Editorial: The permanent fix for over-aged show calves There is no doubt that we are taking better care of our calves and heifers these days. Improved housing and ventilation, more vigilant attention to...
Assuming that things will go smoothly is assuming a lot. On the surface, California's February 4 request to the USDA to implement a statewide Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) looks like an easy slam-dunk
Two new apps are now available to help producers evaluate calves' respiratory health. Respiratory disease can be a devastating issue for the calf caretakers on your farm. According to Terry Ollivett from...
"California voters have egg on their faces," in the February 2, 2015, Hoard's Dairyman Intel, generated a great deal of interest. What follows are readers' comments on the item. - The Editors Most of the...
Forty-six years after California created a statewide milk pricing system that helped it become the largest U.S. dairy state, its three biggest cooperatives have submitted a formal request to join the Federal...
Record-dry January kicked off what looks to be a fourth straight year. It's raining today in big parts of California. A series of storms began pounding the northern half of the state earlier this week...
The downside to the growing trend of emotion-driven ballot initiatives that dictate what farmers can or can't do, the kind that voters are warned might have bad financial consequences but are inevitably...
A calf is like a bank account; for best results, make high-quality deposits starting at day one. On the farm, the best way to measure a calf's immune defenses is by testing for total protein (TP) in blood....
Keep fresh cows "fresher" by identifying high risk cows early on. The high-risk fresh cow: She's older (third lactation or greater), had a difficult calving and is battling lameness. She had a longer lactation...
With another new year underway, California continues to be the largest dairy state by a wide margin, accounting for over 20 percent of all milk made in the U.S. Its dairy industry continues to have much...
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...
"One of the most important events on a dairy is calving," said Mark Thomas, D.V.M., a New York veterinarian and consultant with Dairy Health and Management Services, LLC
The board of directors of California's largest dairy producer lobbying and advocacy organization has dismissed its Chief Executive Officer. The surprise move on December 19 by Western United Dairymen (WUD),...
Today's dairy producers use the lactation curve to schedule milk harvest from a cow. Her milk production level dictates ration changes, housing group and may push up or move back her dry-off date
The combination of more cows, more milk and lower international product prices could place downward pressure on U.S. milk prices. However, lower feed costs should buffer margins on producing milk. by Scott...
For students in Louisville, Ky., the North American International Livestock Exposition provides a unique opportunity for a lesson in agriculture. The North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE)...
In less than 13 months, a lot more management responsibility for proper animal care will be required of anyone shipping milk to some of the nation's biggest dairy cooperatives. One of the boldest headlines...
Additional questions from roundtable article: "Excellent cow care leads to repro success" November 2014 Issue, page 735. Breeding - Who breeds? Dutchland Dairy: Crosby Krischel and Dave Duitscher breed...
As a parched postscript to a third straight year of drought, farmers in California's San Joaquin Valley who hold senior water rights are suing the state for deliveries they didn't receive in 2014, in hopes...
Over the past year, I have repeatedly been asked how I became interested in dairy cattle considering I grew up in a state more well-known for beef and wheat. Many times, that conversation prompt leaves...
