In a strange twist of policy fate, global decarbonization may be stalled by global decarbonization. The issue at hand: sulfur, which is used in the form of sulfuric acid in the production of phosphorus fertilizer.
Researchers at Virginia Tech University have investigated what effects infusing extra acetate or propionate, or lowering the pH, would have on thermodynamics of VFA in the rumen.
As more farms adopt automatic feeders and group housing to raise their preweaned calves, more, too, is being understood about the factors that impact calf health in such rearing systems.
Only about 5% of U.S. dairy herd managers regularly assess body condition scores (BCS) in their herds, even though the value of routine body condition scoring has been well-documented.
After more than 20 years on the market in the U.S., robotic milking systems continue to gain popularity as farms battle the ongoing challenges of labor expense and shortages.
A recent study at a northern Colorado dairy showed whether cows had to wait a long time to be milked or a little did not have much impact on their subsequent activity and resting behavior.
Guar is not a common crop grown in the U.S., nor is it widely used here as a livestock feedstuff. But that picture may be changing as alternative crops producers search for more affordable feed ingredients.
The world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars and more will be on display at the 55th World Dairy Expo. Included in the programming is a line-up of seminars addressing global industry issues.
It’s common in swine and poultry nutrition, but “phase feeding” is not widely employed in preweaned dairy calf nutrition. There’s evidence to suggest it would be a valuable practice for raising calves as well.
Monitoring calves’ body temperature is a critical metric to maintaining their health, and is especially valuable if temperature changes can be detected early.
