Reproduction drives the dairy farm business. Not only does it determine peak milk production but it drives the operation's long-term replacement pipeline. Dirt lots when well managed (dry, with soft surfaces,...
What's the best timed A.I. program? There are so many synchronization programs that can be used on my dairy herd. My question for a future Artificial Breeding column is which synchronization program would...
Research papers focused on heifer-specific reproductive issues were presented at the 103rd annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In this review, we will...
Comparing crop insurance plans might give us more insight on how to develop a better structure to protect and insure dairy. Crop insurance programs date as far back as the 1930s, but today's extensive...
As yields improve over time, a picture of how to manage corn for optimal silage performance has emerged. The yield march continues for corn silage, according to Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin extension...
The goal of silage face management is to minimize exposure to oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, yeast can metabolize lactic acid (a strong acid that keeps the silage pH low). When pH rises, undesirable...
How you can identify and correct abnormal calving positions. That heifer is definitely in labor. Sometimes you can just tell. She is straining and looks uncomfortable. Plus, there has been little progress...
Learn what you can about calving now before it is too late. Two clean, white tips of hooves are peaking out of the rear end of your 4-H heifer. Soon, a pink nose starts to come. It is her first calf, and...
Traditionally, bull fertility is difficult to evaluate in the laboratory, although many attempts have been made to assess differences among bulls. Part of this difficulty exists because sperm are exposed...
Tweaking synchronization protocols with GnRH, CIDR, or through Double Ovsynch all boosted pregnancy rates. This past summer researchers from around the world met in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the joint...
Since the advent of A.I. synchronization programs in the early 1990s, many producers now use reproductive hormones to manipulate the estrous cycle of cows in order to time ovulation and insemination and...
Last month I shared with you an alternative Presynch program, G-6-G (October 10, page 620). It was suggested as an alternative to the standard Presynch protocol described in that article. A new permutation...
He is a business development manager with Cargill Animal Nutrition Consulting Services. I had two cows abort last week. What do you suppose is going on?" That question comes up several times a year
Activity-based computer system makes heat detection faster, easier, and more effective than anything we've done before. Cows begin wearing the collars at about 30 days in milk. After they have been confirmed...
by Jeff Stevenson The author is professor of animal sciences at Kansas State University, Manhattan. Timed A.I. breeding programs have become very useful to dairy producers for a number of reasons, especially...
Bulls don't do it better. With today's poor farm milk prices, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs to survive. Often, that search leads one to believe that abandoning A.I. breeding might save money...
Questions from our readers . . . What are current dystocia and stillbirth rates among Holsteins? Have there been any comparisons between sexed and conventional semen? S.H., New York We looked at 10.8 million...
Mahanna is with Pioneer, a DuPont Business, and is an adjunct professor at Iowa State University; Thomas is retired from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute and president of Oak Point...
One of the most valuable resources on any dairy is the replacement heifer. As a group, they represent the most fertile population of females on the farm. In addition, if your sire selection has been wise,...
Last month, we looked at the value of getting more cows pregnant earlier in lactation and reducing overall days open. Reducing days in milk for all cows in the herd results in greater profits. Let's look...