The rumen is akin to an orchestra. It requires a variety of elements, working in concert with one another, to achieve its end goal. When the rumen is working harmoniously, dairy cattle are able to transform...
We must tell our story. Isn't it fact that dairy recycles so many human waste by-products in what we feed our cattle? For example, vegetable culls or brewers grains
Clearly, neither speaker cited in the March 16, 2015, Intel "Rethinking tail docking" nor the March 9, 2015, Intel "Rethinking animal welfare starts with tails" have ever milked cows in a parallel or carousel-type...
When Mother Nature decides to turn on the summer heat, we have come to expect drops in milk yield and dips in reproductive performance. Another negative consequence of heat stress for today's cows is the...
Since pulsation came on-line, machines have taken a lot of flak for causing mastitis. Observations of the entire milking process, though, are needed to unroot the cause of milk quality problems. Since...
As printed in our March 25, 2015 issue... USDA INCHED DOWN its 2015 All-Milk price forecast to a $17.35 midpoint in March. That was 40 cents lower than one month ago and down $2.85 per hundredweight compared...
As printed in our March 10, 2015 issue... MARGINS FELL to their lowest level since September 2013 as measured by the Milk-Feed-Price Ratio. January's 2.09 netted a $9.18 income-over-feed cost based on...
Of the 3.15 million bulk milk tankers tested last year for antibiotics, only 429 came up with a positive result. That number represents just 0.014 percent of all samples and ties 2013's record low. Positive...
GenElite and Holstein Plaza help bring buyers and sellers together in today's evolving dairy genetics trade. I attended the 124th Wisconsin Holstein Association Convention on February 21 in Hudson, Wis
The steps you take before administering an animal health product play a large role in the treatment's effectiveness. In our animal care toolbox, vaccines and antibiotics are powerful instruments. These...
With the right design, tie stalls can provide excellent cow comfort. If you're milking in an older setup, evaluate what changes could be made to foster comfort and production. by Emily Morabito and Jeffrey...
If you have good prep and good milkers, the use of an automatic teat scrubber or more conventional prep routine should have little impact on production. Forestripping serves two purposes in the parlor:...
Watch the cows to be sure your facility provides the resting space they need. Cows are busy creatures, and one of the most important activities they do is rest. "We want to see high-producing cows lying...
It makes sense that herds with a standardized milking routine would have much lower rates of clinical mastitis. Yet, many parlors lack the consistency cows crave. "The people we depend on in the parlor...
Volatility and opportunities exist in the peaks and valleys.Producing milk is full of peaks and valleys. We love the highs and dread the lows. Understanding your financial status can help your herd maximize...
"Master a trade. Get good at it. Learn to love it. Get passionate." This sage advice comes from television host Mike Rowe, who encourages people to find a will to work hard. Television host Mike Rowe showed...
Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity among children have been hot-button issues long before First Lady Michelle Obama raised the flag of concern six years ago. However, the First Lady's efforts...
After calving, a cow's immune system has its defenses down, bacteria pounce, often leading to a mastitis infection. While a clinical case is easily detected, its subclinical counterpart is a bit more elusive....
A classic game, Jenga tests players' ability to strategically remove blocks from a sturdy tower. One by one, blocks are pulled until the stack comes crashing down. The individual with the steadiest hand...
The dairy industry's biggest producer-focused informational event of the year is just six weeks away, in the form of the 12th Western Dairy Management Conference (WDMC) on March 3, 4 and 5 in Reno, Nev
