Can we select cows for reduced methane production? This is a question that genetics researchers around the world are tackling, as we seek to reduce the environmental footprint of dairy farming. Dairy cattle...

With so much attention placed on animal welfare, the perspective of farmers is often overlooked, even though they are the ones who provide care to animals daily and have the greatest impact on animal welfare

Regardless of the cropping season, now is a great time to think about how you can maximize your herd’s response to the forages you’ve harvested. Proper grouping and allocation of forages is...

There are several reasons why fall is my favorite time of the year. Dropping temperatures, cooler mornings, turning leaves, and perhaps most importantly, football. To be sure, the September games can feel...

Working in the dairy industry, I have witnessed some moments I will cherish forever. From being able to watch a calf’s first breath to helping a cow recover from illness, there are many things I...

August is always a difficult month for a dairy cow. In my experience, heat stress seems to have some cumulative risk for cows

In years past, while milking in the parlor, labeling an animal as a cull cow was pretty straightforward

Sometime during the summer, nearly every dairy-producing part of the country will experience enough heat to cause stress for bovines that results in reduced milk yield, poor reproductive performance, and...

The day of a cattle show can be stressful. Having someone follow the cows around with a manure pan is crucial in order to catch any excrement that comes out the back side

Global and domestic demand for dairy products remains weak amid slowing economic conditions

I love looking back into my history of feeding cows and seeing things that we simply figured out by trial and error that years later have scientific explanations of why they work

Those in dairy circles have long known that the dairy cow has a unique ability to convert forages into nutritious milk

Human and animal interactions: Impacts on cows and caregivers is presented by: Lily Edwards-Callaway, Colorado State University

During my reign as the 2022 Virginia Dairy Princess, I was asked a particularly interesting question, “What do you think cows would say if they could talk?”

Disease can have a significant impact on both dairy cattle welfare and the financial success of the entire dairy industry

Even before heat stress affects people, dairy cattle around the globe feel the negative impacts during hot weather seasons much sooner

When we started milking in our robotic milking facility, we were fetching cows that hadn’t come up to milk on their own seven to eight times per day

As agriculture’s labor pool continues to shrink, the dairy industry faces the challenging reality of attracting and retaining employees. Other businesses like construction, landscaping, hotels, and...

My first cow was Star. She was a beautiful, mostly black Holstein that was large in stature and a gentle, old soul-type personality