Employee recruitment and training is by far one of the most difficult aspects of dairy farming today. "How do I recruit and train good employees?" is an ongoing struggle in many dairy circles. According...
Lameness scoring is important for gauging mobility and animal welfare on farms, but the buck cannot stop at identifying a problem. "All lameness evaluations do is say we have a problem. We must take it...
The standard of excellence begins with the boss when it comes to animal welfare. What's the hardest part of initiating a training program for animal welfare on today's dairies? If you ask Luís Mendonça,...
One of the best ways to improve dry matter intake and bolster milk production is by paying close attention to cows' feeding behaviors. At the recent Large Dairy Herd Management Conference, the University...
Humans are programmed to need 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep a night. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Every now and then that warning slips across our radar again. "Get enough sleep; it's important." It's also...
"You can't manage something you can't measure." At the recent Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, Perdue AgriBusiness' Normand St. Pierre one-upped this old saying. "A number is meaningless unless you...
The feed center of a dairy farm can be equated to the kitchen of a popular restaurant operating anywhere from a few hours to all day. As it grows and changes, it will be judged on its ability to run smoothly...
The newest book from the Hoard's Dairyman bookstore sheds light on prevention, management, and treatment options for limiting antibiotic use. Antibiotics have been an important part of dairy animal welfare...
Research indicates multiple rations save money and resources, but it depends on the farm. No doubt efficiencies and economics are top of mind for dairy producers. This is not a new situation. Dairy producers...
"Meatless Mondays" are no fix for global warming by Maggie Seiler, Associate Editor Kicked off in the early 2000s, "Meatless Monday" was meant to be an opportunity for Americans to join in a cause, one...
Saturday is World Veterinary Day and our opportunity to stop and say thanks to an integral part of the farm team - veterinarians. "Do you know what that is?" This was the prompt that started many a conversation...
Once it's harvested, it's all you have to work with. That's the story with forage quality. At last week's Tri-State Dairy Conference, Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison forage specialist,...
Tightly correlated, managing SCC is an important step in limiting antibiotic use. Mastitis remains the most prevalent health problem in dairy herds according to the USDA's Dairy 2014, and it's not one...
This is the season to start thinking heat abatement strategies as several southern states are already experiencing warmer temperatures and rising humidity. Meanwhile, it's warming up in northern states,...
Behavioral changes and bacterial cultures both show early promise in identifying metritis cases. Characterized by discolored vaginal discharge and an offensive odor, metritis is a top health and reproductive...
Organic agricultural production has become a household name in the United States with the total domestic market valued at more than $39 billion. Globally, organics account for over $75 billion. Data released...
Survey shows: dairy producers believe in the power of prevention. Prevention is key. This was a favorite mantra of my family's veterinarian. Every time he came out to diagnose a particular problem in the...
Manure isn't cheap energy. The excitement surrounding the green power of poop appears to be waning as the number of anaerobic digesters on U.S. livestock operations plateaued in 2013. As of May 2015, 260...
Long-term growth and short-term fluctuation are the new norm for commodity markets. In Kansas this past weekend, my relatives woke up to a blanket of snow. Almost 3 inches fell there overnight and greeted...
Don't blame the bugs. "When it comes to calf health, most of the time it's not the bugs that are the problem," Daryl Nydam, Cornell University, said as a way of introducing his presentation on calf health...
