April 25 2018
Winter grains, primarily winter triticale or winter rye, are growing in popularity. With management backed by research, yields have moved from 1.5 to 2 tons of dry matter
April 25 2018
With a wealth of information about the care and treatment for calves on dairy farms available, it can be easy to forget some of the basics that have the biggest impact on calf health
March 10 2018
The plant breeders who developed reduced-lignin alfalfa probably didn’t spend much time considering its use in alfalfa-grass seedings
Feb. 25 2018
Cows in early lactation have markedly higher energy requirements, which are not entirely met by energy intake. As a result, cows mobilize fat reserves to compensate for the negative energy balance
Feb. 25 2018
When it comes to milk quality, we are often found discussing “counts” or “values.”
Feb. 10 2018
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
Jan. 25 2018
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
Jan. 10 2018
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
Jan. 10 2018
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
Jan. 10 2018
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
Oct. 10 2017
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
Sept. 25 2017
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
Sept. 10 2017
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
Aug. 25 2017
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
Aug. 10 2017
since the early 1970s, we have had a magical drug that has benefited dairy cow breeding programs — prostaglandin F2α (PGF)
Aug. 10 2017
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...
July 15 2017
We had a wake-up call about market risk when a number of Wisconsin and Minnesota farms lost their milk markets
June 15 2017
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...
June 15 2017
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
June 15 2017
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