Concern for methane may be viewed as an idea imposed on them by parties with interests outside of agriculture. But Bill Wavrin, DVM, prefers to view methane through a more business-focused lens.
It has been well-documented that feeding preweaned calves on a higher plane of nutrition improves calf health and performance. However, providing calves more nutrients may also promote wound healing.
That jolt from your morning java also could be a handy helper in stimulating struggling newborn calves. Caffeine could help calves before they receive colostrum, or at other times when calves appear dull and lethargic.
Sometimes called “sudden death syndrome” or “bloody gut,” Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome is characterized by dark, tarry, and sometimes bright red, bloody feces; dehydration; and decreased feed intake.
The transition period, 3 weeks before and after calving, is challenging for all cows. But for first-calf heifers, it’s likely the scariest and most stressful time in their young lives.
University of Wisconsin animal welfare researcher Sarah Adcock addresses several considerations when using caustic paste to complete disbudding, as well as some drawbacks that could be improved upon.
Ear tags, a fundamental tool in dairy production, have been in short supply for months on end. Find out why the backlog happened, and the steps being taken to remedy it.
Butter prices currently are near all-time highs, so it might seem an unlikely time for a butter-consuming craze to be lighting up social media. But that’s exactly what is happening with the advent of butter boards.
The interest bumps for the year probably aren’t over, as the Fed has released median projections of a target rate of 4.4% by the end of 2022, and 4.6% in 2023.
Because newborn calves have very little body fat to help them stay warm, calf jackets can help them preserve energy, protect immunity and improve daily gain.
What was once a humble placeholder crop to prevent soil erosion – and before that, a native prairie grass -- is emerging as an important TMR element and bedding option for dairies.
This year’s record-shattering milk prices have marched on a slow retreat since their early summer peak, but values for springing Holstein heifers are holding about the same month-over-month.
Many U.S. dairy producers use chopped straw in their heifer rations to add fiber and bulk. But a common grain contaminant also may be lurking in straw.
In the event of a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the U.S., milk and meat produced by affected animals still would be perfectly safe and salable. But the biosecurity logistics would be complicated.
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.
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.
What was once a relatively invasive and tedious procedure has become a potentially standard method of monitoring the health and nutritional status of dairy cows.
Corn and soybean values have tempered slightly since the near-historic highs of May and June this year, but dairy feed bills still will be hefty heading into fall.
There are plenty of dairy cows that have the genetic and physical potential to make more milk, but they simply aren’t getting enough to eat at the time they want to eat it.
The Kansas City corridor is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration of animal health business in the world.
