The author is the managing editor and covers animal health, dairy
housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy
farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of
Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master’s degree
from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s from University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
One of the three largest expenses on a dairy farm is raising replacements, and the greatest cost in that category is the feed it takes to get a heifer from birth to first lactation
All the physical and metabolic changes that take place at calving cause stress on a cow’s immune system and elevate the risk for developing metabolic disorders
The macronutrient nitrogen is essential for corn growth. This needed nitrogen is delivered to fields using fertilizer or manure, but the best timing for application can depend on several factors
Just 10 years ago, a good goal for milkfat production in a Holstein herd was 3.75%. Between 2000 and 2012, the average butterfat test in the Midwest was 3.7% to 3.8%
Individual dairy calf housing was a concept that arose in the 1960s. At the time, dairy farmers were struggling with high rates of calf morbidity and mortality
Most people who have spent time working with fresh cows would agree that clinical hypocalcemia, often known as milk fever, becomes more of a problem as cows get older
It was once common practice to treat nearly every fresh cow with a bottle of calcium intravenously (IV) to ward off milk fever, or clinical hypocalcemia
Group housing for preweaned calves often comes with an investment in automated feeders, but it doesn’t have to. The Paxton family of Grove City, Pa., is a working example of this.At Irishtown Acres
For Steele, a professor at the University of Guelph, calf health all starts with colostrum. He reminded the audience about the importance of cleanliness for both the colostrum and the equipment used to...
While planting season is well underway in the southern half of the U.S., a cold and wet spring has many farmers in more northern states playing a waiting game
The price of milk is in a race with the price of feed as both continue to climb in 2022. A higher milk price is welcomed by farmers, but profits are cut short
What do you see when you envision the future of calf care on dairy farms?For dairy researcher Michael Steele, he believes that data and precision management will shape the way we raise calves
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was first detected in an Indiana poultry flock in early February, and by early April about half of the states in the U.S. had confirmed cases
Dairy farming has made great strides in efficiency and reducing its environmental impact. Between 1944 and 2007, the carbon footprint for a gallon of milk has been reduced by two-thirds
