It's more than just a number. At the National Guernsey Convention held earlier this week in Minneapolis, Minn., members listened to a presentation on genomics by Laurel Mastro of Neogen Corporation. While...
Welfare and economics must both play a role in determining how many cows fill a barn. One size does not fit all. There are many areas on the farm to which this saying readily applies. One of the most pertinent...
Tightly correlated, managing SCC is an important step in limiting antibiotic use. Mastitis remains the most prevalent health problem in dairy herds according to the USDA's Dairy 2014, and it's not one...
Who do consumers trust? Some days we think people are so naïve to believe everything they read. Other times, they are so skeptical of even the most logical and safe practices. I laughed when I read...
Attentiveness and observation are still important to success in automated calf feeding systems. Just like many management areas on the farm, calf feeding requires careful attentiveness in order to be successful
Calf jackets can provide much needed warmth for young animals on cold days. A few mild days in the Midwest made it feel like spring was on the way, but since it is only February, we can be fairly certain...
Outside perspectives can benefit your herd in many ways. We recently took my nephew Michael out to our family's dairy barn for the first time. At just under four months of age, Michael couldn't say what...
Farms with more cows prove that animal welfare is still a priority. The average herd size for dairy farms in the United States keeps growing while the number of farms continues to decline. This trend is...
The employment rate in rural America is slowly recovering after the recession. Many of us working in agriculture, myself included, grew up in the country. I think most "country kids" would agree that small...
Introducing heifers to the milking barn or parlor before calving may be the ticket to reducing stress. When a dairy heifer has its first calf, its world changes dramatically. A first-lactation heifer is...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
A falling birthrate and growing Mexican economy are keeping potential employees south of the border. To thrive, dairies are dependent upon a reliable labor source. While some of our farms survive with...
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...
Feeding a high forage diet alters feeding behaviors, health parameters and milk production in fresh cows. Transition cows are much like a puzzle that is missing a few pieces; we're still working to develop...
