Some farming operations have turned to agritourism as a way to share the value of agriculture with the typical consumer. While a small portion have turned this educational platform into a viable business...
Idaho and Oregon will become the leaders in U.S. raw milk quality in coming months, when maximum somatic cell count limits for farm milk shipments in those states drop to 400,000 and 500,000, respectively
Ultrasynch - a simpler program to breed cows. Improved preg rates has been just one positive result of using ultrasynch, reports Dave Stanton of Saylor Dairy (left) and Stevie Braun of COBA Select Sires...
In 1989, a major breakthrough in sperm sexing was reported by USDA scientists in rabbits. Insemination of rabbit does with Y-chromosome-bearing sperm resulted in 81 percent males, whereas insemination...
Hosted by "Survivor: Cook Islands" winner, Yul Kwon, the most recent PBS series, "America Revealed," provides a general overview of four key systems that keep our nation thriving: food, energy, manufacturing,...
Many dairy farmers turned sour on sexed semen as 2009 unfolded. The reasons were obvious: Cash flows reduced discretionary spending, and sexed semen was viewed as discretionary, $30 more a straw compared...
Reproductive failure is the number one reason for involuntary culling. The economic importance of getting cows pregnant in a timely manner is, thus, no surprise. Fertility decline is a combination of many...
When was the last time you or your A.I. technicians had an A.I. refresher course? A.I. breeding is not like riding a bicycle - once you master the skill of cycling you have no need of a refresher course....
Oh, how things have changed in the last 125 years! Although no one now living was alive in 1885, we have good evidence that dairy cattle reproduction in 2010 is very different - not the biological processes...
How does $3 milk sound? Ridiculous of course, yet the effective buying power that U.S. dairy producers have had for over 20 years has been even less when Class III prices are adjusted for inflation back...
As a Green Tier participant, Holsum Dairies, LLC, Hilbert, Wis., has a commitment to environmental stewardship. "We are environmentally conscious and want to know the impact our practices have," noted...
"Despite years of research, we still have sick cows," noted Nina von Keyserlingk, University of British Columbia, at the 2012 Herd Health and Nutrition Conference in Syracuse N.Y. Even with the herd health...
Milk production is beginning to outpace demand even though domestic and international consumption remains strong. As this takes place, milk prices could soften. For good or bad, basic economics remain...
As yields improve over time, a picture of how to manage corn for optimal silage performance has emerged. The yield march continues for corn silage, according to Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin extension...
The goal of silage face management is to minimize exposure to oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, yeast can metabolize lactic acid (a strong acid that keeps the silage pH low). When pH rises, undesirable...
Big changes and much stricter rules are looking very likely. Enormous change appears to be coming in the way dairies and other livestock operations are accustomed to using pharmaceuticals on their animals,...
Learn what you can about calving now before it is too late. Two clean, white tips of hooves are peaking out of the rear end of your 4-H heifer. Soon, a pink nose starts to come. It is her first calf, and...
Questions from our readers . . . What are current dystocia and stillbirth rates among Holsteins? Have there been any comparisons between sexed and conventional semen? S.H., New York We looked at 10.8 million...
Mahanna is with Pioneer, a DuPont Business, and is an adjunct professor at Iowa State University; Thomas is retired from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute and president of Oak Point...
