During our careers, we’ve had the privilege of seeing not just one, but several new plant genetic technologies dramatically change the crop production landscape

very dairy has cows with chronic high somatic cell counts (SCC). My definition of a chronic high SCC cow is one that has a SCC of 400,000 or higher for two or more consecutive tests

As a dairy management trainer, I am fortunate to visit farms all over the world. It still amazes me what I can learn from these visits. I especially remember one particular farmer

Balancing micronutrients in rations is increasingly important as milk production intensifies and farms strive for efficient production. In the past, trace nutrient formulation was often overlooked and

Trying to successfully treat a case of clinical or subclinical mastitis with intramammary tubes can sometimes be a crapshoot, as cure rates are typically 50 percent or less

What is a herd health plan, and why do I want one? A herd health plan is essentially a road map of our cows’ lives from birth to their humane death

Housing and management play an important role in the performance and health of fresh cows. Much of that impact is mediated through the effects of those factors on the behavior of dairy cows

It’s never too early to begin planning for late summer and early fall management of alfalfa (and alfalfa-grass). First, check your recent soil analyses, and take soil samples for a new analysis

Lameness can be a major health concern on many dairy farms. Not only is this an animal welfare issue, but various reports indicate that each case of lameness can cost $90 to $300

since the early 1970s, we have had a magical drug that has benefited dairy cow breeding programs — prostaglandin F2α (PGF)

Dairy producers have been battling digital dermatitis (DD), more commonly known as hairy heel warts, for decades. Digital dermatitis was first discovered in Italy in 1974 and has been detected in herds...

We had a wake-up call about market risk when a number of Wisconsin and Minnesota farms lost their milk markets

Each and every time tetracycline is applied to a cow’s hoof to treat digital dermatitis, there must be a veterinarian prescription because that use of the product is extra-label.Federal and state...

The older we get, the faster summer seems to go by. Just as we begin to enjoy bright sunshine and warm weather, fair time and school time come along to signal the approaching end to another summer

Sometimes I think water is not valued enough for dairy cattle because it seems to be “free” or costs little compared to other feedstuffs. And it all begins with calves

At times, feed and forage analyses combined with an advanced nutrition model diet or ration formulation provide the means to improve herd health, performance, and profitability

You’ve heard it before: calves fed a higher plane of nutrition make more milk in the first lactation. But how does it happen?

What will U.S. dairy farming be like in a half century? That was the focus of a topic I presented at the Tucker Endowed Lecture at Michigan State University this past March

In alfalfa fields, weeds are no more welcome than rain on freshly cut hay. Weeds compete for the same resources needed to grow a good crop of alfalfa: water, nutrients, and light

Finding performance and profitable opportunities within your nutrition program can happen through various channels