A Day at Hoard's Dairyman Farm

You might be familiar with Hoard's Dairyman magazine, but how much do you know about the actual farm? Not only does Hoard's Dairyman have people working hard to create an informative magazine, but there are also a lot of people working hard around the clock to care for the herd's 270 Guernsey cows in Fort Atkinson, Wis.

I'm Ashley Sprengeler and, as one of the 2009 Hoard's Dairyman farm interns this summer, I get the chance to learn from the managers and workers responsible for running a well-respected Wisconsin dairy herd. I'm currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I'm majoring in dairy science with an international agriculture and Spanish emphasis. Being just three weeks into my internship, I've already learned many things about the day-to-day farm activities.

Work begins at 3 a.m. where all the cows are milked in a double-10 herringbone milking parlor. After milking, the cows are brought back to their stalls where they are fed a balanced diet of corn, haylage, cotton seed, silage, and other nutrients. At 4 a.m. herd health starts, and all sick and fresh cows are looked over and given proper medications.

The work doesn't end there; throughout the day calves, heifers, and dry cows are fed, bedded, and checked over for any signs of sickness. The farm has a veterinarian come out every Monday for pregnancy checks and any other care the cattle might need.

With summer already here, I'm excited to be out in the Wisconsin weather and to learn more about the Hoard's Dairyman Farm.