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.
Moms everywhere have been touting the importance of breakfast for decades, and research has proven its value time and again. A recent study solidifies the saying that breakfast is the most important meal...
Current research is taking a look at serotonin's role in calcium uptake and its future potential in helping ward off milk fever. The start of lactation greatly raises the need for calcium in a dairy cow....
Great effort is placed on preventing and managing common illnesses that strike calves, including respiratory disease and scours. When calculating calf loss, however, many farms forget about calves that...
When genomic testing became commercially available a few years ago, it was almost immediately incorporated into genetic evaluation systems for dairy cattle. Today, genomic data is used to select young
U.S. dairy farmers are in shrinking company. The nation lost 62.5 percent of its dairy farms between 1992 and 2012. The part of the country hit hardest was the Southeast region, where the dairy industry...
A small agricultural business in Idaho has a big goal. It is in the running for a free 30-second advertisement during the Super Bowl on February 2, 2014. Glenn Vander Woude, Scott Den Hartog and Ben Bieri...
In a tough competition, two of the contests were won by a point or less. Three dairy judging contests were held at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., on Sunday, November...
Avoid negative energy balance, which has been shown to lead to negative reproductive performance in dairy cows. High milk production is oftentimes linked to poor reproductive performance in dairy cattle....
Farms that shine in reproductive performance have been recognized each year since 2009 by the Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council. This year's award winners were announced last week at the 8th annual Dairy...
Climbing demand for ultra high temperature pasteurized milk (UHT milk) in China opens another door of opportunity for the U.S. dairy industry. Chinese UHT milk imports were worth $76 million last year....
People from around the globe met to discuss dairy cattle reproduction this week. The 8th annual Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council (DCRC) meeting wrapped up yesterday in Indianapolis, Ind. More than 240...
Five awarded as platinum winners. The top herds for reproduction received their awards at the 8th annual Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. This is the fifth year that herds...
Facility design, space and frequent stirring are essential elements in successful compost bedded pack barns. "Compost barns are not your grandfather's bedded pack," explained Jeffrey Bewley, assistant...
Breeding heifers on body weight alone may not be in your best interest, according to Pat Hoffman, dairy specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He shared information about heifer breeding...
Investments in pasture and people are key to a successful grazing program. "Are we still heading the right direction with grazing?" That is the question Joel McNair, editor of Graze magazine, asked the...
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, said Stacey Hamilton, dairy specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, at their grazing conference last week. Designing a grazing system takes thoughtful...
Needlestick injuries are actually quite common and can result in injury and loss of work for both workers and veterinarians. Needlestick injuries are a common risk to those working in health care professions,...
An old dairy ration evaluation tool has a new trick. The Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS) received an update for 2013 in the form of a 0.16-inch (or 4 mm) screen. This new, smaller screen adds the...
The type of pathogen and history of the cow should play a role in mastitis treatment decisions."You must know the mastitis pathogen to know how to treat it," said Pam Ruegg, extension milk quality specialist...
A fall alfalfa harvest: should you do it on your farm? If you are short on forage supplies, the answer may be yes. Alfalfa stores energy in its roots and crowns. These energy reserves are used by the plant...
