Latest News From University News Release

Dairy farmers in various parts of Wisconsin experienced severe alfalfa winterkill and injury this past winter. Losses were the greatest on heavy soil types with poorer drainage.

Producers will not be able to purchase and use specific feed additive medications without a veterinary feed directive order.    

The Holstein beef market is an integral part of the beef supply chain.

Flies can cause significant monetary losses.

Cattle producers have been hearing more and more about a disease called anaplasmosis. This disease recently appears to have become more common in areas not previously affected. The disease is typically associated with cattle herds in warmer areas of the country, but is it ever a problem up here on the Northern Plains?

Horn flies, face flies, and stable flies are not just irritants to livestock, but are also economically important to producers due to negative impacts on milk production and calf weaning weights. In addition, they can affect grazing distribution and transmit eye diseases such as pinkeye and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). 

The time has come to work together as communities to face bovine tuberculosis head-on.

A breakdown of livestock and human interactions and focus on producer stewardship.

Make planning for new feed labels part of your 2016 agenda.

This regulation will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017.

Keeping the udder gates well-defended against intruders.  

Here is a list of common questions about the VFD that will hopefully help producers start conversations with their local veterinarians and feed dealers in order to be ready for 2017.

The Veterinary Feed Directive was developed out of the concern for antibiotic resistance associated with daily antibiotic use in animal feeds.

Remote-controlled boats could be a valuable tool for helping dairymen recycle waste on their farms, according to University of Georgia animal and dairy scientists.

Dairying is a 365 day-a-year job. Every day, Christmas and New Year’s included, cattle need to be fed, milked and the barns scraped. But who is going to do it on those special days?

Higher milk prices and lower feed costs resulted in positive economic returns for Illinois dairy producers in 2014, according to figures summarized by University of Illinois agricultural economists in cooperation with the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association.

Producers are finding health advantages to placing newborn calves in a warm environment where they can be quickly dried and cared for during their first few hours.

Currently in the US, feed stores can sell certain antibiotics for oral use in animals without veterinary supervision. This will change starting in December 2016.

A comprehensive study completed by the University of Missouri Extension provides insight for future efforts to revitalize the Missouri dairy industry.

As you look around the area at farms, some changes from times past are evident even from the road.  

The Veterinary Feed Directive was developed out of the concern for antibiotic resistance associated with daily antibiotic use in animal feeds.

Cows perform best when they can be kept on a consistent ration and forage quality is excellent. 

Cold weather is quickly approaching. Being prepared will help your livestock winter a little easier.

The practice of tail docking is being questioned as a necessary practice on U.S. dairy farms.  

Information to help protect your cattle herd and mitigate monetary loss.  

Dairy steer calves row more rapidly and more profitably under accelerated milk feeding programs under current market situation.

Beef and dairy producers should watch their herds carefully this fall for signs of the blood disease anaplasmosis, a Purdue animal health specialist says.

A national task force report on the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in animal agriculture spotlights the need to make finding solutions a top public health priority, said Willie Reed, dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Feeding adequate quantities of high quality colostrum shortly after birth to newborn calves is critical to achieving passive immunoglobulin transfer from dam to calf.  

The use of deep straw bedding and calf jackets during winter will result in healthier calves and improved average daily gains.

Do consumers really need to be worried about antibiotic use in livestock?  

A Kansas State University nutritionist said that while there are differences in the array of yogurts available, most aid digestibility and have other nutritional benefits.

Any person that has raised farm animals for all or a portion of the family income know of the importance of antibiotics in maintaining the health, well-being, and productivity of our animals.

Castration is an essential management procedure for the cow-calf producer that is often performed for both handling and economic reasons. 

The simulation also provides information on how to potentially minimize economic loss using an emergency vaccination program.

The practice of tail docking is being questioned as a necessary practice on U.S. dairy farms.  

The Veterinary Feed Directive was developed out of the concern for antibiotic resistance associated with daily antibiotic use in animal feeds.

By: Alvaro Garcia, SDSU Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources Program Director

Kansas State University animal scientists have discovered that reducing the inflammation caused during birth of a calf may be the key to helping a dairy cow recover more quickly and go on to a more productive life.  

The Dairy Production Medicine (DPM) Certificate Program VII begins on October 22nd.

Johne's occurs most commonly in dairy cattle, but may occasionally be seen in beef cattle as well.  

Infants who developed tolerance to cow's milk allergy showed increase in bacterial strains associated with good health.

Take time to review the latest Net Merit percentile rankings for the August 2015 genetic evaluations and update your sire selection goals.

Lighting is often one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce energy use on a farm.   

The Florida legislature recently allocated $2 million a year for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to study Hemorrhagic disease.

The dairy industry in 2015 is experiencing a similar down cycle to 2009 and 2012. These volatile market swings are not new or unexpected. There are management practices that can be implemented to help sustain the dairy operation.

What you can’t see won’t hurt you, right? False, especially when it comes to spring fly control.

Dairy cows at the University of Kentucky will soon be enjoying more luxurious accommodations. 

Six Chinese dairy industry professionals are visiting the LSU AgCenter as part of a two-week (Sept. 12 to 26) U.S. Department of Agriculture training program.

Try milk for a natural sports recovery drink.