Jenna Byrne

Sun Prairie

Associate Editor at Hoard's Dairyman

Featured in: Favicon

hoards.com Favicon

people.com Favicon

usmagazine.com Favicon

usf.edu

pinkvilla.com Favicon

dailytargum.com Favicon

fresherslive.com Favicon

exbulletin.com Favicon

stpetecatalyst.com Favicon

nouvelles-du-monde.com + 1 more

Articles

Farm exposure makes kids healthier

1 week ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

April 14 2025 08:03 AMOur surrounding environment helps build our immune system; what we are exposed to can impact what our immune system can handle. Emily Bourdeau, a graduate student of the Miner Institute, explained why farm kids are often healthier in a recent Farm Report article. Studies have shown that children who grow up on farms are at a lower risk of developing health conditions such as allergies.
Be mindful of mature body weight

2 weeks ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

Underfeeding and overfeeding heifers can result in poor or over-conditioned animals. With the heifer inventory currently being very limited, doing what we can to produce good quality heifers will go a long way. Mature body weight (MBW) is the weight that an animal reaches once it has stopped growing. Farmers use this as a tool to balance rations specifically tailored to their herd.
Ratios can determine expansion decisions

1 month ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

When planning an expansion, farmers tend to focus on the construction and design parts of the building process. Although an important part of the process, farmers must have the plan approved by their financing institution. The expansion must make sense for the farm in terms of growth and profitability and also make sense to the lender.
Agronomy takes hold of AI

1 month ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

With planting season right around the corner, farmers are busy preparing for the year ahead. While we can’t control the weather, we can control other factors, one of them being technology. In an Iowa State University Extension dairy webinar, farm management specialist Alexis Stevens highlighted AI’s role when it comes to agronomy. With over 29,000 AI tools available, farmers are taking cropping to the next level. AI has seen substantial growth over the past 10 years.
Origins of National FFA Week

2 months ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

First only set aside to be celebrated one day a year, National FFA Week has had agriculture students celebrating the seven days around George Washington’s birthday since 1947. During the sixth National FFA Convention in 1933, delegates voted to establish a National FFA Day. During this time, it was recommended that the celebration day be held during a regular National FFA broadcasting day. By doing so, special broadcasts could be planned along with hosting chapter banquets on the day specified.
Bull proof bases to adjust in April

2 months ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

Feb. 17 2025 08:04 AMThe genetics of the U.S. dairy herd has improved incredibly over the years. Now, with the help of technology, we can record more data that helps us adjust genetic evaluations more accordingly. To keep accurate tabs on the ever-changing production traits, once every five years, genetic bases are adjusted to complement the improvement of herdmates, comparing current genetics to the average animal born in 2020.
Choline plays a pivotal role for transition cows

2 months ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

Feb. 17 2025 08:02 AMThere is a list of nutrients that are considered required to help ruminants perform bodily functions properly. Each is specifically designed for a unique function. At the recent Southwest Nutrition Conference held in Chandler, Ariz., professor Jose Santos of the University of Florida discussed the importance of choline in a transition dairy cows’ diet and the role it plays in production, reproduction, and health.
Reducing mycotoxin effects

2 months ago | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

The word mycotoxin is often talked about in the same way that one would talk about bad news — and it can be for dairy farmers, if not managed properly. Defined as a chemical compound that is produced by a fungus, mycotoxins can be toxic for cells when ingested in high concentration, especially when it comes to dairy cows.
Cow longevity begins with management

Jan 23, 2025 | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

Creating success with what you have is the goal when it comes to cow longevity for farmers. Recently, keeping cows in the herd longer may be a route that some farmers are choosing to take as cow and heifer prices continue to skyrocket. As replacement costs continue to rise, longevity is a main area of focus on dairy farms. Cow longevity is defined as the productive life of an individual cow, while productive life is defined as the amount of time from a cow’s first calving until it leaves the herd.
We’re just scratching the surface of AI

Jan 20, 2025 | hoards.com | Jenna Byrne

As the dairy industry dips its toes into artificial intelligence (AI), it is clear that there is still a world of unknown possibilities that lie before us. “For those who love cows and data, this is the golden age,” said Jeff Bewley of Holstein Association USA, who spoke at the recent Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference in Boise, Idaho.