Iowa State University Dairy Farm

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Iowa State University Dairy Farm, Campus Building, 52470 260th Street, Ames, IA.

06/11/2024

Notice: The 2024 Dairy Farm Open House event has been cancelled due to recent storm damage at the farm. Watch for the event again in 2025!

11/14/2023

Congratulations to our dairy judging team on their recent success at the North American International Livestock Exposition! The team placed 5th overall and team member Delana Erbsen was 5th high individual!

Read more of their results here: https://www.ans.iastate.edu/news/2023/erbsen-finished-5th-overall-intercollegiate-dairy-cattle-judging-contest-louisville

07/15/2023

Exciting new things are happening at the ISU Dairy! Stay posted to find out more.

06/01/2023

Celebrate Dairy Month at Open House Events Across Iowa

05/16/2023

Check out these upcoming events for dairy month!
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/celebrate-dairy-month-open-house-events-across-iowa

- June 2, Iowa State Dairy Farm Open House from 7 a.m. until noon, located at 52470 260th St., Ames.
- June 14, Hickory Hill Farms, 4-8 p.m, located at 4045 400th St., Hospers, Iowa.
- June 24, Breakfast on the Farm, at Iowa’s Dairy Center, 8:30 a.m. until noon, located at 1527 Highway 150 S., Calmar, Iowa. Breakfast on the Farm will be held rain or shine. Donations are accepted the day of the event and parking is available on-site.

Celebrate Dairy Month at Open House Events Across Iowa Three dairy open houses are planned, beginning with the Iowa State University Dairy Open House, June 2 at the university farm south of Ames.

05/01/2023

Have you ever wondered what we do everyday in the milking parlor? Here you go! Milking starts at at 6:00am and 6:00pm. We perform over 1,000 individual milkings everyday! The ladies produce 33,333 pounds of milk or 1,375 gallons 365 days a year! That’s the equivalent of 3,333 pounds of cheese or 458 gallons of ice cream

04/28/2023

Is everyone else as excited for the weekend as we are?

04/24/2023

We are hiring! Come work at a top land grant university research and teaching dairy!

Cow Comfort Specialist - ISU Dairy Position Information: Position Title: Cow Comfort Specialist - ISU Dairy Job Group: Professional & Scientific Required Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or equivalent and 3 years of related experience Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge or experience around large animals Knowledge of d...

04/12/2023

As we get ready for breeding today its important to know proper semen handling. Thanks to ST Genetics we have got an awesome graphic on how to correctly prepare semen to be used for breeding!

There are three main things that will effect conception if done incorrectly, when breeding cows:

1. Breeding at the incorrect time-- It's always important to observe animals when they are in standing heat and set an alarm or write down what time you need to go back and breed.

2. Handling semen incorrectly-- The individual straws your purchase to breed cows with are not meant to be sturdy. Handle with care using gloves and tweezers as needed. Water, light, and temperature can all effect the activity and life of semen. Make sure your station is setup up to stay dark, dry, and cool. Always double check to make sure your water bath is at the correct temperature.

3. Depositing semen in the wrong place within the cow-- Even if you do everything right beforehand, incorrectly placing semen in the reproductive tract of a cow will make or break your chance of this animal getting pregnant. Once semen has been thawed, you have 15 minutes to get it placed 1 inch past the end of the cervix. Practice makes perfect when it comes to this step, so always make sure you know what you are doing before you pull the semen out of a tank.

If you have any questions about AI-ing cattle, we are always happy to be a resource!