A clean environment, adequate cow comfort and footbath use all bolster your ability to prevent digital dermatitis. Lameness affects everything a cow does. Feed intake, fertility, milk production and, in...
New research shows the predicted warming of the climate could spell a decline in Wisconsin dairies' economic productivity between 2020 and 2039. Farmers have one guarantee: change. Farming, more than almost...
Producers who are most ahead are those who didn't sign up at all. No matter what kind of insurance a dairy owner has, not needing to use it means nothing bad has happened, which is exactly what they hope...
Managing corral conditions year round in open-lot dairies is important for cow health, comfort and production in the rainy season. In the areas of the country where open-lot dairies are popular, the onset...
Veterinarian shares ready-to-use information. "Technology is great, but you still need to manage it," shared Scott Poock, D.V.M., during the Hoard's Dairyman webinar, "An update on repro technologies and...
FARM program has moved up its deadline to stop the practice by 2017. Time is running out faster than ever on the routine tail docking of dairy cows - and it can't end soon enough. The biggest step taken...
Now is the time to conduct a postmortem on your heat stress mitigation plan and evaluate potential modifications. With full bunkers and only a few remaining harvest tasks to check off the list, the warmth...
Animal welfare is at the forefront of consumers' minds and at the core of dairy producers' businesses. Happy cows come from California or Wisconsin or wherever. Whatever your opinion is as to where the...
Producer revenue is projected to rise $1 billion per year in the far West, but fall $230 million everywhere else. Proceedings continue each day in Clovis, Calif., to consider establishing a Federal Milk...
The recently signed bill, which goes into effect on January 1, 2018, will restrict the routine use of antibiotics for disease prevention and bans antibiotic use for growth promotion. California has long...
A milk marketing cooperative born out of farmers' concerns has grown to become a nationally ranked organization. Dairy farmers won't soon forget 2009. Abysmal milk prices and razor thin margins were enough...
Focus on identification and management to diminish heel wart prevalence. I can remember the first time we detected digital dermatitis, also referred to as hoof warts or hairy heel warts, in my family's...
Having grown up working in the dairy industry, I know firsthand how hard dairy farm families work to make cow comfort and safety a top priority. Unfortunately, animal rights groups, with the ultimate goal...
The success of a robotic milking system depends on four good feet to get each cow to the robot with ease. "Healthy feet are absolutely critical for success in robot barns," said Jack Rodenburg from DairyLogix...
Researchers are delving into animal personalities and the effects they have on production. They have personalities. For anyone who has managed cattle or spent much time around them at all, it is pretty...
Nearly 60,000 openings each year for new graduates, but do students have the right skills? "Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have...
Circulating chilled water through a waterbed may be another avenue to alleviate heat stress. As the latter half of the year looms, our thoughts have started to turn toward harvest and our winter checklists....
Illumination improvements yield energy and cost savings if you avoid common upgrade stumbling blocks. Incandescent. Compact fluorescent. Light emitting diode. Metal halide. From antiquated to efficient,...
Research in calves may have unlocked the key to treating a certain respiratory disease in children. Whether you are a caregiver for calves or children, your top goals are to keep them safe, growing and...
Understanding forage digestibility aids in maximizing production. Manager High-quality forage fiber in a milking cow's ration can help milk components, result in fewer metabolic disorders and foot problems...
