Several swollen hocks or neck abscesses might tell us that our stalls need more bedding or our neck rail height needs to be adjusted. Similarly, bruises on a carcass can reveal a lot about welfare once...
Group housing is becoming a more popular and acceptable way to raise dairy calves. Besides feeding and health benefits, new research shows that raising calves in a group setting might also make them smarter
Have a winter emergency plan. Winter is not just about cold weather with frozen pipes, slippery concrete and snow shoveling. High volumes of snow can lead to barn collapses. At 3:30 a.m., 70-feet of roof...
Tighter heifer management could be a window of opportunity for many herds. A heifer needs to make about 33,000 pounds of milk to repay her rearing costs, said Cheryl Marti, a dairy production specialist...
"If you don't want to graze your cows, at least consider rotationally grazing your heifers." That was the advice given by Larry Tranel, Iowa State Extension Dairy Specialist, at an Iowa Dairy Days meeting...
As new farm buildings go up, older ones stand empty. When milking herds grow, there are more calves to raise. Does it make sense to repurpose empty buildings to house young stock?
While it's not time to make hay just yet, it is time to get the wheels in motion for this year's cropping season. The bane of growing crops lies in our inability to predict the weather
A Canadian consultant shares his four cornerstones to designing barns for robotic milkers. By Abby Bauer, Hoard's Dairyman Associate Editor Robotic milking systems can fit in a variety of barn layouts,...
We try to safeguard our homes and farms from potentially dangerous situations, and for the great majority, we have been successful in lowering the total number and percentage of childhood (19 years and...
Cows spend their days doing core activities, like sleeping and eating, and luxury activities, like playing and exploring. Luxury activity will decline when time or energy resources are limited during stress...
Digital dermatitis, commonly known as hairy heel warts, is a major cause of lameness on dairy farms. Digital dermatitis was identified in the early 1970s, came to the U.S. in the 1980s and has been a management...
Export-focused powder facility will be built in Turlock, Calif. California's shortage of milk processing capacity got a shot in the arm yesterday with the announcement by Hilmar Cheese Company that it...
New research found that painful procedures, like dehorning, made calves more pessimistic. Dehorning causes some amount of pain, which we recognize based on behavioral changes, such as head shaking, ear...
DDGS prices have actually gone up since last summer. If the price goes down for a commodity whose processing waste is a by-product feed for cows, then the price of that feed will go down too, right? So...
Harsh winter temperatures raise the needs of all animals, especially young stock, on the farm. Another harsh, cold day is upon many of us across the country. Amy Stanton, animal well-being specialist...
Taking the time and effort to prevent hay fires has never made more sense. Dairy hay has never been more expensive than in recent years, making it vital to make sure that hay fires don't happen. University...
"People's lives are written on the fields of old farms." You know that moment when you bump into another farmer and he starts in on a story illustrating the love of what he does? The farmer says he could...
Make sure your bedding is doing its job by evaluating cow cleanliness and comfort. Cost and ease of handling are often the first considerations when it comes to bedding for dairy cattle. Ideally, bedding...
Heightened calf care can keep calves healthy and growing during winter weather. "This is the time of the year where we face the most challenges with raising calves," said Noah Litherland from the University...
Global exporting giant ramps up its production capacity to serve huge nearby markets.The. U.S. is the hot new star in the global dairy exports game, but New Zealand, the all-time everything, hasn't slowed...
