Since the advent of A.I. synchronization programs in the early 1990s, many producers now use reproductive hormones to manipulate the estrous cycle of cows in order to time ovulation and insemination and...
by Mike Hutjens & Earl Aalseth, DVM.?Get cows off on the right start every effort and dollar spent on transition cow well-being pays off in the following lactation. Managing far-off, close-up cows and...
In late December, the American Guernsey Association stopped by the Hoard's Dairyman farm to conduct an appraisal of all cows that had calved since October
Fresh less then a month, both calved before their 13th birthday. In late December, the American Guernsey Association stopped by the Hoard's Dairyman farm to conduct an appraisal of all cows that had calved...
In the 23 major dairy states, milk production totals during October rolled in at 15.2 billion pounds. Compared to the same month in 2010, production was up 2.5 percent (0.4 billion pounds) from 14.8 billion...
On November 10 to 11, the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) will honor the nation's most reproductively fit dairy herds. What makes these dairy producers so successful is a question others may be...
Management of the fresh cow during the first 21 days of lactation is a critical control point for maximizing health and productivity on all dairy farms. Identifying an off-feed fresh cow was a breeze when...
Severe drought and record high corn prices have made 2011 a nightmare for beef producers in Texas and surrounding states. One result, though, is the value of cull dairy cows has soared to levels milk producers...
If you can't do everything at once, here's where to start. Dairy cows like cool weather; they do not do like heat or humidity. Some management experts have even described them as "little heaters inside...
A little bit of dairy pageantry may go a long way with a consumer. For 25 years, the Wisconsin State Fair has been the site of the Wisconsin Holstein Futurity. That, in itself, may seem relatively unremarkable....
Does feeding a dfm to fresh cows affect performance? Researchers at Ohio State looked into whether feeding a direct-fed microbial, Propionibacterium strain P169, impacted fresh cow performance. They found...
The farm is growing at a rapid pace, and milk is up. Each month the editors receive our test sheets. In the past 12 months, the farm has averaged 474 cows, 387 in milk – 320 Guernseys and 155 Jerseys....
Last weekend several members of the Hoard's Dairyman staff had the opportunity to attend and volunteer at Cows on the Concourse on the square surrounding Madison's capitol building. A dedicated group of...
If your herd could talk to you about their pen dynamics, what would they say? Would they compliment the soft, bedded freestalls, the wide alley ways, and the roominess of the feedbunk? Or would they be...
Heat hits cows sooner than we thought by R. B. Zimbleman and R. J. Collier The authors are with the Department of Animal Science at the University of Arizona, Tucson. They are affected at a THI of 68....
The European Union's pending enforcement of somatic cell counts of 400,000 cells per milliliter or less for its imported milk products has renewed interest in reducing SCCs across the nation
Handy Hint: March 10, 2011 Cable prevents cows from getting caught in stalls After constructing their recent free stall barn, Jay and Amy Krahn of Brillion, Wis., advised their builder to include a cable...
When a cow's intake of energy does not meet her energy needs for maintenance and milk production, she begins to burn fat as an energy source. One common form of ketosis (Type I) occurs when a cow is in...
As a group, the Hoard Guernsey herd had outstanding feet and leg scores, averaging 81.86 points on 342 cows at the most recent classification. There are a number of reasons for their solid feet and legs:...
