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...
Reproduction drives the dairy farm business. Not only does it determine peak milk production but it drives the operation's long-term replacement pipeline. Dirt lots when well managed (dry, with soft surfaces,...
What's the best timed A.I. program? There are so many synchronization programs that can be used on my dairy herd. My question for a future Artificial Breeding column is which synchronization program would...
Research papers focused on heifer-specific reproductive issues were presented at the 103rd annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In this review, we will...
Hoard's Dairyman Webinar Archives April 9, 2012: "Choosing feed additives wisely" presented by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois Brought to you by Elanco and its portfolio of dairy products. The webinar...
Comparing crop insurance plans might give us more insight on how to develop a better structure to protect and insure dairy. Crop insurance programs date as far back as the 1930s, but today's extensive...
Nature always has a way to restore balance. In the chase to capture the highest possible returns, countless crop farmers turned a blind eye to Mother Nature and planted continual rotations of corn, soybeans,...
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...
The group includes: a two-time grand champion, a bred-and-owned champion, and a national butterfat record holder. These cows not only look good . . . 19 of the 20 cows were bred by the five herd owners...
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...
Last month I shared with you an alternative Presynch program, G-6-G (October 10, page 620). It was suggested as an alternative to the standard Presynch protocol described in that article. A new permutation...
How you can identify and correct abnormal calving positions. That heifer is definitely in labor. Sometimes you can just tell. She is straining and looks uncomfortable. Plus, there has been little progress...
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...
Traditionally, bull fertility is difficult to evaluate in the laboratory, although many attempts have been made to assess differences among bulls. Part of this difficulty exists because sperm are exposed...
Tweaking synchronization protocols with GnRH, CIDR, or through Double Ovsynch all boosted pregnancy rates. This past summer researchers from around the world met in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the joint...
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...
He is a business development manager with Cargill Animal Nutrition Consulting Services. I had two cows abort last week. What do you suppose is going on?" That question comes up several times a year
