pasture?  Take a look at publication A3902, Extending grazing and reducing stored feed needs.

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Jersey cattle eating silage in a headlock freestall barn.

Quality silage

Quality feed is very important for production of milk on a farm.  Cows are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) that is balanced according to the nutritional needs of the animal.  Energy in the diet is especially important for dairy cattle for daily production of milk, support of digestive health, and for effective utilization of […]

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Picture of a messy desk.

Moving Recordkeeping Towards Financial Management

This is the time of year that many farmers dread: the culmination of a year of receipts, tax season!  You painstakingly keep track of purchases, livestock sold, crop sold, depreciation on equipment, etc. All of this hard work and effort cumulates into the famed schedule F (and other forms) to complete your taxes.  Whew!  Another season under the belt. Wait, don’t stop there. 

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Young Sumatra rooster-head and neck, focused on the eye

How animals see the world

At some point in the course of raising animals, whether that is poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, or some other critter, you will inevitably be moving them around your property.  One of the easy mistakes to make as an animal owner is in how you approach animal handling.  Mistakes in animal handling can lead to cuts, scrapes, bruises, broken bones, or worse.  When working with animals, “slow is fast”. 

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hampshire ewe

Guía para criar ovejas sanas

Con el aumento de los mercados de especialidad, tales como alimentos cultivados localmente, queso de oveja y lanas de especialidad, cada vez más ovejas se están criando en pequeñas granjas. Antes de agregar las ovejas a su granja, asegúrese de que ha considerado todos los detalles esenciales en la vivienda y el cuidado de su […]

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nanny and kid on pasture

Guía para criar cabras sanas

Si está pensando en comenzar una operación de cabra a pequeña escala, aprenda los conceptos básicos antes de decidir si es adecuado para usted. Esta hoja informativa proporciona una visión general de la atención y el manejo de la cabra, incluyendo los requisitos de alimentos y vivienda, cómo proteger a sus animales de la enfermedad, […]

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hampshire ewe

Arlington Sheep Day

The Annual Arlington Sheep Day will be held Saturday morning, March 11, 2017 at the Public Events Facility of the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station, Arlington, WI.  The morning program for adult producers will cover the basics of wool grading making decisions on feeding lambs to different target markets, and an update on current research […]

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orange circle indicating 70% rebate for costs to retrofit tractors with a rollover protection system

Tractor rollbar rebates available

Tractor overturns are the leading cause of farm-related deaths. That’s why it’s so important that each tractor have a rollover protective structure (ROPS). The Wisconsin ROPS Rebate Program reimburses owners up to 70 percent (maximum of $865) toward the total cost of purchasing, shipping and installing individual ROPS. Wisconsin tractor owners can apply for a […]

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close up of lamb, head and shoulders in view, standing near ewe, so the background appears woolly.

Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop

The Lamb Resource Center has recently released a series of factsheets on practices that can help you increase your lamb crop.  These simple practices can help you make the most of your flock.  While geared for the sheep industry, many of these practices could apply to goat herds as well.

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