Dairy cows do an incredible job of turning the nutrients they consume in their diets into the milk and dairy products we enjoy every day.  One of those nutrients, protein, is key to their diet. Protein has several important functions. It supports growth in young animals, builds muscle, is a component of DNA, and is necessary for milk production. Protein can also be one of the largest out-of-pocket feed expenses for dairy producers. Getting protein feeding right is critical to boost both animal productivity and farm profitability. In this article, we’ll explain what protein is, how it is measured, its different types, and common feed sources.

Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller units called amino acids (AAs), which serve as the building blocks of life and support many essential functions in the cow’s body. Proteins can have very different amino acid compositions between each other.

For many dairy farmers, the decision to switch to Automatic Milking Systems (AMS), or “milking robots,” is driven by a single, pressing reality: labor is hard to find and is getting more expensive.

However, trading human labor for capital investment is not a simple swap. While robots reduce the physical demand of milking, they introduce new costs—maintenance contracts, electricity, facility retrofits—and change the farm’s revenue structure through potential shifts in milk yield and feed costs.

To help producers navigate this complex financial decision, the Dairy Management program at UW-Madison has released the AMS Transition Budgeter. This web-based tool allows farmers to move beyond “back-of-the-napkin” math and visualize the long-term financial impact of retrofitting their farm for robotics.

3rd Tuesday of each month from 11 am - 12 pm CT

Drone Tools for Dairy: From Research to Real-World Use 

Drones are becoming useful tools on dairy farms and in research, providing new ways to observe fields, animals, and environmental conditions.  This webinar will highlight field trials that explore drone applications in dairy systems.  Speakers will share what these projects have taught us, how drone-based measurements compare with traditional methods, and what the results may mean for real-world use. 

From Field to Feed: What We Know About Growing High Oleic Soybeans

Dr. Shawn Conley, Soybean & Small Grains Extension Specialist and Professor, discusses the agronomic side about what makes growing high oleic soybeans different, how they perform in the field, and key management considerations.

From Field to Feed: What We Know About Feeding High Oleic Soybeans

Extension educators Katelyn Goldsmith and Matt Lippert dive into the cow side and discuss fatty acid profiles, potential butterfat benefits, and practical feeding strategies. From growing to feeding in dairy diets, this session discussed what is known about high-oleic soybeans.

Raising dairy calves and replacement heifers is a major expense for Wisconsin dairies; tracking these costs and benchmarking against peers supports better management decisions. Periodically, Wisconsin Extension Educators have collected farm level data to track these costs. Extension is currently seeking this information and needs your help.  If you are interested in having a dairy educator reach out to you, please provide your contact information by clicking the button below.

Information gathered includes average costs for the last complete month related to:

You are invited to participate in the 2026 Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey. Participation is completely voluntary. You can choose to exit at any time. Your responses will be confidential, and published results will be anonymized. The survey will take about 15 minutes. Please feel free to contact Paul Mitchell (pdmitchell@wisc.edu, 608-265-6514) if you have any questions or comments on the survey. Thank you! 

All hay prices quoted are dollars per ton FOB point of origin for alfalfa hay unless otherwise noted. The information presented in this report is compiled from public and private quality tested sales and reports in the Midwest. 

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This program is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension with special support from the following Extension Educators: 

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For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu.

For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.