This week we catch up with husband and wife duo (and new parents), Lyman and Chelsea Rudgers on their farm, Rudgers Registered Jerseys.
Chelsea starts her day at 4 am. Milking shifts take 3-4 hours for their 250 cows. Each cow takes 5 minutes to milk and they produce 25 pounds of milk a day!.
Then it’s on to feeding the calves. The calves start off in hutches and then graduate to group housing where they can graze in the pasture.
Lyman spends most of his morning feeding cows and then checks on the herd health and beds the cow stalls. Why did the Rudgers decide to raise Jerseys? Lyman grew up showing Jerseys from ages 8-18 and developed a passion for the breed and had developed a small herd in the process. The family barn was the perfect size for the smaller cows and the rest was history.
Corn silage, haylage, and a grain mixture make up the feed for the cows on Lyman’s farm. This TMR ensures that every bite the cow takes is uniform in nutrition and taste.
Care for the cows and their growing family are the ingredients for success for these first-generation farmers at Rudgers Registered Jerseys. Tune in next week for Part 2 with the Rudgers family.
In Episode 12, Chelsey and Lyman recount how an accident brought the community together and everyone closer.
