To boost transition success, focus on feed bunk space, pen moves, ample-size free stalls or bedded packs, surface cushion, and effective screening of cows needing attention. In 2005, we surveyed the transition...
Wide rows, quick dry-down, same-day harvest leads to more milk potential. Forage quality drives milk production. And the only measure of forage quality that truly matters is the quality of forage that...
Disk mowers can devour grass yields. Improved harvest speeds and reduced equipment repairs have made disk mowers incredibly popular. However, if you have grass-heavy stands, use caution in the ability...
New tool better estimates alfalfa quality. Relative forage quality (RFQ) is the new standard to measure alfalfa quality. It replaces Relative Feed Value (RFV) which was a good tool in ranking forages for...
The time is now to test your manure for nitrogen; the fertilizer savings could surprise you. The author is a nutrient management educator for Michigan State University Extension. For more information,...
Fiber level (NDF) still rules. Compare digestibility values to the average for the lab. He acknowledges the useful input of Dave Mertens at USDA's Dairy Forage Research Center. Fiber and starch digestibility...
The author works with Oak Point Agronomics, Hammond, N.Y, and is formerly with the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, N.Y. Miner Institute's dairy operation includes a slurry manure...
New dairies aren't drawing more of area water supplies. Adding cows hasn't changed Texas Panhandle cropping. As the dairy industry has moved west, it has become more dependent upon groundwater rather...
The goal of packing a bunker silo is to get high-quality feed in the smallest amount of space. Shape the pile correctly, blade thin layers, and use adequate tractor weight, says Lucas Vander Kinter (shown...
Let's Improve Bunker Management Many farms still miss the mark when it comes to managing bunkers. Are you packing properly? A dozen years ago I was involved with a field study in eastern Wisconsin with...
How can the dairy industry tackle Johne's disease head-on? Here's a right-to-the-point summary. Veterinarians • Become a Johne's certified veterinarian. This task is done easily and affordably by...
What is the best test? How do diagnostic tests fit into a Johne's disease control program? Experts agree that it's prohibitively expensive to do a fecal culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test...
Don't buy your Johne's. In the U.S. today, roughly 5 percent to 10 percent of random source dairy replacements are infected with M. paratuberculosis. Five experts arrived at a consensus opinion on the...
It's not just about Johne's. To help limit disease it is important to keep calves individually housed and eliminate contact with other calves, as well as manure from the adult cows. Controlling Johne's...
Proven Practices for Johne's Disease Control and Prevention.Despite greater awareness of Johne's disease, the negative impact it has on dairy farms continues to grow
Claw disorders generally are related to a combination of rumen acidosis issues and problems that result in too much weight being handled by parts of the hoof. Infections, such as warts, foot rot, heal...
Hoof care, foot disorders, and lameness issues have evolved greatly since the original Hoof Atlas was published over a quarter century ago. With that in mind, the International Lameness Committee developed...
Summer's heat and humidity are upon us. Are you ready to minimize summer stresses on your cows? Two main responses cows usually have to heat and humidity are to eat less feed and produce less milk. Another...
Salmonella infections continue to be a problem in both calf raising operations and dairy herds. Infections with these organisms can range from asymptomatic to severe intestinal and systemic disease