Research Track http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track RSS Feed for Research Track en-us Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:01:45 GMT Should you harvest drier corn silage? http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Should-you-harvest-drier-corn-silage--167842435.html Corn silage with very high dry matter (40-percent or more) decreased starch digestibility and milk yield, according to an extensive research review by University of Wisconsin dairy scientists. Another look at when to start feeding hay http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Another-look-at-when-to-start-feeding-hay--167842245.html It is an ongoing debate of dairy calf nutrition: when is the best time to start introducing forages into the diets of young calves in terms of physiological development, cost efficiency and performance? What causes heifer weights to be so variable? http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/What-causes-heifer-weights-to-be-so-variable--167841865.html Canadian researchers took a look at just how variable heifer growth rates are between farms. Cow comfort on drylot dairies examined http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Cow-comfort-on-drylot-dairies-examined--167841595.html Canada may not be home to many dry-lot dairies, but researchers there now have some of the first data describing the effect of dry-lot systems on cow comfort. Bullying at the bunk http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Bullying-at-the-bunk--167841345.html No one likes a bully, and especially if you have to stand next to one while eating. That was the conclusion of a research study reported in the July Journal of Dairy Science. When should you assist in calving? http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/When-should-you-assist-in-calving-134760278.html Researchers at Ohio State University wanted to know when you should assist cows giving birth, so they conducted a study to find out. A better way to find hairy heel warts http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/A-better-way-to-find-hairy-heel-warts-134759973.html Digital dermatitis, or hairy foot wart, is a major cause of lameness in cows worldwide. The most commonly used diagnostic test is foot inspection in a trimming chute, but this is a labor-intensive procedure. Feed bunk time and space restrictions a bad combination http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Feed-bunk-time-and-space-restrictions-a-bad-combination-134759808.html Dairy cows are often overstocked. Some farm managers are now also using “slick bunk” management (feeding to zero refusals) to save on feed cost, but this practice can reduce the time that cows have access to feed. Use cow activity to detect disease http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Use-cow-activity-to-detect-disease-132944178.html Researchers at Virginia Tech are using pedometers to track cow activity and then use that data to find sick animals more quickly. Their focus is on metabolic diseases common during the transition period, as well as mastitis. Correlate cow temperature and calving predictions http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-herd/research-track/Correlate-cow-temperature-and-calving-predictions-132944003.html Since cows can’t call or text you and tell you when they are going to calve, it’s not always easy to predict the onset of labor.