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....
We hear a great deal of discussion about sustainability. Just what that means is like asking, "What is grass-fed beef?" The true definition should be evaluated from two points of view. One, producer sustainability...
"We face a period of darkness before the dawn," Rabobank's global dairy strategist Tim Hunt told attendees at the 2015 Dairy Forum. "The U.S. is still one of the best dairy bases in the world. However,...
You're hot, sweaty and tired. You gave your workout your all, and now your body is in need of rehydration. So, what do you reach for to recover from your time logged at the gym? Recent work from Griffith...
In a fast-paced world filled with personal electronic devices, garnering the attention of today's shoppers will require even more nimble strategies than ever before. Dairy will have to evolve and deal...
DHIA milk sample-based method is 91 percent accurate identifying herd prevalence. Next to mastitis, perhaps no subclinical health problem is as common, as unseen (if not outright ignored) or as costly...
In difficult economic times, we become better managers. Shrink is one area where we can tighten our belts. Dairy rations are balanced on the cents per cow that an ingredient will add to or cut from a feed...
Hints to help you save time and computer space. Ah, a clean desk. No piles of brochures and papers surrounding your computer. Few farm offices can claim a pristine desk appearance much less a decluttered...
One of the keys for a breed to remain economically viable is the ability to make genetic progress, and small populations are at a large disadvantage in this respect. Genomic selection may create an even...
There were some surprises in who signed up for the Dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy), according to figures announced recently by USDA. The biggest surprise is who didn't sign up: almost half...
"I'm fine." How many times have family members commented when a loved one looks under the weather and got that response? I venture a lot if you deal with farmers. They are the "no excuses, gotta get work...
The nation's major dairy states led the pack for both corn silage and alfalfa forage harvest. Producers in Wisconsin put up 15.7 million tons of corn silage, while California stored 10.9 million tons of...
Handy Hint: January 25, 2015 This mineral feeder stays in place We use this concrete pipe to offer our cows a mineral block and sodium bicarb. It is roughly 20 inches tall and 20 inches in diameter. It...
As a Holstein steer gets bigger, its ADG (average daily gain) and feed efficiency go down. However, they left out the facts that, with a proper implant and high energy, no forage feeding program, you can...
An invasive pest from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug was first identified in Pennsylvania in 2001. Since that time, it has spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The bug causes damage to a variety...
USDA announced this morning that over 23,000 dairy producers signed up for the farm bill's new Margin Protection Program for Dairy or MPP-Dairy. That represents a brisk sign-up given that the nation's...
Hoard's Dairyman Webinar Archives January 12, 2015: "Feeding cows for transition success" presented by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois "Feeding cows for transition success" was presented by Mike Hutjens,...
It was drilled into my head from a very young age to watch out for calves with droopy ears, sunken eyes and clear signs of illness. Many producers use physical and behavioral signs such as these to detect...
Meal preparation has become streamlined as time-strapped consumers want quick and easy recipes. In response to that demand, the Beef Checkoff has put a whole lot of research muscle behind convenience....
