Animal health

Fly Control Begins Before Summer Pressure Peaks

Wed, 13 May 2026 17:48:48 GMT

It usually starts with a few flies around the calf hutches or some extra tail switching in the freestall barn. Then, almost overnight, cows are bunching, calves are irritated and employees are swatting flies left and right.

By the time all of this becomes noticeable, fly populations have often already been building for weeks. Fly control experts say the best chance to stay ahead of pressure is to start managing breeding areas before summer heat and rapid population growth take over.

Small Problems Turn into Big Populations Fast

Flies reproduce quickly once temperatures rise. According to Roger Moon, professor of entomology at the University of Minnesota, flies can complete a generation every 40 to 60 days during spring weather and as fast as every two weeks during the hottest parts of summer.

That means the bedding pile or leftover feed that seems harmless early in the season can become a major source of fly pressure later in summer. Calf areas are especially vulnerable. Wet bedding, spilled milk replacer, manure and leftover feed create ideal conditions for flies to breed.

“Fibrous plant material enriched with manure, urine and moisture are basically the perfect environment for maggots,” Moon says.

Some of the most common breeding spots on dairies include:

Overwintered manure piles
Soiled calf hutch bedding
Bedded-pack barns that were not cleaned out over winter
Feed buildup around bale feeders
Wet feed refusals
The crusted edge around manure lagoons

Moon recommends scouting these areas every one to two weeks during the spring and early summer using something as simple as a garden trowel to look for maggots before populations explode.

Different Flies Create Different Problems

Not every fly on the farm behaves the same way, which is why identifying the type of fly matters before building a management plan.

According to Claire LaCanne, Extension educator in ag production systems, dairies most commonly deal with stable flies, house flies, face flies and horn flies.

“You’ll want to determine what’s pestering your animals to figure out the various methods for managing that particular fly problem,” LaCanne says. “Identifying the type of fly or flies that you are dealing with on the farm along with understanding their lifecycle is key to developing an effective fly management plan.”

Stable flies and house flies are considered “premise flies” because they reproduce in confined areas like barns, calf bedding and manure piles.

Stable flies are the bigger concern from a cattle comfort standpoint because they bite and feed on blood. They are commonly found on the legs and trigger behaviors like bunching, tail switching and foot stomping.

“Stable fly presence can result in reduced production,” LaCanne says.

House flies, meanwhile, do not bite. Instead, they feed on secretions around the eyes and nose and are generally more of a nuisance, although they can contribute to disease spread around the farm.

Flies Cost More Than Annoyance

It is easy to think of flies as just another irritation that comes with summer, but the impact goes much deeper than that.

Heavy fly pressure has been linked to reduced milk production, lower weight gains and weaker immune response. Flies also contribute to the spread of diseases like salmonella, E. coli and pinkeye.

Then there is bunching.

Anyone who has walked into a pen during heavy fly pressure has seen it. Cows crowd together tightly with heads in and tails out, stomping and constantly shifting positions.

Moon says bunching is one of the clearest signs that fly pressure has gotten out of hand.

“You’ll see them milling for position, stomping and switching their tails,” he says. “Bunched stock grow slower, lactate less and have lower immunity because of stress.”

Researchers have also found that bunching creates another set of problems. Airflow between cows decreases, heat builds faster, resting time drops and cows spend less time eating.

What starts as cows trying to get away from flies can quickly lead to lower intake, less resting time and reduced performance across the pen.

Sometimes the Damage Shows up Later

One of the more frustrating parts of fly pressure is that some consequences do not show up until months later.

Stable flies repeatedly biting cattle legs can contribute to hoof problems over time because cows spend more hours standing and shifting weight instead of lying down comfortably.

Moon says animals dealing with prolonged fly irritation may eventually develop sole ulcers or abscesses, issues that often become noticeable in the fall long after peak fly season has passed.

Sanitation Still Matters Most

Even with all the new fly-control products available, most experts still come back to the same basic message: cleanliness matters.

“Cleanliness and sanitation is the most important step in a fly management plan,” LaCanne says.

Removing breeding material interrupts the fly life cycle before adult flies ever emerge.

That means staying ahead of manure buildup, keeping bedding dry and cleaning out problem areas before temperatures really warm up.

“To manage stable flies and house flies, start with sanitation,” LaCanne says. “Doing your best to remove possible breeding sites like rotting hay or grain, spilled feed or TMR, manure piles and other decaying matter is the most effective way to manage stable flies and house flies.”

She recommends scraping, hauling, spreading or composting soiled bedding every other week during the summer if possible.

Several additional management steps can also help reduce pressure:

Move calf hutches and replace bedding after each calf
Use sand, sawdust or wood shavings during summer months
Mow grass and weeds around barns and lagoons
Compost manure properly so temperatures reach at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit
Place fly traps away from barns to draw flies away from cattle areas

Layering Strategies Works Best

Most farms that successfully control flies use multiple approaches together rather than depending on one product. LaCanne says scouting should become part of the routine.

“You should begin looking for signs of flies early in the season,” she says. “Dig or scrape around in areas with organic matter and search for larvae and pupae to figure out where your trouble areas are.”

Sticky traps can also help monitor population pressure and determine when additional controls may be needed.

When fly pressure builds despite sanitation efforts, additional tools can help.

Premise sprays may help suppress stable flies and house flies in enclosed areas, though LaCanne stresses they should be paired with sanitation rather than relied on alone.

Fly baits are most effective against house flies, while pasture fly traps can help reduce horn fly pressure on grazing cattle.

Biological controls are also gaining attention on dairies.

Some farms release parasitoid wasps, often sold as fly predators or fly parasites, to target fly pupae before adults emerge.

“Parasitoid wasps can provide effective management when used with other methods, especially diligent sanitation,” LaCanne says.

However, she cautions that insecticide use can interfere with beneficial insects, making it important to think carefully about where sprays are applied.

Start Before the Flies Force You to

One of the biggest mistakes farms make is waiting until fly pressure becomes obvious before taking action.By the time cows are bunching and calves are restless, fly populations are already well established.

According to Moon and LaCanne, the farms that manage flies best are not necessarily the ones reaching for more sprays in July. They are the ones that dealt with breeding areas early, before populations had a chance to build.

WOAH Report Highlights Growing Disease Pressure and Veterinary System Gaps

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:46:50 GMT

A perfect storm may be gathering over the global food system.

As unprecedented outbreaks of bird flu, African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and New World screwworm spread across regions, the financial systems meant to prevent and contain these threats are shrinking.

That is the central warning from the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (WOAH) newly released 2026 State of the World’s Animal Health report , which argues that global investment in prevention is failing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding biological risk profile.

According to the report, more than 20% of global animal production is lost to preventable disease every year, yet animal health receives less than 0.6% of total global health spending. At the same time, approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals.

For food-animal veterinarians in North America, many of the report’s themes already feel familiar. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle, growing antimicrobial stewardship pressure, increasing biosecurity demands, workforce shortages and concern around emerging and transboundary diseases all feature prominently in WOAH’s assessment of global animal health trends.

“Animal health systems are the first lines of defense against the next pandemic,” said WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran during a panel discussion accompanying the report release.

Global Animal Health Funding Declines as Disease Risks Increase

One of the report’s strongest warnings centers on what WOAH describes as a rapidly contracting financing landscape. Despite the growing importance of animal health systems, they remain chronically underfunded globally.

Official Development Assistance, government-funded international aid intended to support the economic development and welfare of lower- and middle-income countries, fell to $174.3 billion in 2025 — a 23% decline that WOAH says represents the largest annual contraction on record and effectively erases a decade of growth in global development aid.

Meanwhile, less than $1 billion annually reaches veterinary services and zoonotic disease prevention worldwide. According to WOAH, that amounts to less than 2.5% of an already shrinking global health aid budget.

WOAH estimates bringing veterinary services worldwide up to international standards would cost approximately $2.3 billion annually — a figure the organization contrasts against the trillions of dollars in economic losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The choice before governments, funders, partners and private sectors is not between spending and saving,” Soubeyran says. “It is between planned investment in animal health systems and protecting our health and minimizing losses.”

Veterinary services are prevention infrastructure, not simply regulatory oversight. That framing has increasing relevance for North American food-animal veterinarians, whose responsibilities now often extend well beyond traditional clinical work to include biosecurity planning, disease surveillance, movement documentation, antimicrobial stewardship, emergency preparedness and producer communication.

HPAI, African Swine Fever and Emerging Diseases Continue Expanding

The report paints a picture of disease systems becoming increasingly interconnected as climate change, globalization, wildlife movement and changing production systems alter how diseases emerge and spread.

The human and economic cost of this underinvestment is already visible:

Avian Influenza: Between 2025 and early 2026, over 2,100 outbreaks were recorded in 64 countries, resulting in the loss of 140 million poultry.
The Cattle Shift: HPAI is now recognized as an emerging disease in bovines, requiring international reporting as it jumps species barriers.
Parasitic Spread: New World screwworm is moving northward through Central America with tens of thousands of cases, while Lumpy Skin Disease has reached Western Europe for the first time.
Regional Crises: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has recently caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa.

Outbreaks no longer remain localized events. In an increasingly interconnected livestock and trade system, delayed detection in one region can rapidly create wider food system, trade and public health consequences.

Veterinary Preparedness and Biosecurity Deliver Economic Returns

A major theme running throughout the report is that governments and industries continue spending far more responding to disease crises than preventing them.

One highlighted example compares the United Kingdom’s response to FMD outbreaks:

In 2001, an underprepared response cost the UK an estimated £8 billion and resulted in the culling of more than 6 million animals.
In 2007, after improved preparedness investments, another outbreak was contained in just 58 days at a cost of approximately £47 million.

These examples demonstrate the measurable economic return of surveillance systems, preparedness planning, laboratory capacity, vaccination programs and coordinated veterinary services.

“Preparedness begins before the crisis,” says Paolo Tizzani, veterinarian and epidemiologist with WOAH.

WOAH Warns Veterinary Staffing Shortages Could Delay Outbreak Detection

The report also identifies veterinary workforce capacity as a growing vulnerability globally.

According to WOAH data:

18% of countries assessed showed declining veterinary capacity,
22% showed declining paraprofessional capacity.

During the panel discussion, WOAH officials specifically referenced declining rural veterinary presence as an emerging concern.

“When animal health systems are under-resourced, diseases can be detected late,” Tizzani says. “They have the possibility to spread more widely.”

Workforce shortages are no longer simply a labor issue, but increasingly a biosecurity and preparedness concern. Without sufficient veterinary staffing, laboratory support, surveillance infrastructure and field-level reporting capacity, outbreaks become harder to identify and contain early.

Prevention and Vaccination are Key

WOAH warns AMR could contribute to more than 39 million human deaths globally by 2050 while also creating major economic losses in animal production systems. The organization strongly positions prevention-oriented herd-health approaches — including vaccination, surveillance, biosecurity and improved disease management — as critical tools for reducing antimicrobial use.

This discussion aligns closely with ongoing stewardship initiatives across dairy, beef and pork sectors, including increased focus on veterinary oversight, preventive medicine and judicious antimicrobial use.

Only a small proportion of AMR-related research funding currently goes toward animal vaccines, despite their role in reducing antimicrobial demand. Still, the report points to examples where prevention-focused systems have dramatically reduced antibiotic use. Norway, for example, was able to reduce antibiotic use in its salmon industry by 99% through sustained investment in vaccination and preventive health programs.

Animal Health as Critical Infrastructure

WOAH consistently frames animal health systems as critical infrastructure tied directly to economic resilience, food security, public health and trade stability. They also push back against oversimplified narratives that place disease emergence solely on livestock production itself. Instead, WOAH officials emphasize the growing complexity of interactions between wildlife, livestock, humans, ecosystems, climate pressures and global trade systems.

“One Health will remain an aspiration until animal health systems are genuinely built into how we plan and invest,” Soubeyran says.

Animal health systems can no longer be treated as background infrastructure that only becomes visible during emergencies. For food-animal veterinarians in North America, that transition is already well underway.

Whether through HPAI surveillance in dairy cattle, African swine fever preparedness planning, antimicrobial stewardship, movement documentation or producer biosecurity support, food-animal veterinarians are increasingly functioning as frontline public-health and food-system infrastructure.

“Animal health must be financed as a global public good,” the report concludes. “The benefits generated cross every border, and the risks of underinvestment are shared by all.”

Beef-on-Dairy Calves May Scour Less than Holsteins, New Research Shows

Mon, 11 May 2026 18:44:36 GMT

Beef-on-dairy calves have long been a solid income stream on many dairies, turning into a steady payout when they leave the farm and move into beef systems. More recently, farmers have also started to notice these calves often require fewer individual health treatments than their purebred counterparts, adding to their overall profitability.

Researchers like Melinda Kovacs, a master’s student at the University of Guelph, have started to take a closer look at how these calves perform early in life, when most health challenges tend to show up. One pattern that keeps surfacing is that crossbred calves tend to have fewer digestive issues than Holsteins, especially scours.

In her work, Kovacs found beef-on-dairy crossbred calves have lower diarrhea rates, fewer days with scours and fewer repeat treatments than Holsteins during the rearing phase.

“Producers were finding that the health of these crossbred calves was improved,” Kovacs explained during a recent “The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast” episode. “They were finding less health challenges, or these animals were able to recover from disease a little bit better than the purebred calves.”

Fewer Scours Cases Stand Out

The study followed approximately 640 calves housed at a single calf-rearing facility over about 18 months. Kovacs analyzed records from 446 Holstein calves and 194 beef-on-dairy crossbred calves.

Using twice-daily health scoring, Kovacs and her team monitored diarrhea and respiratory disease while also collecting weekly body weights, milk intake and starter feed intake data.

When she compared the two groups at the conclusion of the study, one health challenge stood out immediately.

“We found that the Holstein calves had a higher incidence of diarrhea compared to the crossbred calves,” Kovacs says. “We also found that translated to fewer days with diarrhea.”

Beef-on-dairy calves_Suanne Blackwell

(Suanne Blackwell)

The same trend appeared when she evaluated severe diarrhea cases.

“This is what we were expecting based on kind of our communication with producers,” Kovacs says. “That the crossbred calves would have less diarrhea in the preweaning or the rearing phase.”

For dairy farmers and calf raisers, fewer scours cases can influence nearly every part of calf performance. Diarrhea remains one of the most expensive calfhood diseases on dairies due to treatment costs, lost growth, labor demands and long-term health setbacks.

Crossbred Calves Needed Fewer Repeat Treatments

Kovacs also examined therapeutic interventions and found another difference between the groups.

“We did find that the Holstein calves had a higher hazard of being treated multiple times for both diarrhea and respiratory disease,” she says.

Respiratory disease rates themselves were similar between breeds, but the need for repeated treatment was higher in Holsteins. That finding could become more important as dairy and calf-rearing operations focus on reducing antibiotic use while still keeping calves healthy and performing well.

“Perhaps there’s a greater ability of these crossbred calves to recover from diseases compared to Holstein calves,” Kovacs adds.

Why Are Beef-on-Dairy Calves More Resilient?

(Farm Journal)

The study wasn’t designed to pin down exactly why the differences are showing up, but Kovacs thinks genetics likely play a role.

“In the dairy industry, we see a lot of inbreeding depression with the Holstein animals,” she says. “And I think perhaps we have some heterosis or hybrid vigor in these crossbred animals.”

Selection pressure may also contribute to the performance gap. Dairy genetics have focused on milk production traits, while beef genetics have emphasized growth and muscling.

“In the dairy industry, we’ve been genetically selecting for obviously higher milk production, whereas in the beef industry, we’ve been selecting for more growth traits,” Kovacs says. “So perhaps these crossbred calves are benefiting from the growth traits compared to the Holstein calves.”

She also found crossbred calves gained weight faster during the rearing phase.

“The crossbred calves did have higher growth rates, so higher average daily gains,” Kovacs says. “They were about [15 lb.] heavier than the Holstein calves when they were finished this rearing phase.”

Differences Continued Through Harvest

Kovacs and her team later expanded the project to follow some calves from birth through harvest at approximately 13 months of age. She wanted to better understand how calfhood health and management influence later feedlot and carcass performance.

Beef_carcasses

“Right now, there’s kind of a big disconnect between all of the different components of the industry, between the dairy farm of origin, the rearing, the feedlot and the abattoir,” Kovacs says.

The performance differences continued beyond the early rearing phase.

“The crossbred calves, I believe, were about [120 to 124 lb.] more in body weight compared to the Holsteins,” Kovacs says. “Which does have significant implications in terms of the cost benefit of these animals.”

She also identified differences in ribeye area and carcass composition, suggesting the advantages weren’t limited to early growth but carried through to how the animals finished at harvest.

More Research Still Needed

Even with the encouraging results, Kovacs says dairy producers should not assume crossbred calves require less attention or lower-quality care.

“With my findings, we see that they’re maybe more resilient or robust,” she says. “But I think those producers still need to be offering the best care to those calves to ensure their success.”

Kovacs adds that much of the existing calf research has historically focused on purebred Holsteins, leaving major knowledge gaps around nutrition and management requirements for beef-on-dairy calves.

“A lot of research that’s been done in the past has focused on purebred Holstein calves,” Kovacs says. “So, we don’t really know if the requirements of these crossbred calves for both maintenance and growth are the same as for a purebred Holstein calf.”

As beef-on-dairy programs continue to expand across the dairy industry, producers are paying closer attention to which calves stay healthier and perform better from start to finish. This research suggests fewer scours cases early in life may be part of the advantage, adding to the overall profitability of beef-on-dairy calves.

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

Waiting for the Vet: How to Manage Udder Vein Lacerations on Farm

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:56:00 GMT

Few situations on a dairy are more alarming than finding a cow actively bleeding from an udder vein laceration. Blood loss can happen quickly, and in severe cases, the situation can become life-threatening before a veterinarian arrives.

The first priority is staying calm enough to control the bleeding and stabilize the animal.

While udder vein injuries are among the more dramatic bleeding emergencies producers may encounter, many of the same principles apply to other significant lacerations on farm. Rapid bleeding control, minimizing movement and protecting the injured area can all improve outcomes while waiting for veterinary care.

Udder veins are particularly vulnerable because of their size. High-producing dairy cows require significant blood flow to support milk production, which means damage to those vessels can result in substantial blood loss in a short amount of time.

According to Dr. Erika Nagorske, these cases are memorable because of how quickly they escalate.

“Their udder vein goes from their udder up toward their chest right on their belly line,” Nagroske says. “It is garden hose-huge because dairy cows milk so much and need a lot of blood flow.”

Control the Cow First

As with many emergencies, the first step is containment.

Move the cow into a safe, confined area where she is less likely to panic, move excessively or injure herself further. A chute or small pen is ideal if available. Limiting movement helps reduce additional trauma and makes it easier to assess the source of the bleeding.

This same principle applies to many lacerations, particularly those involving limbs or areas where movement can repeatedly reopen the wound.

If the cow is already weak or beginning to wobble, minimizing stress becomes even more important. Heavy blood loss can cause animals to deteriorate quickly.

(Erika Nagorske)

Apply Pressure Immediately

Direct pressure is the most important first response.

Use clean towels, cloths or any absorbent material available and apply firm pressure directly over the source of bleeding. Even temporary clotting can slow blood loss enough to buy valuable time before veterinary care arrives.

For smaller lacerations elsewhere on the body, pressure alone is often enough to reduce bleeding until the veterinarian arrives. In more severe injuries, especially those involving larger vessels, additional intervention may be needed.

“If you have hemostats or true vet tools on hand, great. Otherwise, vise grips,” Nagorske says. “And it sounds very archaic, right? But it’s either we’re looking at either a dead cow or not a dead cow.”

If trained and comfortable doing so, producers may be able to carefully clamp above and below the damaged portion of the vein to slow bleeding until the veterinarian arrives.

Avoid Unnecessary Movement

Once bleeding is somewhat controlled, keep the cow as quiet and still as possible.

Walking the animal unnecessarily or repeatedly moving her between locations can worsen blood loss or disrupt clot formation. The goal is stabilization, not treatment.

Nagorske notes these situations can become especially difficult if the cow goes down before bleeding is controlled.

“That’s what’s hard about those bad bleeders,” she says. “They lay down, then you can’t get to the source of bleeding.”

What Not to Do

In high-stress bleeding emergencies, well-intentioned actions can sometimes make the situation worse.

Do not leave the cow uncontained
Do not repeatedly remove pressure to check the wound
Do not force the animal to walk long distances
Do not delay calling the veterinarian
Do not assume bleeding has stopped completely just because it has slowed

Keeping the animal calm, controlling bleeding and minimizing additional trauma can make a substantial difference in the outcome.

Be Prepared

Udder vein lacerations are not everyday events, but preparation matters.

Having towels, clean cloths and basic restraint or clamping tools accessible on the farm can make the initial response more effective while waiting for veterinary care. Reviewing emergency protocols with employees ahead of time can also help reduce panic during high-stress situations.

Most importantly, call the veterinarian immediately. Rapid intervention gives the cow the best chance of recovery and can prevent a serious situation from becoming fatal.

Separating Signal From Noise in a Data-Heavy Dairy

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:22:54 GMT

The beauty and curse of farming in the technological age comes in the form of 0’s and 1’s. There never seems to be an end to the measurables we collect and breakdown on a farm.

As our capabilities grow in terms of systems and software, this mound of data continues to grow.

But how do we know what is important?

Many seasoned herdsmen that I work with often bemoan just how hard it is to train the next generation of farm workers. “They just don’t have cow sense.” “They’re too deep in the numbers, and not the cows.” “Why can’t they just see it?”

What they are describing is a little-known skill they already possess known as Signal to Noise Positivity (SNP). Our seasoned herdsmen have developed an unconscious skill that allows them to differentiate between meaningful information (signal) and irrelevant information (noise). However, they had a significant advantage of developing this skillset during a time when the “noise” or extra irrelevant data was much less overwhelming.

Our farms are full of positive noise and signals that can be valuable in animal management. Feed intakes, milk production, lbs. of solids, rumination, SCC, milk deviation, etc. etc. all represent measures that indicate if things are headed in the right or wrong direction.

However, each of these factors is not important in each situation. Irrelevant noise from time to time causes new decision makers to make incorrect decisions based upon that noise rather than the more meaningful signals.

Taken together Signal and Noise Ratio (SNR) indicates whether positive noise is more or less likely to stick out. A higher SNR, or more meaningful noise vs irrelevant noise, means the decision maker is more likely to ID the important data whereas a low SNR means more confusion in the data.

But on today’s operations it is extremely difficult to learn how to increase a SNR and use it as our data pool, and subsequent noise grows.

For example, your herdsmen today may work a fresh pen and ID a sick cow with the following information; 7 DIM, rapid breathing, temp is 103 on the parlor meter, milk production is down 30 lbs., her ears are droopy, her rumination is down 40%, her eating time is 2%, and her activity is 50% what it was yesterday. These symptoms when taken together could be indicative of 5+ infectious diseases in a fresh cow and can rapidly confuse new workers.

However, an experienced herdsmen knows the most important part of all this noise is the 7 DIM signal which limits the likely diagnosis to only 2 or 3 possibilities. Their unique SNP ability filters the signal from the noise so no matter how much data we pile on top of the signal they can ignore the unimportant noise.

So how can we improve the SNP for new workers?

First, we need to eliminate multitasking. This only adds noise to the scenario and scatters attention. When working sick cows or doing other health tasks, new employees need to focus upon that singular task until deemed to have developed a sufficient SNP.

Second, we need to encourage monitoring of longer-term trends and react less to the hour to hour or day to day fluctuations. Certainly, there are cases that will change hour to hour but when training we need to help employees understand common cases and that cows generally will trend toward “healthy” or “sick” no matter how complex or simple our data collection system is.

Third, we need to expose these individuals to training from others who have advanced SNP skills. Many times, this involves an outside consultant such as your herd veterinarian who can use hands on training and also create SOP programs to help the individual navigate the noise.

Signals of disease are not always strong. However, by reducing noise for new team members we can increase the correct disease diagnosis while still implementing the latest in smart technology.

“Report, Don’t Hide It”: Experts Urge Rapid Action When Suspecting New World Screwworm

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:13:58 GMT

As New World screwworm edges closer to the U.S., industry leaders urge producers to shift from worry to action.

Early detection, prompt reporting and treatment — backed by coordinated surveillance along the border — will be critical to keeping this treatable pest contained. Ranches are tightening calving seasons , upgrading working facilities and revisiting parasite control plans with their veterinarians. The core message to the fight against NWS: nothing replaces “eyes on animals.”

“We’ve been preparing for the possibility of screwworms emerging back in Texas for the past year,” says Jason Sawyer, East Foundation chief science officer. “We have decided to take the attitude of preparedness. We expect we’re going to have it. How can we best manage it and best mitigate and really, how do we minimize the impact while we weather the storm?”

The Breakthrough Symposium: NWS Preparedness panel (pictured l to r) are: Jason Sawyer, East Foundation; Dr. TR Lansford III, Texas Animal Health Commission; Dr. Diane Kitchen, Florida Department of Agriculture; Stephen Diebel, Texas beef producer and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president; and Dr. Megan Schmid, USDA-APHIS.

(Angie Stump Denton)

Sawyer participated in a panel during the The Breakthrough Symposium: NWS Preparedness, hosted by Merck Animal Health. The panelists didn’t debate whether NWS will arrive — they spoke as if it is already on the way. For producers, that means decisions must be made months in advance: adjusting breeding and calving windows to avoid peak risk, investing in better handling facilities and building a clear response plan with veterinarians. Combined with federal and state surveillance using fly traps, animal inspections and producer reports, these risk‑based steps can help ensure that when NWS appears, it is found fast, hit hard and kept from spreading.

With cattle markets at all‑time highs, panelists warn NWS must be managed in a way that protects both animal health and commerce. Movement controls, inspection and treatment protocols, and animal disease traceability are being designed to regionalize the problem — not shut the industry down.

Here are seven key takeaways from the panel discussion:

1. Prepare, Don’t Panic

New World Screwworm is a serious but manageable threat with proper planning and coordination.

“This isn’t a ‘sell the ranch and get out of business’ problem,” Sawyer summarizes. “This is a ‘let’s figure out the best way to move forward and minimize impact.’” Today’s challenge is to rebuild the “lost muscle memory” with modern tools and a risk‑based mindset. That means planning calving seasons with NWS risk in mind, enhancing parasite control without driving resistance and being ready to isolate, treat and recheck any affected animals in close coordination with veterinarians. The sooner producers start planning, the smaller and shorter the “storm” will be for everyone.

Some strategies producers should consider include:

Get a premise ID now, if you don’t have one.
Consider shifting calving and processing into lower‑fly windows.
Manage wounds differently . Any break in the skin — navels, castration, dehorning, tags and tick bites — becomes a high‑risk site once NWS is in the area.

Dr. Diane Kitchen, a cattle rancher and Florida Department of Agriculture veterinarian manager, bovine and cervidae programs, suggests producers consider using a preventative or at least a protectant to the area to minimize the chance of an infestation occurring.

Sawyer, who manages ranches near the U.S.-Mexico border, explains. “We’re trying to work with the weather instead of against it and think about comprehensive parasite control strategies that can minimize that risk for newborn calves, knowing that we’re unlikely to be able to put our hands on every one of them as they hit the ground.”

2. Eyes on Animals, Surveillance is Central.

Nothing replaces routine, disciplined visual checks — especially of newborns and any animal with a wound. Kitchen says preparation starts with understanding NWS targets wounds and certain high‑risk areas. The fly’s preference is umbilical cords, she stresses.

“It can also affect certain mucus membranes,” she explains. “The corners of the eye, the genital tract. In particular, cows that are calving, they’re attracted to the same umbilical cord scent.” External wounds can be tiny, internal damage massive. “The wound itself externally may be very small,” Kitchen says. “The size of a quarter. But then when you go to treat there may be gallons of maggots within underneath.”

Producers who have dealt with the pest often describe it as a smell you’ll never forget , noting that the stench of a calf infested with New World Screwworm is often the first warning sign.

Dr. Megan Schmid, USDA-APHIS Cattle Health Center assistant director, explains there are two types of surveillance:

Active surveillance: Fly traps along the border, border inspectors and Wildlife Services checking animals
Passive surveillance: Producers, vets, shelters and others seeing maggots/myiasis and reporting. “The traps are helpful,” she says. ”But they’re not as sensitive as the animal inspection. So really, that’s the key part: everybody looking for the infestations in animals.”

Producers can use technology to get more “eyeballs” on cattle and keep spread to a minimum. Game cameras, virtual fencing and behavior tags can help producers find problems sooner when labor is tight.

Because these infestations can be deceptive, producers should learn to identify the specific signs of New World Screwworm , such as unusual discharge or larvae deep within living tissue.

3. Report First, Don’t Hide It.

NWS is a reportable foreign animal disease. Early reporting is critical and legally required. Officials would rather investigate 1,000 false alarms than miss one real case.

Kitchen stresses failure to report will create many more flies.

“Failure to report results in multiple generations of additional flies, which just dramatically increases the population that’s available to impact everybody,” she explains. “If you think that because you didn’t report yours, that it’s not going to be found. It will be found because it’ll be found in something else.”

She encourages producers to think about the impact on their neighbor.

If the roles were reversed, she asks, “If you hear that somebody, your neighbor, is one that didn’t report, how happy are you going to be with them?”

4. Vet Relationships Are Essential.

A veterinarian is central to preparation and treatment plan. For wound care, antibiotics, pain management and access to tools, a veterinary client–patient relationship is vital. Treatment is about parasite removal and wound management, guided by vets.

Panel members explain part of being prepared is sitting down now with your veterinarian and discussing: “If we get screwworm, what’s our plan? How often are we looking at cattle, what products are we going to use, and what do we do about movements?”

Read more about how NWS is an infestation, not an infection.

5. Wildlife Matters in This Fight.

Wildlife are a major reservoir and economic driver, and can suffer large population impacts without control. Kitchen predicts in infested areas 70% to 80% of white-tailed fawn crops could be lost.

“Our wildlife populations are both so much more abundant than they were in the 1950s and so much more valuable than they were in the 1950s,” Sawyer says. “Unfortunately, the opportunity to intervene for wildlife is much smaller. There’s really not very many strategies that are viable, and so surveillance and monitoring become really our front line of defense in terms of our wildlife populations.”

He suggests the best way to protect wildlife is aggressive control in livestock to reduce environmental burden.

6. Quarantines Are Tools, Not Punishments.

The goal is continuity of business with safeguards , not shutting down commerce. Regulators are trying to balance containment with commerce. The goal is to maintain the “speed of commerce” while using structured movement protocols to protect markets and disease-free areas.

“It’s not going to be business as usual, but it’s going to be business is still possible,” Schmid says. “The focus is: how do we allow safe movements, not restrict and stop business.”

She says the New World Screwworm Response Playbook includes guidance documents and explains the quarantine/movement framework.

Stephen Diebel, Texas beef producer and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president, encourages producers not to think in terms of a hard quarantine. A structured process of treatment, surveillance, inspection and certification will allow movement.

Dr. TR Lansford III, Texas Animal Health Commission assistant state veterinarian and deputy executive director, encourages producers to reference the lessons learned from fever ticks as a strategy for dealing with NWS. He notes experience with fever ticks has shaped how Texans think about area quarantines, treatment protocols and continuity of business.

7. More Tools in the Toolbox.

Panelist members summarize a holistic ectoparasite program using modern products plus strong producer education is a main NWS defense strategy.

Kitchen stress producers and veterinarians have many more tools than they did back in the ’60s and ’70s when NWS was last endemic in the U.S.

Producers can find a list of approved treatment and prevention strategies on the FDA website .

Sawyer suggests producers work with their veterinarians to plan prevention and treatment strategies. He also stresses the importance of considering resistance management.

“We don’t want to react to an emergent threat in a way that then creates problems with a persistent pest that’s already present,” he says.

Read More About How Sterile Flies are the No. 1 Tool to Fight NWS:
Doubling the Defense: USDA’s “Male-Only” Fly Breakthrough to Transform Screwworm Eradication
Border Remains Closed: Sterile Fly Production Facility Groundbreaking Next Step in Screwworm Fight

While NWS is a serious and emotionally charged threat, panelists remind producers the U.S. has pushed it back before — and can do it again.

“This pest existed here before, and it has been eradicated from the U.S. before,” Sawyer summarizes. “We know how to do it. We just have to sort of build the capacity and muscle to get it done again when we need to.”

Clearing the Air About Ammonia in Calf Hutches

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:52:09 GMT

Most calf hutches look fine from the outside. But what’s happening inside the hutch, especially at calf level, is not always as obvious.

When wet bedding and manure break down, they release ammonia. In hutches, it builds up right where calves are breathing. Even at fairly low levels, it can affect intake, growth and overall performance.

During a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, David Casper, a dairy nutritionist and owner of Casper’s Calf Ranch in Illinois, explains how ammonia develops in calf hutches and what it means from a management standpoint.

Airflow is a Strength

Calf hutches continue to be widely used across dairies because they naturally provide strong ventilation and keep calves in individual spaces that are easy to manage. They also offer flexibility as herds grow and do not require the same level of infrastructure as enclosed barns.

“In my opinion, the hutch would still be the gold standard as far as having the best environmental quality you could have, especially air quality, and not have to deal with ventilation problems,” Casper says.

Even so, ammonia can increase as bedding becomes damp. By the time it’s noticeable, calves have already been exposed.

“When we started using soy hulls, I started noticing ammonia in the hutches,” Casper says. “I could smell it and really picked up on it. And that’s when we started getting concerned.”

That realization prompted a closer look at ammonia levels in hutches and how they relate to calf growth and health.

Measuring Ammonia

To better understand the issue, Casper evaluated ammonia levels in 90 calf hutches. Calves were placed in alternating hutches assigned to either a control or treatment group, and ammonia was measured weekly.

“Once a week, we come through with a personal ammonia detector that’s digital, and we would turn that with the measuring system face down on the bedding,” he says. “After 30 seconds, you get a stable reading, and that was the ammonia reading in the hutch.”

Control hutches averaged about 10 parts per million, while treated hutches averaged around 1.5 parts per million, an 85% reduction.

“We actually reduced the ammonia levels in the hutches by 85%,” Casper says.

That difference was significat, as performance challenges can begin once ammonia exceeds about 4 to 6 parts per million.

“Basically the range is four to six parts per million,” he says. “Above that, you will actually start seeing performance losses or performance challenges.”

Ammonia levels varied widely between hutches. Wetter bedding, scours and older calves were all associated with higher readings.

“Some hutches would have values up to 100 parts per million and other ones would be very low,” Casper says.

Ammonia also tended to increase later in the preweaning period as calves consumed more starter.

“For our studies, week seven and eight were probably the higher ammonia readings,” Casper says. “The first week had almost no ammonia readings because they’re on freshly bedded straw and fecal output is very minimal.”

Impact on Calf Growth

Lower ammonia levels were also tied to better performance. Calves in lower ammonia environments gained more weight during the preweaning period.

“We actually picked up on a growth response as well,” Casper says. “We got .14 pounds more average daily gain.”

Milk feeding remained the same, pointing to differences in intake and environment.

“The calves that were in the lower ammonia levels in the hutches ate more calf starter and had better growth rates,” he says.

Calves in lower ammonia hutches also showed greater increases in heart girth, indicating more overall body development.

Managing Ammonia in the Hutch

While most dairies are not measuring ammonia regularly, several management areas influence how much builds up in hutches.

Bedding is the biggest driver. Keeping bedding dry and well maintained helps limit ammonia. Deep straw provides insulation and absorbs moisture, but it needs to be refreshed regularly, especially later in the preweaning period.

“A calf can take a lot of cold weather if they’ve got deep straw bedding that they can nest down into and stay warm,” Casper says.

Moisture control is also important. Hutches with scours or poor drainage tend to have higher ammonia levels, so identifying problem hutches early can help target extra bedding or cleanout.

Smell is another indicator. If ammonia is noticeable when checking calves, levels are already elevated.

Timing matters as well. Ammonia tends to increase as calves get older and consume more starter, so bedding management often needs to be more aggressive in the later weeks before weaning.

A few practical hutch-specific steps producers can use include:

Add fresh straw more often in the back third of the hutch, where moisture tends to build first
Pull wet bedding away from the calf’s resting area instead of just layering on top
Pay close attention to hutches with scouring calves and re-bed them first
Check bedding depth at the calf level, not just at the front entrance of the hutch
Clean or fully reset hutches between groups when possible to reduce carryover moisture

Paying attention to these areas can help keep ammonia levels lower and support more consistent calf performance through the preweaning period.

Are We Treating the Wrong Cows for Metritis?

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:11:43 GMT

One in four dairy cows develops metritis. It’s one of the most common and costly diseases in the postpartum period.

But Caio Figueiredo, assistant professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Washington State University, raises the following uncomfortable question:

What if we’re not actually defining metritis correctly in the first place?

Because if the definition is off, everything downstream — diagnosis, treatment, antimicrobial use — follows it.

The Cracks Start at Diagnosis

In practice, metritis is diagnosed visually, using vaginal discharge scoring. It’s simple, fast and scalable across herds. Cows are generally scored on a scale of 1 to 5. The issue lies not within how to score cows, but in which scores define metritis.

“There isn’t a clear consensus of what discharge, on the clinical level, distinguishes a cow with metritis or not,” Figueiredo explains.

That lack of agreement directly shapes which cows get treated. So before we even talk about treatment protocols, we’re already dealing with a moving target.

Most scoring systems eventually funnel into two categories that matter clinically:

VD4: Purulent discharge
VD5: Fetid, watery, red-brown discharge

Both are commonly labeled “metritis” and both are commonly treated.

But they don’t look the same — and the data suggests they don’t behave the same either.

“Are these two conditions metritis? Should we treat both, or just one?” Figueiredo asks.

Despite the uncertainty, most dairies don’t differentiate, treating both VD4 and VD5 cows with antibiotics.

“Only a very selected group treat exclusively VD5 cows. The remaining dairies treat both conditions,” Figueiredo explains, referencing a survey of 45 dairies in California .

(Photos: Merck)

VD5 Looks Like a Different Disease

When you step back and look across studies, a consistent signal starts to emerge:

“There is some evidence that those groups are not necessarily the same,” Figueiredo states.

That difference becomes much harder to ignore once you look beyond the discharge itself.

Start with inflammation, which isn’t just a uterine issue.

“VD5 cows have greater levels of inflammation compared to those with purulent discharge (VD4),” Figueiredo says. “Those VD5 cows have greater systemic inflammation as well.”

At the microbial level, the pattern holds. A 2024 study looked at the uterine microbiome to investigate the differences between VD5 cows and all others.

“Only cows with vaginal discharge score 5 have greater bacterial count compared to the other discharges,” Figueiredo explains.

These animals had greater overall bacterial counts, as well as increased Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas and Bacteroides counts compared to lower-scoring cows. And when you zoom out to the whole animal, the separation becomes even clearer.

In unpublished data from Figueiredo’s lab, VD5 cows show:

Higher acute phase proteins (e.g., haptoglobin) postpartum
Worse liver function indicators (↓ albumin, ↑ bilirubin, ↓ cholesterol)
Altered metabolic profiles at diagnosis
Reduced rumination and activity during peak risk windows

These results suggest this is not just a discharge difference, but a systemic disease state.

Performance Consequences

The biological differences translate directly into outcomes.

In large multi-herd datasets VD5 cows had noticeably impaired performance:

Milk production: Up to 1,000 kg less milk over 300 DIM
Reproduction:
- Lower likelihood of resuming cyclicity
- Reduced probability of receiving first AI
- Lower pregnancy rates by 300 DIM
Survival:
- Higher risk of culling
- Faster removal from the herd

By contrast, VD4 cows were indistinguishable from lower score cows across many of these same parameters.

What Is VD4?

According to Figueiredo, if VD5 represents a true systemic disease, VD4 may represent something else — perhaps a milder, localized or even transient condition.

Across multiple datasets, VD4 cows perform similarly to their lower-scored herd mates.

Which raises a critical question: Are we treating cows that don’t actually need treatment?

The Economic Reality of Treating VD4 Cows

In the U.S. alone there are ~9.5 million dairy cows and a ~25% VD4 and ~25% VD5 incidence. That puts millions of cows into each category annually.

If both groups are treated:

Total antimicrobial treatment costs can exceed $500 million annually

If VD4 cows are excluded from treatment:

Potential savings approach $270 million per year

This difference in cost doesn’t account for labor, any effects of handling stress or the downstream impacts of antimicrobial use.

Why This Matters More Than It Seems

This isn’t just a classification issue. It touches multiple pressure points:

Antimicrobial Stewardship
Metritis is a leading driver of antibiotic use. Refining treatment criteria is one of the fastest ways to reduce unnecessary exposure.

Economic Efficiency
Treating cows that don’t benefit is pure inefficiency at scale.

Public Trust
Consumer concern around antimicrobial use continues to grow. Precision matters.

From Visual Diagnosis to Biological Precision

The takeaway isn’t to stop treating metritis, but to start treating it more precisely.

Right now, decisions are largely driven by what we can see. But the evidence suggests what we see doesn’t always reflect what’s happening biologically.

A more practical, data-aligned framework could look like:

VD5 → clear systemic disease → treat
VD4 → uncertain or mild → monitor, refine or selectively treat

This shift moves us away from a purely visual diagnosis model.

“We’re going to have to look deeper into the biology and then come back to the real-life problem,” Figueiredo says.

That means integrating:

Immune and inflammatory markers
Microbiome makeup
Metabolic and behavioral signals

The goal is straightforward: Align diagnosis with biology, not just appearance.

Ultimately, VD4 and VD5 cows don’t share the same biology, the same risk or the same consequences. One behaves like a mild or localized condition while the other is a true systemic disease with measurable impacts on performance and survival.

Treating them the same way is inefficient and outdated.

The future of metritis management isn’t about treating more cows, it’s about treating the right ones.

Hidden Pneumonia in Calves: Why More Dairies Use Ultrasound to Catch Respiratory Disease Early

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:06:16 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains one of the most common and costly health challenges in preweaned dairy calves. The challenge is that many cases develop long before calves show visible symptoms.

“By the time calves show obvious clinical signs of respiratory disease, lung damage may already be present,” says Aerica Bjurstrom, regional dairy educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “That’s why tools that help us detect pneumonia earlier can make a big difference in calf health and long-term performance.”

Traditional diagnosis relies on symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, or elevated temperature. But these signs often appear late in the disease process. In many cases, calves may look completely healthy while still carrying lung infections.

This form of illness, known as subclinical pneumonia, can reduce growth, feed efficiency and even future milk production.

“The lungs can really act as an indicator organ,” Bjurstrom explains. “Respiratory disease often reflects larger management challenges, such as poor colostrum intake, nutrition issues, or environmental stress.”

The Hidden Pneumonia Problem

Research has shown that pneumonia often develops days before visible symptoms appear.

“Ultrasound allows us to see what’s happening inside the lung tissue, even when the calf looks normal from the outside,” Bjurstrom says. “In many cases, pneumonia can be present for days before any clinical signs appear.”

Studies suggest that 50% to 80% of pneumonia cases may remain subclinical for 7 to 14 days before producers notice symptoms. That delay can allow lung damage to progress before treatment begins.

“Sometimes calves with severe pneumonia don’t show obvious symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “But an ultrasound exam can reveal lung lesions that tell us the disease is already present.”

How Lung Ultrasound Works

Lung ultrasonography allows veterinarians to examine calf lungs in real time using portable ultrasound equipment.

A normal lung appears air-filled on the scan and produces horizontal white lines that move with each breath. These lines indicate healthy lung tissue.

Changes in the image can reveal early disease.

“Comet tails are bright vertical lines that extend down from the lung surface,” Bjurstrom says. “A few may be normal, but severe or diffuse comet tailing can suggest interstitial disease caused by fluid or inflammation within the lung.”

More advanced disease appears as lung consolidation, where portions of the lung fill with inflammatory material instead of air. On ultrasound, these areas appear as solid gray regions.

Veterinarians often use a 0 to 5 lung scoring system to evaluate severity.

“This scoring system helps identify disease before calves begin coughing or showing nasal discharge,” Bjurstrom says. “Early detection allows for earlier treatment and better outcomes.”

Dr. Ollivett demonstrates positioning for thoracic ultrasound scanning on a calf’s right lung.

(Denise Garlow, University of Wisconsin)

Why Early Detection Matters

Even when calves show no visible symptoms, lung damage can affect their long-term performance.

In one study of more than 600 Holstein heifers, calves with lung consolidation detected at weaning were less likely to become pregnant and more likely to leave the herd before first calving.

Another study found calves with significant lung lesions in the first eight weeks of life produced 1,155 pounds less milk during their first lactation.

“These findings highlight why early detection matters,” Bjurstrom says. “Subclinical disease can still influence growth, reproduction, and milk production later in life.”

Improving Treatment Outcomes

Early detection can also make treatment more effective.

“When pneumonia is caught earlier, treatment tends to work better,” Bjurstrom explains. “We’re able to intervene before the disease becomes severe and causes permanent lung damage.”

Ultrasound can also help veterinarians monitor recovery.

“That monitoring aspect is important,” she says. “It helps ensure calves are improving and reduces unnecessary retreatment.”

A Management Tool for Farms

Beyond diagnosis, lung ultrasound is increasingly used as a herd management tool.

“Ultrasound gives producers objective information about lung health,” Bjurstrom says. “That can help guide decisions about treatment, culling, or adjusting weaning timing for calves that may need more time to recover.”

Regular scanning can also reveal herd-level trends tied to management practices.

“When used consistently, ultrasound becomes a benchmarking tool,” Bjurstrom says. “It can help farms evaluate colostrum programs, ventilation, sanitation, and other factors that influence calf health.”

A Growing Tool in Calf Health Programs

Portable ultrasound units have become more accessible and easier to use, making them more common in calf health programs. With proper training, scanning a calf’s lungs typically takes less than a minute.

“The equipment requires an initial investment, but the information it provides can be incredibly valuable,” Bjurstrom says. “Earlier detection can lead to better management decisions, improved calf growth, and fewer losses.”

As dairy farms continue adopting more data-driven management practices, lung ultrasound is giving producers a new way to detect disease sooner and protect the long-term potential of their calves.

“Lung ultrasound helps us move beyond waiting for visible symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “It allows producers and veterinarians to identify problems earlier and take action before long-term damage occurs.”

Screwworm Fight: $750M Sterile Fly Facility Groundbreaking in Texas

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:39:47 GMT

USDA officially broke ground on a $750 million sterile fly production facility Friday in Edinburg, Texas, marking a major escalation in the fight against the New World screwworm (NWS). Located at Moore Air Base, this facility will provide the U.S. with a domestic supply of sterile flies — up to 300 million per week — to protect livestock, wildlife and the national food supply chain from the invasive parasite.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she did not have an announcement about the reopening of the U.S.-Mexico border. On Wednesday, a report from a state official in Mexico incorrectly claimed that USDA has set a date to resume livestock imports from Mexico. According to Rollins and an USDA APHIS social media post , the claim is not accurate.

“Every day we are analyzing,” she says. “We’ve never been in a better position than we are in today, to a path. Now, I want to be very clear: New World screwworm is only about 200 miles from this border, so there will not be a port opening in Texas until it is significantly pushed back. But New World screwworm is roughly around 800 miles from the Douglas, Ariz., port and the two ports in New Mexico. So, we are looking every day to make sure we are protecting our livestock and national security.”

Rollins did announce she will be at the Douglas port next Friday, April 24, taking a firsthand look at that border crossing.

How Close Is NWS to the U.S.?

As of April 16, Mexico reports 1,300 active NWS cases in animals, with 746 cases in bovine. The latest case status map shows two active cases in the Nuevo León area, approximately 90 miles from the Texas border. The most recent case was a 7-day-old calf. On April 10, there was a canine located in the municipality of Monterrey also in Nuevo León. Along the coast south of Brownsville, in the state of Tamaulipas, there are multiple cases reported in the last week in young bovine.

USDA continues to distribute sterile flies in those NWS hot zones.

How Does Sterile Fly Production Stop Screwworm?

A sterile fly production facility plays a crucial role in NWS prevention and response. In a biosecure environment, NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation before being released in targeted areas. Because female screwworm flies mate only once, mating with sterile males results in eggs that do not hatch. Sterile insect technique, paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, has been the foundation of successful NWS eradication efforts for decades.

“Breaking ground on this facility marks a major investment in safeguarding America’s livestock and the producers who feed this nation. This puts NWS sterile fly production in American hands, so we do not have to rely on other countries for the best offensive measure to push screwworm away from our borders,” Rollins says. “The New World screwworm threatens the health of our herds, the stability of rural economies, and the resilience of our supply chain. President Trump and his entire cabinet is committed to leveraging every resource necessary to contain this pest, protect American agriculture, and ensure the long-term security of our food supply chain.”

Today at the Southern Border, we officially broke ground on @USDA’s new sterile New World Screwworm production facility.🇺🇸

For months, we’ve been on offense:
• Monitoring 8,000+ traps along the southern border
• Testing nearly 51,000 fly specimens — all negative
•… pic.twitter.com/VUE1KrX4TA
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) April 17, 2026

Rollins was at Moore Air Base Feb. 9 for a grand opening of a sterile fly dispersal facility at the same location. This facility expanded USDA’s ability to disperse sterile flies along the border and into the U.S., if necessary.

What is the Timeline for the Edinburg Facility?

“Once operational, this facility will initially produce an additional 100 million sterile flies per week in phase one, but eventually, when we get to Stage 2, which will be the end of 2028, we’ll be at 300 million sterile flies. When you combine that with all of the other flies that are being produced, that moves us from containment to eradication,” Rollins emphasizes.

Also at the groundbreaking was Lt. Gen. William H. “Butch” Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commanding general.

“Our mission at USACE is to deliver engineering solutions, with our partners, to secure our nation, strengthen our economy, and reduce disaster risk,” Graham says. “That’s why we’re proud to deliver an engineering solution to the New World Screwworm, which represents a direct threat to our nation’s livestock, our food security and our economy. This new, modern facility is the critical infrastructure we need to secure a defensive line against the New World screwworm for generations to come.”

The new facility is being built with an aggressive timeline designed to quickly expand the nation’s sterile fly production capacity:

Initial operational capability targeted for November 2027, reaching production of 100 million sterile flies per week.
Construction continues immediately beyond initial operations to scale full production capacity to 300 million sterile flies per week.
USDA and USACE have slashed red tape, securing expedited procurement, and eliminating other barriers.
Together, USDA and USACE will oversee installation and commissioning of specialized systems that will make this facility operable on time, delivering the critical sterile flies we need to continue to defeat this pest.

Why is Domestic Fly Production Important for U.S. Agriculture?

This new state-of-the-art facility will complement USDA’s ongoing production of 100 million sterile flies per week at the Panama-based COPEG facility . USDA has also invested $21 million to support modernization of a facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to be operational in summer 2026.

According to a USDA press release : “Once fully operational, this expanded production network will provide the speed, scale, and domestic capability needed to rapidly counter any NWS threat — reducing risks to producers, protecting animal health, and strengthening the resilience of America’s livestock industry.”

Read more about why the border is closed and its impact:
The 1.1 Million Head Gap: Analyzing the Impact of the U.S.-Mexico Border Closure
Should Beef Producers Be Concerned About Potential Phased Reopening of U.S.-Mexico Border?
From Lawsuits to Screwworms: Policy Uncertainty Rolls Downhill to Producers

The Genetic Pivot: How 2026 Wellness Traits are Redefining Dairy Profitability

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:10:29 GMT

For decades, the perfect cow was defined by a single metric: the bulk tank. If she produced a mountain of milk, she stayed in the herd. But as the dairy industry enters 2026, the definition of success has undergone a radical transformation. Today’s producers are operating in a world where feed costs, heat stress, carbon footprints and supply chain demands are just as critical to the balance sheet as total pounds of milk.

To meet this complexity, genetic selection has evolved from a simple production index into a high-precision roadmap for survival. The recent 2026 updates to Zoetis’ Clarifide Plus and the Dairy Wellness Profit Index (DWP$) represent more than just incremental data points; they represent a strategic shift toward bulletproofing the dairy cow for a more volatile future.

The New Math of the $100 Gain

The core of the 2026 update is an economically weighted index designed to balance income drivers against expense drivers. In the current market, a genetic index must do more than predict output; it must predict the cost of that output.

According to Zoetis data, achieving a $100 increase in the DWP$ 2026 index translates into measurable lifetime profit across five critical pillars:

$61 in quality production — Modernizing the focus on components and volume.
$19 in antibiotic stewardship — Selecting for cows that naturally resist disease, reducing the need for intervention.
$8 in animal welfare — Prioritizing longevity and physical soundness.
$6 in fertility — Ensuring the cow stays on cycle and in the herd.
$6 in precision nutrition — Maximizing the conversion of feed to milk.

“The 2026 updates provide dairy producers with additional precision in breeding for cows that are profitable, efficient and sustainable,” says Nick Randle, senior marketing manager for U.S. dairy productivity and milk quality at Zoetis. The goal is to move away from blanket management and toward more precise animal care informed by predictive insights.

Breeding for a Warming World: Heat Resilience

One of the most significant additions to the 2026 toolkit is the introduction of DWP$ Heat. For decades, producers in the South and West have relied on mechanical cooling — fans, misters and cross-vent barns — to mitigate the devastating effects of the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). However, management alone has its limits.

Zoetis has introduced two new traits to tackle this biologically:

Fertility Heat Resilience (Z_FR) — This trait predicts the change in the probability of a first-service conception rate as THI increases.
Milk Heat Resilience (Z_MR) — This predicts the stability of daily milk production as the heat rises.

By incorporating these traits, producers can breed a herd that maintains its “cool” during the 20% of the year when heat stress typically ravages the bottom line. It’s a recognition that resilience and profitability are now inextricably linked.

The Feed Efficiency Frontier: Z_RFI and RUMiN

Feed remains the single largest expense on any dairy, often accounting for 65% of the total budget. Historically, selecting for feed efficiency was difficult because it was hard to measure on individual cows in a commercial setting.

The inclusion of Zoetis Residual Feed Intake (Z_RFI) changes that. This trait measures the dry matter intake that cannot be accounted for by milk production or body weight. In simpler terms: It identifies the cows that eat less than expected without sacrificing a single pound of milk. In validation analyses, the top 25% of animals ranked by Z_RFI consumed 2.2 lb. less dry matter per day than their peers. Across a 20,000-cow herd, that 2.2-lb. difference represents a staggering shift in the feed bill.

Simultaneously, the RUMiN trait predicts the genetic potential for enteric methane production. While methane was once seen only as an environmental metric, it is increasingly becoming a market-access requirement.

The Supply Chain Connection: The Danone Factor

The revolution in genetics is not just happening on the farm; it’s being driven by the processor. In 2024, Zoetis and Danone formed a strategic partnership to advance sustainable production. For a global giant like Danone, which has committed to cutting methane emissions by 30% by 2030, the genetic makeup of their suppliers’ herds is a critical lever.

“Genomic testing of our farmers’ herds plays an important role in our global methane reduction strategy,” says Anco van Schaik, global director of procurement at Danone. By selecting for the Milk Methane Intensity (Z_MI) trait, producers can demonstrate to their buyers that they are producing lower-carbon milk at scale. This isn’t just about being green; it’s about ensuring that a farm remains a preferred supplier in a carbon-conscious marketplace.

The graph shows a projection of the improvement in methane intensity in one of Danone’s dairy herds year over year based on its DWP$ genetic progress.

(Zoetis)

Proof of Concept: McCarty Family Farms

The theoretical value of these genetic updates is best illustrated by real-world results. At McCarty Family Farms in Rexford, Kan., the 2025 Milk Business Leader in Technology award winner the pursuit of genetic optimization has fueled a massive operational expansion.

In 2011, the McCartys milked 7,000 cows with an average daily production of 70 lb. per cow. Today, they milk nearly 20,000 cows, and their productivity has soared to over 100 lb. per cow daily.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” Ken McCarty says. “We’ve increased productivity by almost 50%.”

But the growth wasn’t just in volume. By leveraging genomic insights like DWP$, the McCartys have driven their somatic cell count down to a range of 120,000 to 180,000 — a hallmark of superior animal welfare and milk quality.

For the McCartys, the focus on specific indexes like TPI and DWP$ with Clarifide Plus is the engine behind their mating and breeding strategies. It allows them to select for a cow that isn’t just a milk machine but rather a sustainable asset that fits their specific environmental and economic goals.

The End of the Average Cow

The 2026 update to Clarifide Plus and DWP$ marks the end of the era of the average cow. In a world of tight margins and high scrutiny, there is no longer room for animals that don’t pull their weight in efficiency, health and resilience.

By combining wellness, performance and sustainability into a single, profit-driven index, the industry is moving toward a more individualized form of animal care. As Brett Bristol, head of precision animal health at Zoetis, notes, the goal is to empower producers to “advance both environmental stewardship and overall herd profitability within a single, comprehensive index.”

For the modern dairy producer, the message is clear: The most valuable tool in the barn isn’t just the parlor or the feed wagon; it’s the DNA of the heifer standing in the hutch.

USDA’s "Male-Only" Fly Breakthrough to Transform Screwworm Eradication

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:27:39 GMT

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is advancing the next evolution of the long-trusted sterile insect technique (SIT) to protect U.S. livestock from New World screwworm (NWS) by introducing a 100% male-only sterile fly strain. This breakthrough will effectively double the production capacity of sterile fly facilities without expanding physical infrastructure. By eliminating the production of “useless” female flies, the USDA-ARS innovation aims to push the NWS fly further south, providing a more robust and cost-effective defense for American livestock producers.

A USDA spokesperson explains, “USDA is using gold standard, proven scientific methods to manufacture NWS flies to produce only male flies and increase the efficiency of SIT. USDA is simply making a proven tool even more efficient and effective to better protect America’s farmers and ranchers.”

USDA currently produces sterile flies for dispersal at the COPEG facility in Panama. USDA is also investing $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa — which will double NWS production capacity once complete.

Moore Air Base: On Time and On Budget for 2026 Production

Dudley Hoskins, USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, was a guest Tuesday on AgriTalk. He discussed sterile fly dispersal efforts.

“We’re doing two things,” he says. “One, the Secretary has us modernizing our infrastructure and our production capacity. She has us working on Moore Air Base, which will be a sterile fly production facility, that when it’s finally complete and at max-capacity production, will be producing about 300 million sterile flies per week. ”

Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden recently reported USDA is on track and on time with regard to the Moore Air Base facility near Edinburg, Texas.

The Science of Stopping the Spread: Why Male-Only Matters

SIT, when paired with surveillance, movement restrictions and education and outreach, is an effective tool for controlling and eradicating NWS. Female NWS flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch. Releasing sterile flies just outside of affected areas helps ensure flies traveling to new areas will only encounter sterile mates and will not be able to reproduce.

Hoskins says concurrent to the process at Moore Air Base, USDA is working with its partners at the ARS and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate the genetically-engineered fly — the NovoFly — which would help get more male flies in the sterile fly production facility.

Vaden calls the possibility exciting.

“Basically we’ve been losing half of the production at every facility because what we need are sterile male flies, but of course with nature, half of what you get are female flies, and those to this particular enterprise are useless,” he explains. “Thanks to our agricultural research service, we now have the ability to pump out 100% sterile male flies only, no wastage. That has the effect of doubling production without any change in the available facilities.“

He adds, “We expect to be able, once EPA approves that innovation is safe later this year, to have all those facilities, including the one under construction at Moore Air Base, pumping out 100% sterile male flies, which will make our ability to push this pest back further south where it belongs to take root and begin to have great effect. Not just to hold it, but to push it further south.”

Hoskins summarizes, “All of those things are in motion, all things happening concurrently, and all those will be critical in modernizing our toolbox to take the fight to the screwworm.”

Listen to the conversation on AgriTalk :

Regulatory Road Map: The EPA Public Comment Period

USDA is following established regulatory pathways and submitted to EPA an Emergency Use Exemption and Application for Registration. EPA published the notice of receipt and request for comments in the Federal Register on March 27 and is accepting public comments until April 27 before making a determination.

According to the notice, the application from USDA states: “To register a new pesticide product containing an unregistered pesticide, NovoFly male-only genetically engineered (GE) New World screwworm (NWS) in USDA’s Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs. Additionally, the Agency received a Section 18 quarantine emergency exemption application requesting use of the same pesticide to maintain broad suppression of and help prevent the pest from moving further northward from Mexico toward the United States.”

EPA is providing the notice in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

The notice says, “Due to the urgent nature of the emergency, the limited time available to authorize the Section 18 quarantine emergency exemption request and the related FIFRA Section 3 product registration application under review for the same use, EPA is waiving the comment period associated with the emergency exemption request but is soliciting public comment in conjunction with the application for Section 3 product registration of NovoFly.”

To make comments or learn more, visit the EPA website .

Read more about sterile flies and current distribution:

USDA Updates New World Screwworm Response Playbook for Ranchers and Vets

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:28:47 GMT

The “ New World Screwworm Response Playbook” was developed as a resource to help animal health officials and responders manage and adapt their response if NWS is found in the U.S. The first draft of the Playbook was released in October 2025.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released an updated Playbook to serve as a comprehensive guide to support coordinated, science-based action should NWS be detected.

“USDA continues to execute Secretary Rollins’ five-pronged plan to keep NWS out of the United States,” says Dudley Hoskins, USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. “While we are aggressively safeguarding American agriculture and working with Mexico to prevent further northward spread, we must also ensure that our domestic response plans are ready for immediate activation. Strong coordination with states, producers, veterinarians, sportsmen and other partners is essential to achieving that goal.”

Hoskins was a guest Tuesday on AgriTalk. He discussed NWS preventative and response measures, including the sterile fly dispersal efforts.

He explains the goal of the Playbook is to try to balance that constant posture of vigilance, prevention and emergency response coordination.

“We want to be as least disruptive to the industry and commerce as possible,” he explains.

Hoskins stresses APHIS is asking for feedback on version two of the Playbook as they continue to fine-tune the response plan.

“We’re asking that same community of states and industry partners to continue to review the playbook,” he explains. “We want to continue to have those discussions and and those deliberations to improve the can and hopefully perfect have to use it, and hopefully never have to use it.”

Refining the Rules: Key Updates to the 2026 Playbook

The updated Playbook outlines critical science-based strategies for federal, state, tribal and local responders, including how to:

Coordinate response operations
Reduce spread and prevent establishment of NWS in new areas
Manage the pest in infested animals
Implement NWS fly surveillance and control measures
Maintain continuity of business
Support efficient information flow and situational awareness

APHIS has released the updated New World Screwworm Response Playbook - strengthening preparedness via coordination with states, producers, veterinarians, wildlife & other partners.🤝
It guides rapid, science-based action should NWS be detected in the U.S.https://t.co/lgplvaNjDy pic.twitter.com/kq4wKbqkGY
— USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (@USDA_APHIS) April 8, 2026

Collaborative Design: Incorporating Tribal and Industry Expertise

After sharing the draft Playbook in October 2025, APHIS worked to gather feedback from state animal health officials, federal partners, livestock and wildlife industry groups, tribal partners, veterinary organizations and other key stakeholders to prepare the updated version.

According to the APHIS press release , “Their expertise and operational experience were essential in shaping practical, field-ready guidance for real-world response scenarios.”

Based on this feedback, APHIS made several key updates to the Playbook including clarifying and expanding:

Terminology — NWS establishment, suspect, zones, types, phases, quarantines — treatment versus preventative NWS animal drugs and pesticide products
Agency roles, responsibilities and authorities
Animal movement requirements
Wildlife management, including:
- Improved description of roles, responsibilities and authorities related to wildlife
- Added and improved definitions of confined, farmed, and free-ranging wildlife
- Refined guidance on use of antiparasitic drugs and pesticide for use on/in wildlife
- Development guidance on wildlife surveillance

Accessing the Playbook: Resources for Producers and Responders

APHIS updated four supplemental guidance documents that were posted with the draft Playbook and added an additional eight supplemental guidance documents, all referenced in the Playbook .

(USDA APHIS NWS Playbook)

“To ensure continued alignment with state-level plans and industry practices, APHIS will continue to revise the Playbook as preparedness activities advance and evolve,” the release explains. “The agency will continue to work directly with states, territories, tribes, federal agencies, industry wildlife and other partners to refine response tools, strengthen coordination and support joint planning efforts.”

Your Next Reads:

How Two Wisconsin Dairies Rethought Calf Housing from the Ground Up

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:41:53 GMT

When a calf is born at McFarlandale Dairy or Rosy Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis., a lot of thought has already gone into where and how that calf will be raised. Both dairies have redesigned their calf housing systems to keep calves healthier, make the daily routine more efficient and improve long‑term herd performance. The farms recently shared their approaches and takeaways during a Professional Dairy Producers webinar.

However, the two farms arrived at that point through different circumstances. McFarlandale Dairy updated its calf facilities as the herd expanded and environmental compliance requirements changed. Rosy Lane Holsteins rebuilt its calf program after a fire destroyed its calf barn in 2022.

Despite those different starting points, both dairies focused on many of the same priorities: ventilation, bedding management, feeding consistency and facilities that make daily calf care easier for employees.

Designing Barns with Hutches in Mind

When Christine Bender returned to her family’s McFarlandale Dairy nine years ago, calves were raised in several different facilities across the farm. As the herd grew to roughly 1,950 milking cows across two sites, the number of replacement heifers increased as well. The decision to rebuild calf housing came as the farm updated its CAFO compliance plan.

“Basically, the DNR said you either need to put your hutches on concrete and contain everything that comes in contact with them, or put up barns,” Bender says.

The farm chose to construct new calf barns but spent several years researching options before beginning construction. Bender and her team visited dairies across the state and evaluated a wide range of housing systems, including automated feeder group housing and large multi-row calf barns. Even while looking at new technology, they continued to view calf hutches as the benchmark for calf health.

“We still believe to this day that calf hutches are probably the gold standard,” she says. “My husband made the point that the goal was to get calves as close as you can to calf hutches.”

That idea shaped the design of McFarlandale’s new facilities. Over the past two years, the farm has built four calf barns in two phases. Calves are still housed individually, but the barns are designed to mimic many of the environmental benefits of hutches while improving labor efficiency and environmental control.

Ventilation Becomes the Biggest Focus

Ventilation quickly became one of the most important management factors. The first barns were built using university guidelines recommending roughly four air exchanges per hour. After consulting with ventilation specialists, the farm began increasing airflow targets.

“For us, the biggest challenge has been ventilation,” Bender says.

Fans were adjusted to six to eight air exchanges per hour and later increased further as the team evaluated calf health data. In the newer barns, McFarlandale added larger fans and additional ventilation strategies, including large ceiling fans with reversible winter settings.

“Now we don’t ever fully close those curtains,” Bender says. “We always leave them cracked so we’re allowing more fresh air.”

The farm now aims for roughly 11 to 12 air exchanges per hour while still avoiding drafts at the calf level. Improvements in ventilation have coincided with lower treatment rates for respiratory disease in recent groups of calves.

Pen Flooring Built for Easier Cleanouts

The flooring design in the calf pens also reflects lessons from the farm’s earlier hutch system. Concrete extends a short distance into each pen, followed by a gravel base that can be removed and replaced during cleanout.

“When we clean out our pens, we scoop all that out with a skid loader and then we can put fresh gravel down,” Bender says.

This setup allows the farm to fully reset pens between groups. The new barns also make it possible to operate with an all-in, all-out calf flow, giving pens time to be cleaned and rest before the next calves enter.

Bedding and Feeding Management Evolve

Bedding management remains another important part of the program. McFarlandale relies heavily on straw for nesting during the winter months and often mixes in sawdust during warmer weather. Pens are bedded frequently to keep calves dry.

“We’ll bed probably every other day because we believe dry calves are healthy and growing calves,” Bender says.

Feeding protocols have also changed over time. What once was a twice-daily feeding schedule has evolved into a more structured system where calves are fed every eight hours. Calves typically remain on milk for about 10 weeks and stay in the calf barn until roughly 12 weeks of age before moving to the next facility.

Growth rates have improved as feeding intensity increased.

“We were probably starting at 1.5 lb. average daily gain,” Bender says. “We got to 1.8 pretty easily just by feeding more milk, and now we’ve been able to attain that 2 lb. average daily gain.”

Lung Ultrasounds to Monitor Respiratory Health

Monitoring respiratory health has also become more precise. McFarlandale Dairy uses lung ultrasound scoring to identify respiratory disease that might not be visible during daily observation.

Before adopting ultrasound screening, Bender believed pneumonia was relatively uncommon in their calves. The scans showed otherwise, identifying cases of subclinical respiratory disease that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

In the hutch system, about 25% of calves required treatment based on ultrasound results. When calves first moved into the barns, treatment rates increased as high as 50%. But as ventilation strategies were adjusted, those numbers began to decline.

More recently, treatment rates have dropped as low as 10% in some groups. The lung ultrasound scores now serve as an important management tool, helping guide treatment decisions as well as ventilation adjustments.

(Maureen Hanson)

A New Calf Barn Built Around Group Housing

Across town at Rosy Lane Holsteins, the redesign of calf housing came after a barn fire destroyed the farm’s original calf facility in 2022. The previous barn had been built in the late 1990s and housed calves in individual pens with tube ventilation. In the years leading up to the fire, the farm had already begun experimenting with paired and group housing systems while working with researchers at the University of Wisconsin.

After the fire, the farm’s partners had to decide whether to rebuild the calf facility or outsource calf raising.

“We all decided as partners that it was best to keep calves in house and raise them ourselves,” says Sam Peetz of Rosy Lane Holsteins. “Part of Rosy Lane is taking care of animals.”

Wisconsin dairy farm

(Rosy-Lane Holsteins)

The Rail Housing Choice

As the farm researched potential designs, one facility visit stood out. During a trip to South Dakota, the team toured a calf barn where calves appeared alert and active shortly after feeding. The facility used a rail housing system, where calves are individually housed in open pens along a central feed alley, a design that allows for strong airflow while keeping feeding and chores efficient.

“All the calves were up, perky, alert and eating grain,” Peetz says. “They looked awesome. It made sense to us that this was the type of system we wanted.”

The new calf barn opened in April 2025. Rosy Lane currently milks about 1,815 cows across two sites, and calves are raised on the home farm until about five months of age.

The new facility is divided into four insulated rooms, each containing eight pens with approximately 10 calves per pen. Calves move into group pens shortly after receiving colostrum and remain together until around three months of age.

The barn uses a rail feeding system that allows calves to be housed in groups while still receiving individual bottles. Each pen has headlocks and bottle holders mounted along a rail.

“We knew we liked group housing and the benefits calves get from socializing and transitioning after weaning,” Peetz says. “But we also liked feeding calves individually.”

The rail feeding system allows employees to quickly observe calf behavior during feeding and identify calves that may not be drinking well.

“We can feed calves quick and efficiently, and you can see right away if a calf drank the bottle or not,” Peetz says.

Many treatments and vaccinations can also be administered while calves remain locked in headlocks immediately after feeding, reducing the need to chase calves around the pen.

Bedding and Ventilation Keep Calves Comfortable

Bedding management was another important design consideration. Each pen measures roughly 12' by 24' and can be divided in half during cleaning. When bedding is removed, calves are temporarily moved to one side while a skid loader cleans out the other half of the pen.

“We’re cleaning that bedding every week and trying to get down to the concrete and start fresh,” Peetz says.

Ventilation in the new barn uses chimney fans similar to systems commonly found in hog and poultry facilities. Each room contains four chimney fans that create negative pressure, pulling stale air upward while fresh air enters through attic inlets.

“The idea is to move the air across the ceiling so it mixes before it gets down to calf level,” Peetz explains.

Managing airflow during seasonal weather swings can still be challenging, particularly during spring and fall when temperatures change quickly.

“The tricky part is when it warms up but the concrete is still cold underneath the calves,” he says. “How do you move that air without creating a draft?”

Peetz generally prefers higher airflow rates combined with deep bedding and calf jackets when needed.

“I’m a big believer in deep straw bedding and running eight, 10, 12 air exchanges an hour to keep fresh air down by the calves.”

Like McFarlandale, Rosy Lane relies heavily on bedding to maintain calf comfort. Straw is used extensively for young calves, although older calves may transition to corn stalk bedding depending on availability. Calves also have continuous access to water through small waterers, and water tanks are cleaned daily.

“We’re cleaning water tanks every day because baby calves need clean water,” Peetz says.

Calf Housing That Works for People and Animals

Both farms emphasize facilities must also support the people caring for the animals. Indoor barns provide protection from weather and help create a more consistent working environment for employees.

“For the employees it’s a really nice environment,” Bender says. “You’re out of the elements, and there’s a lot of natural sunlight.”

Peetz also emphasizes the importance of routines that are easy to repeat every day.

“How do you make it easy and repeatable so people do the same thing every day?” he asks.

Both dairies also stress how calf housing is only one part of a successful calf program. Much of calf health is determined before calves ever reach the barn.

At McFarlandale Dairy, Bender continues to focus on improving maternity management and colostrum protocols.

“The only time we really lose calves is within the first two days of life,” she says. “That always takes me back to maternity.”

Newborn calf_Taylor Leach

(Taylor Leach)

The farm monitors colostrum success using blood total protein testing and consistently achieves high transfer rates.

“Blood total proteins average about 96% excellent,” Bender says.

Now the farm is evaluating colostrum volume and BRIX levels more closely to determine whether adjustments are needed.

“We think we got too good at our jobs feeding really high-quality colostrum and large amounts,” she says.

Rosy Lane tracks several performance indicators in its calf program, including average daily gain, the percentage of calves that double birth weight by weaning and overall completion rate from birth to fresh heifer.

“Our ultimate goal is to get 90% of calves born alive to make it to the fresh pen as a 2 year old,” Peetz says.

Growth rates have improved in the new facility. In the previous barn, achieving 1.8 lb. of average daily gain was considered strong performance. In the new barn, calves are more often averaging around 2.2 lb. per day.

Still, Peetz emphasizes strong transitions after weaning are just as important as early growth.

“You can feed calves a lot and get good birth-to-wean gain,” he says. “The real test is transitioning them to solid feed without getting them sick.”

Built for Long-Term Success

Both farms view their new calf facilities as tools to support consistent care rather than a finished solution. Thoughtful housing paired with careful management allows them to monitor, adjust and improve calf health as the animals grow.

“You can do great the first eight weeks, but if things fall apart after that, there are still opportunities for improvement,” Bender says.

For McFarlandale Dairy and Rosy Lane Holsteins, the focus remains on continuous improvement. By creating environments that promote calf comfort, health and socialization, they are setting up animals for stronger growth, smoother weaning transitions and long-term productivity.

Better Colostrum Decisions Start with the Right Tools

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:37:38 GMT

Not all colostrum is created equal, and understanding its quality can influence how well calves get started. That’s why having the right tools to measure colostrum quality can help producers make better feeding decisions for newborn calves.

Immunoglobulin (IgG) levels in colostrum can vary widely, from less than 20 mg/mL to more than 100 mg/mL depending on factors like the cow’s breed, health history, season and how much colostrum she produces. In general, colostrum with at least 50 mg/mL of IgG is considered high quality and provides the antibodies calves need for a strong start.

Because of that variation, appearance alone is not a reliable way to judge colostrum quality. Many producers use on-farm tools to measure IgG levels and sort high-quality colostrum from the rest. Two common options are the colostrometer and the Brix refractometer, each with its own pros and cons, according to Jud Heinrichs, Professor Emeritus of Dairy Nutrition at Penn State University, and Coleen M. Jones, former research associate in dairy.

colostrumfeeding.jpg

Colostrometer

The colostrometer is a hydrometer that floats in a sample of colostrum and measures its specific gravity. The tool is placed in a cylinder of colostrum and allowed to float freely. A color-coded scale estimates the IgG concentration: green indicates more than 50 mg/mL and high-quality colostrum, yellow falls between 20 and 50 mg/mL, and red shows less than 20 mg/mL.

Because of the color scale, the colostrometer is best used to sort colostrum into general quality categories rather than to measure an exact IgG value. This makes it easier to identify which colostrum is ideal for the first feeding and which should be saved for later feedings or mixed with transition milk.

The Pros:

Simple and inexpensive, usually under $100.
Lets you quickly separate high-quality colostrum from lower-quality batches.
Can test several samples from the same milking.

The Cons:

Temperature matters. Room temperature (around 72°F) gives the most accurate reading. Colder colostrum will look better than it is, and warmer colostrum will look worse.
Other components in colostrum, like fat and protein, can affect readings. It’s better for sorting than for precise IgG numbers.
The colostrometer is made of glass, so it can break if it’s dropped or handled roughly.

Brix Refractometer

A Brix refractometer is normally used to measure sugar, but it can also give a good estimate of IgG in colostrum. To use it, just place a few drops of colostrum on the prism, lower the cover and the digital display gives a quick, easy-to-read Brix value.

A reading of 22% or higher usually means the colostrum contains 50 mg/mL of IgG or more, making it adequate for newborn calves. Research shows the Brix refractometer tends to match lab-tested IgG levels better than a colostrometer, and it’s less fragile., which makes it easier to handle day after day without worrying about breaking it.

The Pros:

More accurate than a colostrometer.
Sturdy, especially digital models.
Works well across a range of colostrum temperatures and even frozen or thawed samples.
Can also estimate total solids in milk or IgG in calf serum.

The Cons:

Optical models can be tricky with high-fat colostrum because the line can blur. Digital models read it more clearly.
Slightly higher cost for digital models, but farm-friendly options are available for under $100.
Needs regular cleaning and occasional calibration to keep it accurate.

Both tools give farmers a practical way to know which colostrum will help calves get a strong start. The colostrometer is simple and inexpensive, perfect for separating the best colostrum from the rest. The Brix refractometer is more accurate and easier to read with thick, fatty colostrum. Either tool can help make sure calves get enough IgG to grow healthy and stay well.

Where Euthanasia Delays Begin on Farm

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:36:43 GMT

Perhaps you have experienced a similar situation: there is a down cow that lingers longer than it should, or a calf that continues to decline despite repeated reassessment, and eventually it becomes clear the issue was not a lack of effort, but a delay in acting when the outcome was already decided. These cases tend to stick with you because they reveal something deeper about how decisions actually unfold on the farm.

As Dr. Mariana Guerra-Maupomé, professional services veterinarian with TELUS Agriculture, puts it, “The main problem is not the lack of guidance. We have plenty of standards and guidelines. The main problem is the failure to turn concern into timely action.”

Most farms are not struggling because they lack knowledge, but because their systems do not consistently support acting at the right time, even when the need is recognized.

Beyond the Euthanasia Method

Euthanasia discussions often center on technique, and that makes sense. Proper execution is important. However, when you step back and look at where things break down, the issue is rarely how euthanasia is performed. More often, it is when the decision is made and how long it takes to move from recognition to action.

This is where the two-clock model becomes especially useful for veterinarians trying to diagnose system failures on farm.

“Clock 1 starts when a compromised animal is identified to when the decision is made, the decision to euthanize. Clock 2 starts when the decision to euthanize is followed by the procedure of euthanasia and the confirmation of that,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

In practical terms, the model separates euthanasia into two distinct types of delay:

Clock 1: Recognition-to-decision delay
Where uncertainty, unclear thresholds or hesitation slow downs the decision itself
Clock 2: Decision-to-action delay
Where logistics, training or equipment affects how quickly euthanasia is carried out

Most farms have invested effort in improving Clock 2, ensuring once a decision is made the procedure is performed correctly and efficiently. The larger and more persistent challenge lies in Clock 1, where unclear expectations or hesitation can delay decisions by hours or even days.

This distinction matters, because it shifts the focus from refining technique to understanding why action is not happening sooner.

Delay Is More Than a Welfare Problem

It is easy to frame delayed euthanasia strictly in terms of animal welfare. But in a production setting, the consequences extend well beyond that. Delayed decisions affect not just the animal, but the broader operation.

“Late euthanasia creates three types of risk: clinical risk, animal welfare risk and business or compliance risk. With euthanasia being delayed, there’s non-compliance to audit, reputational risk for the industry and supply risk for the industry as well,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

Positioning euthanasia within this broader context often resonates more strongly with producers, because it connects timely decision making to efficiency, compliance and long-term sustainability, rather than isolating it as a standalone welfare issue.

Where Systems Tend to Break Down

When delayed cases are reviewed, the same patterns tend to emerge reflecting a lack of clarity in how decisions are structured and communicated. One of the most consistent issues is vague guidance around reassessment. Without clear expectations, cases drift and repeated evaluation replaces decisive action.

“Stop using vague language like ‘Let’s monitor or recheck later.’ Define exactly when you are going to check. The decision trees suggest checking in less than 24 hours, but I would encourage you that you can even check in six to 12 depending on the severity,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

This is where Clock 1 quietly ticks on. Each undefined “recheck later” adds time. Without a clear endpoint, the system defaults to waiting rather than progressing toward a decision.

Role Clarity Keeps the Clocks Moving

Even when the clinical picture is clear, delays can still occur if roles are not well defined. When responsibility is ambiguous, decisions are often deferred, and cases stall despite obvious need. Strong systems prevent that by establishing a clear flow of responsibility.

“The caretaker identifies a compromised animal and escalates. The supervisor makes a decision to euthanize the animal. Next, a trained operator executes the procedure promptly, and then the operator or supervisor confirms that and documents,” Guerra-Maupomé explains.

This structure helps keep both clocks moving, ensuring once a problem is identified, it progresses steadily toward action without unnecessary delay.

The Veterinarian’s Role in Euthanasia Decisions

This type of structure also changes how veterinarians fit into the process. In many operations, euthanasia decisions still depend heavily on veterinary input, which can unintentionally slow things down, particularly when access is limited or communication is delayed.

A more effective approach positions the veterinarian as a system designer and reviewer.

As Guerra Malcome explains: “The veterinarian should never be the bottleneck for a case. The veterinarian is there to help train, audit and review the system. A veterinarian has an oversight role and can help at every single step.”

When farms operate this way, decisions can be made promptly on site while still benefiting from veterinary guidance, training and ongoing oversight.

The Human Side of Delay

It is also important to recognize not all delays are structural. Some are human, and those factors can be just as influential.

These challenges tend to show up in predictable ways on the farm:

Hesitation in clear-cut cases, even when prognosis is poor
Repeated reassessment without escalation, particularly in borderline animals
Avoidance of decision-making, especially among less experienced staff

This is where system design intersects with human behavior.

“A clearer and more structured system does not just improve decisions. It also lifts a weight off the staff. By providing clear protocols and structured support, we reduce ambiguity, delay and the staff burden,” Guerra-Maupomé says.

Reducing ambiguity helps reduce hesitation, which in turn shortens Clock 1 and improves outcomes.

Insight Into Action

Improving euthanasia outcomes does not require complex interventions, but it does require intentional system design and follow through. A few focused changes can make a meaningful difference:

Define clear, time-based reassessment points so Clock 1 does not drift
Assign primary and secondary decision makers to prevent hesitation
Ensure trained personnel are available to carry out euthanasia promptly
Review both clocks regularly to identify where delays are occurring

These steps help create a system where decisions are made and acted on consistently, rather than reactively or inconsistently.

A Process, Not a Moment

Euthanasia is often thought of as a single act, but in practice, it is a process shaped by how quickly problems are recognized, how clearly decisions are made and how reliably systems support follow-through.

The two-clock model makes that process visible. One clock measures how long it takes to decide, and the other measures how long it takes to act. Both matter, but in many cases, it is the first clock that ultimately determines the outcome.

For veterinarians, the opportunity is to influence both. Because in the end, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one is rarely about knowing what to do, and far more often about whether the system supports doing it at the right time.

Beef-on-Dairy Has Come a Long Way, but Hurdles Still Remain

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:10:42 GMT

Beef-on-dairy has evolved rapidly in just a few short years. What started as a way to add value to surplus dairy calves has become a major and increasingly refined part of the beef supply.

In a short period of time, the industry has refined genetics, improved calf value and built stronger connections between the dairy and beef sectors. But while adoption has grown rapidly, the system isn’t perfect, and several hurdles still remain.

During an episode of “The Beef Podcast Show,” Dr. Tara Felix from Penn State University discussed some of these challenges.

Disconnected Calf Management

One of the biggest hurdles starts at birth. Many dairy producers sell calves shortly after they’re born, meaning they rarely see the long-term impact of early management decisions.

“The calf is born and then it leaves,” Felix says. “[Dairy producers are] taking that extra money and letting the calf be someone else’s problem.”

That mindset shows how early calf care is often disconnected from how the animal performs later. Some of the most important decisions, such as making sure the calf gets good colostrum, happen in the first few hours of life. But linking those early decisions to final carcass value remains difficult.

“We have very few longitudinal studies, from birth all the way to slaughter, to convince those calf ranches [and dairy producers] that they need to be making a difference,” Felix adds.

A Fragmented Supply Chain

Beef-on-dairy calves typically pass through multiple operations before harvest, creating a system where responsibility and information are often disconnected.

“We send them from the dairy to the wet calf ranch, then to the grower ranch, then to the feedlot, and finally to the packer,” Felix says.

That fragmented structure makes it difficult to track animals from birth to carcass and share performance data across the supply chain.

“There’s a big opportunity to track beef-on-dairy cattle through the whole system, get that information back, and use it to make improvements,” Felix says.

More vertically integrated systems could help close those gaps.

“There are already parts of the beef-on-dairy industry that are becoming what I would call vertically integrated,” Felix says. “They’re the perfect model.”

She believes more of these integrated operations will emerge in the future as the industry looks for ways to connect early management with final performance.

Missing Research on Young Calves

Despite rapid growth in beef-on-dairy, there are still major gaps in research, particularly during the early growth period.

“We know very little about calves between 250 and 450 pounds. I see a huge gap in our knowledge about rumen development, especially for beef-on-dairy calves,” Felix says.

Calves often move quickly from individual hutches into group feeding systems before their rumens are fully developed.

“We take these calves out of the hutch, put some feed in front of them, and expect them to adapt on their own, even though their rumens aren’t fully developed,” Felix says.

Early health events during that time can also affect carcass quality much later.

“These calves can be impacted at 60 days of age with an insult that’s going to ultimately end up messing up their marbling characteristics,” Felix says.

Health Challenges at the Finish Line

Even when cattle reach the feedlot, health issues can still impact value. Liver abscesses remain a persistent concern in some regions, and researchers still don’t fully understand how these infections begin or how long they persist in the animal.

“I think it’s critical to figure out what the heck is causing this issue, and where it’s starting,” Felix says. “These are all things that we really don’t have any idea about.”

The System is Here to Stay

Despite the challenges, the role of beef-on-dairy in the beef supply is unlikely to shrink.

“Beef-on-dairy is here to stay. So, let’s be clear about that,” Felix says.

The next phase will depend on closing knowledge gaps, improving data flow through the supply chain and refining calf management from birth forward. As those hurdles are addressed, the industry will be better positioned to turn a fast-growing concept into a fully optimized production system.

Preweaning Performance Data Emerges for Beef-on-Dairy Calves

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:54:47 GMT

Preweaning performance shapes everything that follows, but for beef-on-dairy calves, investigation into that early-life picture has been sparse. While crossbreeding has been evaluated extensively in the feedlot, data from the first weeks of life has lagged behind. A new Journal of Dairy Science study from the University of Guelph helps close that gap, observing the early life performance of crossbred calves compared to Holsteins.

Key findings from the study include:

Crossbred calves demonstrated comparable or improved preweaning growth.
Health outcomes, including morbidity and mortality, were similar between groups.
Crossbred calves had reduced incidence of diarrhea and required fewer respiratory disease retreatments.
No additional management complexity was identified for crossbred calves.

Growth Performance Signals Early Advantages

Crossbred calves showed comparable or improved growth during the preweaning period. Crossbred calves had increased body weights by day 28, and weighed ~7 kg more than Holstein calves by day 84. This is consistent with what would be expected from heterosis, particularly for traits like growth efficiency and robustness.

That shift is notable because most of the economic rationale for crossbreeding has focused on downstream performance. This work suggests those advantages may begin earlier than previously documented.

This pattern is not isolated. In a controlled study of Angus × Holstein calves, crossbreds gained about 0.14 kg/day more than Holsteins and reached higher weaning weights under the same management conditions. Additional work reports similar trends, reinforcing performance differences can emerge during the preweaning period rather than later in production.

From a clinical standpoint, early growth is also a useful indicator of how well calves are handling nutrition, colostrum management and disease pressure. On that front, crossbred calves appear to perform at least as well as Holsteins under typical conditions.

Health Outcomes Show Targeted Advantages

Overall morbidity and mortality were similar between groups; however, important differences emerged in specific disease outcomes. Holstein calves had a higher incidence of diarrhea and were more likely to require repeat treatments for respiratory disease compared with crossbred calves. This pattern suggests that while total disease occurrence was similar, crossbred calves experienced fewer or less persistent clinical events.

These findings do not indicate a need for different protocols, but they do suggest crossbred calves may be less likely to require repeated intervention once disease occurs. This has potential implications for labor and antimicrobial use.

Measures of passive transfer, including serum total protein, were similar between groups, indicating these differences were not driven by variation in colostrum management.

Implications for Veterinary Practice and Calf Value

As beef-on-dairy crossbreeding becomes more common, veterinarians are increasingly involved in guiding how these programs are implemented and evaluated. The growing body of preweaning data provides a more complete foundation for those discussions.

Key implications include:

Crossbred calves can be integrated into existing calf-rearing programs without added health risk
Growth advantages may begin during the preweaning period, not just later in life
Standard health and nutrition protocols remain appropriate across genetic groups
Management fundamentals continue to have the greatest influence on outcomes
Early-life performance should be considered part of the overall value equation in beef-on-dairy systems

Taken together, the evidence points in a consistent direction: beef-on-dairy calves perform as well as, if not better than, Holsteins early in life, without added health risk. As more data emerges, that consistency strengthens confidence these calves can be managed within standard systems while delivering comparable or improved early-life performance.

U.S. Bovine Semen Slipped 4% in 2025, Exports Hit Record $327M

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:06:21 GMT

Even with a major export market disappearing early in the year, the U.S. bovine genetics industry proved its resilience in 2025.

New data from the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) , which represents roughly 95% of the U.S. artificial insemination industry, shows total semen sales slipped about 4% in 2025 to just under 66 million units - a decline of 2.9 million compared with 2024, effectively giving back last year’s modest gain. However, the industry offset much of that loss through stronger beef demand, expanded export markets and continued shifts in dairy breeding strategies.

China Closes Doors, Global Markets Evolve

In February 2025, U.S. bovine semen exports to China came to an abrupt standstill after Chinese authorities halted the issuance of required veterinary health certificates, cutting off one of the industry’s key export channels. The disruption stemmed from regulatory and trade tensions, not animal health concerns. Without the certificates, U.S. exporters had to redirect product to other markets.

“While dairy unit exports were down due to the closure of the China market, exports to other countries increased, which significantly reduced the impact of the closure,” says Jay Weiker, president of NAAB.

Even with China offline, robust interest from Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia helped steady the export picture.

“The industry not only stabilized but continued to advance by strengthening long-standing markets and opening new ones,” says NAAB international program director Sophie Eaglen.

The closure of China also reshaped the list of top semen buyers by value. In 2025, the United Kingdom led the rankings, followed by Italy and Mexico. Brazil led in total units imported, followed by Mexico and Russia. Overall, 46 markets imported over $1 million in U.S. semen, accounting for 94% of export units and 95% of export value.

A Down Year for Dairy

The U.S. dairy semen market experienced a substantial decline in 2025, reflecting ongoing shifts in breeding strategies and global market pressures. Total dairy unit sales, including domestic, export and custom-collected units, fell 6% compared to 2024, a loss of roughly 3 million units, bringing the total to 45.8 million.

Despite the overall decline, domestic use showed a slight rebound, increasing 2% to 16.5 million units, or nearly 367,000 additional units. Sexed semen continued to dominate U.S. herds, rising 6% to 10.6 million units and now accounting for 64% of all dairy semen used domestically. Conventional dairy semen declined by 280,000 units, highlighting the continued trend toward precision breeding and genomic selection.

Exports for dairy semen totaled 28.3 million units, down about 2.5 million from 2024. The early-year closure of the China market contributed to the drop, but exports to other countries, particularly across Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia, helped offset much of the lost volume. NAAB says strong international demand for replacement heifers continues to create opportunities for U.S. dairy producers.

Beef Semen Sees a Bump

The beef segment saw modest growth in 2025, reversing a multi-year decline. Total beef semen sales increased by 1%, or roughly 122,000 units, to reach 20.2 million units. Domestic use accounted for most of that growth, with beef units sold into beef herds rising 7% for the second consecutive year. In total, 9.8 million beef units were used domestically, with 8.1 million going into dairy herds and 1.7 million used in traditional beef herds.

Heterospermic beef semen, which combines genetics from multiple sires in a single straw, remains a significant portion of the market, though it declined from its 2024 peak of 2.8 million units to just over 2 million in 2025. Domestically, heterospermic units represented 2 million of the total, with 400,000 units exported. Angus remains the dominant beef breed, followed by crossbreeds and heterospermic products.

Export demand for beef genetics also continues to expand. Total beef semen exports grew 13% to 5.5 million units, underscoring the global appetite for U.S. genetics even as total semen unit exports declined overall.

Beef-on-Dairy Genetics Hold Steady

Beef-on-dairy genetics have become an increasingly important strategy for U.S. dairy producers, and 2025 was no exception. Domestic use remained steady at 8.1 million units, while exports of beef-on-dairy semen grew 13%, adding approximately 279,000 units.

This segment is fueled by genomic selection strategies that allow dairy producers to produce replacement heifers from their best animals while using beef sires on the remainder of the herd to create high-value F1 calves for feedlots. Adoption is also growing internationally, with rising demand for F1 calves and crossbred genetics, reinforcing the role of U.S. dairy producers in meeting both domestic and global needs.

Adaptive Trends and Future Opportunities

Despite the year’s unit declines, the industry is adjusting and finding its footing as global demand shifts and new breeding tools and market opportunities come along.

“Trends in semen usage reflect producers’ efforts to improve genetic outcomes and economic returns in an evolving marketplace,” Weiker says. “NAAB members should be complimented for their commitment to developing new markets and increasing market share in strategically important markets. There are many positives that can be gleaned from the 2025 results.”

With export value at record levels and beef-on-dairy strategies growing, the industry appears positioned for continued adaptation and progress in years ahead.

Serum Total Protein as a Benchmark for Calf Program Performance

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:34:30 GMT

Serum total protein (STP) testing has a relatively straightforward purpose in calf medicine: determining whether newborn calves successfully absorbed antibodies from colostrum.

But according to Bethany Dado-Senn, calf and heifer technical specialist with Vita Plus Corp, the metric is increasingly being used in a broader way. Rather than evaluating passive transfer in individual calves alone, many dairies now track STP results across groups of calves to assess how well their maternity and colostrum programs are working.

Few management decisions influence calf health more than what happens in the first hours after birth. Because STP reflects those early management decisions, it can provide rapid feedback about how well a calf program is functioning.

Why Serum Total Protein Matters

Serum total protein provides a practical proxy for immunoglobulin absorption after colostrum feeding. If calves receive adequate high-quality colostrum shortly after birth, STP values typically fall into higher ranges. If colostrum management is inconsistent or delayed, STP levels tend to drop.

The test is inexpensive and easy to perform using a refractometer, which has made it one of the most widely used field tools for evaluating passive transfer.

Research shows STP and passive transfer status is closely linked to calf health. In a large cohort study of over 4,000 calves, passive transfer status was associated with differences in disease incidence, mortality risk and early growth performance.

Calves with higher STP concentrations experienced fewer health events during the preweaning period compared with calves in lower passive transfer categories. These findings suggest STP reflects more than antibody transfer alone. It may also capture the combined effects of colostrum quality, feeding timing and early calf care.

These relationships have led veterinarians to view STP as an early indicator of overall calf program success.

Understanding STP Benchmarks

Modern passive transfer benchmarks are largely based on research evaluating thousands of dairy calves. The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association classification system divides calves into four categories based on serum total protein levels.

Passive Transfer Category	Serum Total Protein
Poor	<5.1 g/dL
Fair	5.1–5.7 g/dL
Good	5.8–6.1 g/dL
Excellent	≥6.2 g/dL

Strong colostrum programs typically achieve:

At least 40% of calves in the “excellent” category
Fewer than 10% in the “poor” category

“Calves in that poor category have a four times increase in mortality risk and about a one and a half times increased risk of bovine respiratory disease and scours,” Dado-Senn says.

Tracking these proportions over time helps farms monitor the consistency of colostrum management.

Serum protein concentrations gradually decline as calves age. For that reason, sample calves between 2 and 4 days of age whenever possible. Maintaining a consistent sampling protocol is especially important when STP is used as a herd-level benchmark.

From Diagnostic Test to Management Benchmark

Rather than focusing only on individual calves, many dairy operations now track herd-level STP results over time. Some farms monitor average STP values by month or quarter, while others track the percentage of calves falling into different passive transfer categories.

In some cases, the metric is even used as a management tool to encourage employee performance.

“There are a number of dairies that I work with that utilize things like serum total proteins or average daily gains of their calves as kind of a performance benchmark for their staff. There might be a list on the door saying, ‘Hey, here’s our serum total protein goal. Here’s where everybody is relative to that,’” Dado-Senn says.

Using STP this way creates a direct feedback loop between colostrum management and measurable outcomes. When calf-care teams can see how their practices translate into herd metrics, it becomes easier to identify where protocols are working and where adjustments may be needed.

Tracking STP Trends Over Time

Evaluating STP results as trends rather than isolated measurements can be helpful for evaluating broader systems. Monitoring herd averages and passive transfer categories over time can reveal subtle changes in colostrum management before clinical problems appear.

In herds with strong maternity protocols, STP trends can remain consistently high. Dado-Senn describes one dairy client who tracks STP trends on a quarterly basis.

“Looking at serum total protein trends over quarters, they do an absolutely fantastic job. Their averages are well-above the excellent range and they typically don’t have much more than 1% or 2% in the poor category,” Dado-Senn says.

Tracking results this way gives farms a broader evaluation of calf program performance, allowing them to make system-wide improvements.

Detect Management Problems Early

Because STP reflects events that occur immediately after birth, shifts in herd averages can reveal management issues before disease outbreaks occur.

Declining STP values may signal:

delayed colostrum feeding
lower colostrum quality
changes in maternity staffing
inconsistent colostrum handling protocols

Spot testing calves periodically can identify these problems quickly.

A Simple Test with Growing Influence

Calf programs involve many moving parts, from maternity management to housing and nutrition. Yet the earliest decisions in a calf’s life often have the greatest impact. Serum total protein testing provides a simple way to measure the success of those decisions.

What began as a diagnostic test for passive transfer is increasingly becoming something more: a practical performance indicator for the entire calf system.

The Top Three Biggest Mistakes When Using Crowd Gates

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Crowd gates are often one of the most used tools on a dairy. Not only do they save significant time for employees, but they also help reduce the stress associated with moving cows.

However, just like any tool, crowd gates can be used incorrectly and can sometimes negatively impact cow comfort and welfare. Carolina Pinzon, a Dairy Outreach Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, highlights the three most common mistakes she sees in crowd gate usage and provides practical strategies to avoid them.

Overcrowding the Holding Area

Occasionally, overcrowding the holding area happens, but Pinzon warns that prolonged overcrowding can negatively impact cow health, production, and welfare. This is especially concerning during summer when cows generate extra body heat and require sufficient airflow.

“Signs of an overcrowded holding pen include cows with their heads up, unable to plant their four feet on the ground, and looking restless and uncomfortable,” Pinzon says. “Short-term overcrowding can also result from misuse of the crowd gate, by employees pushing it too far forward and smashing the cows.”

To prevent overcrowding, Pinzon recommends balancing parlor and pen sizes, so cows spend no more than one hour away from their pens during each milking. Holding areas should allow at least 20 square feet per cow.

“If needed, a large pen can be divided into smaller groups,” Pinzon suggests. “While this means more trips to the parlor for workers, it significantly reduces the time cows spend in the holding pen. Additionally, short-term overcrowding can be alleviated by moving the crowd gate backward to provide more space for the cows.”

Being Careless

While dairy cows are typically gentle giants, they can be stubborn and slow to move. This, however, doesn’t justify using force. Moving crowd gates too quickly or applying electricity can cause unnecessary stress and fear for the animals.
Instead, Pinzon emphasizes the importance of calm and gentle handling. She advises guiding cows to the parlor without pressure or haste.

“Once the cows on one side of the parlor have exited, the crowd gate can be moved forward,” Pinzon says. “This regular adjustment is crucial to accommodate the changing number of animals and available space in the holding area. Automating crowd gates to move forward every time exit gates are open/lift can help reduce misuse.”

Pinzon recommends keeping crowd gates at least three feet from the cows to avoid pressing against their backs. She suggests using sound cues, like bells or ringing, to train cows to move forward, rather than relying solely on gate movement. If the gate gets too close, pull it back to give the cows more space before resuming forward movement. These practices promote a stress-free and productive environment for both cows and workers.

Workers Entering the Holding Area

Crowd gates are valuable tools for safely and efficiently moving cows toward the parlor entrance. However, when employees enter the holding pen to push cows, it can create unnecessary stress for the animals and put workers at risk of injury.

Pinzon highlights the importance of regularly training employees on proper cow handling and the correct use of crowd gates. She stresses avoiding the practice of entering the holding area to chase cows and instead maintaining a calm and consistent environment for the animals.

“Except for when loading the last cows of a pen and fresh cows, the door from the parlor pit to the holding area should remain closed during most of the milking process,” she adds. “This physical reminder is to discourage workers from entering the holding area. In addition, regular maintenance of crowd gates, prompt reporting of issues, and swift resolution of problems by management are crucial for proper gate function.”

Spotting these three common mistakes in crowd gate use and taking proactive steps to address them can significantly improve cow welfare, employee safety, and your herd’s operational efficiency. Regular maintenance, clear protocols, and proper training go a long way in preventing overcrowding and keeping things calm and stress-free for both cows and workers.

How Will U.S. Producers Maintain Business when New World Screwworm Invades?

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:59:35 GMT

With animal disease, prevention and preparation beat panic. Since New World screwworm (NWS) was last eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s, the tools and infrastructure to deal with foreign animal disease have dramatically changed.

Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas animal health commissioner and state veterinarian, during the recent Kansas State University Cattlemen’s Day gave an update on how Kansas and other states are preparing for NWS. The approach is designed to keep producers in business, keep cattle and products moving, and manage NWS in a way that protects both herds and markets.

He says the U.S. animal health officials along with USDA are planning a multistate, coordinated response that aims for consistency across state borders.

Smith summarizes the industry’s preparation to tackle NWS is like a three-legged stool. U.S. producers will be able to maintain business when NWS invades through surveillance, treatment and movement controls.

Surveillance: Eyes on Animals

The first leg of the stool is surveillance. He stresses early detection depends heavily on producers and veterinarians watching animals closely and reporting anything suspicious.

Smith emphasizes they would rather over investigate than miss a case.

“We want to make sure that we err on the side of having to say no on many occasions, versus saying, ‘Yep, this is what we got.’ Eyes on animals is going to be key.”

He was clear this should feel like partnership, not policing.

“They don’t want it to look like Big Brother coming over your shoulder,” he explains. “I hope we want to get this thing quickly.”

Smith explains that once a positive premises is identified, surveillance becomes structured around zones. The infested premises sit at the center, surrounded by an infested zone, an adjacent surveillance zone and a broader fly surveillance area.

The infested zone is 12.4 miles in radius from the infested premises. In this zone, there will be frequent on‑animal checks for wounds and larvae, plus enhanced monitoring in surrounding zones using fly traps and animal observation. The adjacent surveillance zone is another 12.4 miles radius and then there will be a fly surveillance area — an 124-mile radius from the infested premises.

Smith says movements out of the infested zone will require visual inspection for wounds and systemic treatment, including a treatment window of three to 14 days before movement plus a documented certificate of veterinary inspection.

He says the current Kansas response plan aligns with USDA’s playbook and neighboring states’ plans while taking into account specific needs of the Kansas livestock industry.

He stresses the playbook will continue to evolve, and state-by-state implementation may vary, but he says the “zone approach” will be utilized by all states.

Treatment: Limited Tools, Use Strategically

The second leg is treatment. Smith says that after decades without large domestic outbreaks, labeled options are limited.

From the fact that we haven’t had this new tool in our nation, in a large-spread outbreak since the 60s, we don’t have a lot of treatments out there that are labeled for this organism.”

To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four products for large animals:

He cautions, “The goal is not to go out there and just habitually treat your animals just in case. We want to make sure that we’re utilizing these [products] responsibly. There’s not an unlimited supply out there, and so we want to make sure that it’s available for us when we do need it.”

On a positive premises, Smith says treatment will be mandatory and systematic.

“There will be a quarantine placed on that premises. We’re also going to require a certain level of treatment on that premises,” he explains.

There will be protocols for daily mortality disposal, so carcasses don’t become breeding sites.

“The last thing you want to do is bury an animal that has larvae and has the ability to advance.”

He says treatment is also tied to movement out of infested zones, with most animals needing prophylactic treatment before leaving.

Movement Controls: Targeted, Not Statewide Shutdowns

The third leg is movement control, designed to be precise rather than broad-brush. Smith stresses NWS is an infestation, not an infection , emphasizing it is not a systemic disease problem, but an infestation that still demands strong controls.

He says there will be movement restrictions if a premises falls into an infested region. To move animals out of that zone, there will be steps to follow but movement will not be completely shut down.

He explains some exceptions exist:

Animals moving directly to slaughter can go without pre‑movement treatment, but those animals have to be hanging on the rail within 72 hours.
Baby dairy calves must be treated but can move right away if treatment and navel care are documented.

He says Kansas is also coordinating with neighboring states to create “synergistic” rules, especially for cattle from higher‑risk states such as Texas. Cattle entering Kansas from recognized infested zones will face inspection, treatment requirements and at least 14 days in drylot containment on arrival.

NWS is Not a Food Safety Issue

Smith reassures producers and consumers that NWS is not a meat safety threat.

“This is not a food safety issue,” he says. “If an animal is presented to slaughter, it has a screwworm wound then it has the ability to be trimmed. That carcass will not be condemned. There are no restrictions on any inspected product for food safety reasons.”

Smith summarizes underpinning all three legs is a commitment to dynamic planning and continuity. He notes a revised USDA playbook is forthcoming and that “plans will be a little bit dynamic” as they learn more.

The core message for producers is clear: watch your cattle, report early, use treatments wisely and expect targeted movement controls — not blanket shutdowns — if NWS crosses the border.

USDA Announces Sterile Fly Production Facility Construction Contract

USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced March 9 a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas.

This facility is a key component in U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy to fight NWS. USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering and construction of the facility.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is an essential partner in bringing this facility to life and further highlights the Trump Administration’s government-wide effort to fight the New World Screwworm threat in Mexico,” Rollins says. “The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come. This first-of-its-kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies.”

A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas.

USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa , which will double NWS production capacity once complete.

With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.

USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.

Compounded Drugs in Livestock: Regulations, Uses and Benefits

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:25:23 GMT

“Compounding pharmaceuticals are drugs that we start with an approved drug in livestock and poultry,” says Dr. Brian Payne, veterinarian and director of research and development and technical services for Veterinary Pharmaceutical Solutions on a recent episode of DocTalk . “We change the format of it so that it’s more applicable to the livestock species.”

In livestock medicine, you may face situations where no labeled drug exists for a specific species, condition or route of administration. In those cases, compounded drugs may provide an alternative by adapting approved medications into formulations better suited for food animal production systems.

Why Compounded Drugs Are Used in Livestock Medicine

One reason compounding plays a role in food animal medicine is the limited number of pharmaceuticals developed specifically for livestock species.

“There’s a limited amount of resources being spent on livestock today on new pharmaceuticals,” Payne says. “But there’s a lot of really good pharmaceuticals out there that veterinarians want to use for livestock. If we can take those active ingredients from FDA-approved products and get them into the right format, you have a whole other tool for your producers.”

Rather than creating entirely new drugs, compounding allows veterinarians and pharmacists to modify existing FDA-approved medications into formats better suited for livestock production.

How Compounded Drugs Improve Drug Delivery

One advantage of compounding is the ability to create alternative delivery methods that may better fit livestock production systems.

Many treatments traditionally require injections or running cattle through a chute, which can increase labor and stress for animals and handlers. Compounded formulations may allow treatments to be delivered through oral suspensions or drinking water systems when appropriate.

“If you’re putting it through the water, it can minimize handling, which is always a positive,” Payne says. “And also if you need to choose a drug that’s different, now you have the ability to administer it that way.”

Alternative delivery routes may also allow veterinarians to select drugs with different pharmacologic profiles when needed.

“It gives you the ability to choose a drug that’s different and administer it in a way that works for the operation,” Payne says.

Veterinary Regulations for Compounded Drugs

Despite some misconceptions, compounded drugs used in livestock are subject to regulatory oversight.

“We always have to start with an FDA-approved product,” Payne says. “Once we start manipulating or compounding those drugs, we have to follow procedures to make sure that’s cleanly done.”

Compounding itself can be performed either by a veterinarian or a pharmacist.

“Once a veterinarian gets their license, they have the full ability to compound themselves or a pharmacist can compound,” Payne explains. “A producer can’t compound on their own.”

A decision framework from the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act and FDA guidance that prioritizes approved treatments before considering compounded options should be followed:

Use an FDA-approved drug for the species, condition and route of administration when available.
Consider extra-label use of an approved product when appropriate.
Use compounded formulations when no approved option meets the clinical need.
Ensure the compounded drug begins with an FDA-approved product.
Establish appropriate withdrawal intervals to prevent residues.

Withdrawal Times and Quality Control

Residue avoidance remains a critical responsibility when using compounded drugs in food animals.

“There’s zero tolerance for any residues in compounded products, and we have to keep that in mind,” Payne says. “It’s the responsibility of the veterinarian to prescribe that with a withdrawal period.”

Withdrawal intervals may be determined using pharmacokinetic information, including drug half-life and available research data, to estimate when residues are no longer present in the animal.

Quality control is another important component of pharmaceutical compounding. Compounding pharmacies may test compounded batches to ensure the drug concentration matches the intended formulation.

“We want to check to understand if the potency we say is in there is actually in there,” Payne says.

Compounded Drugs as an Additional Tool for Livestock Veterinarians

Compounded drugs are not intended to replace approved pharmaceuticals. Instead, they provide another option when labeled products are unavailable or impractical for a particular situation.

For veterinarians managing herd health across diverse livestock systems, that flexibility can be valuable.

“It gives you another set of tools to utilize,” Payne says.

Is Bovine Leukemia Virus Hiding on Your Dairy?

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:07:53 GMT

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is present in most U.S. dairy herds, but many producers do not know it. Because infected animals often appear healthy, the virus can circulate quietly for years before its impact becomes visible.

“BLV is often present long before it becomes an issue. So, if you’re not looking for it on the farm, chances are it’s there, but if you’re not looking, you don’t know or you don’t see it,” Tasia Kendrick, associate professor at Michigan State University, says on a recent episode of “The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast.”

Kendrick studies BLV epidemiology and control strategies in dairy herds.

That quiet presence can make BLV difficult to recognize. On many farms, the infection only becomes visible after production or health problems begin to accumulate.

“I’ve talked to quite a few producers, and it’s not a problem until it is. And then, all of a sudden, the animals dying are condemned at slaughter. It’s too late to do anything about when we get to that point,” Kendrick says.

BLV at a Glance:

Present in 80% to 90% of U.S. dairy herds
Up to 40% to 50% of animals infected within affected herds
Impacts immune function, longevity and production
Spreads primarily through blood-to-blood transfer

Subclinical Production and Immune Effects of BLV

Part of the challenge with BLV is that infected animals often appear normal during daily observation. However, research increasingly shows the virus can affect multiple aspects of herd performance.

“Those animals may appear to be normal, but you may be treating them for other ailments through their entire life, and then they leave the herd early, which leads to profit loss for that producer,” Kendrick says.

The economic impact often comes from small performance losses that accumulate across the herd. Reduced milk production, shorter productive lifespans and additional health treatments can all contribute to lower overall profitability.

The virus affects the immune system directly, which can influence both disease resistance and vaccine response.

“The way the virus works is it lays latent in the immune system. It targets B cells, one of your immune cells, and it can lay latent and dormant until it doesn’t,” Kendrick says.

Because BLV infects immune cells, affected animals may be more susceptible to secondary diseases or respond less efficiently to vaccination programs. Over time, those subtle effects can reduce both longevity and productivity.

How BLV Spreads on Farms

Understanding transmission is central to controlling the virus. BLV spreads primarily through the transfer of infected blood between animals.

“The virus itself targets B cells, which are just cells of the immune system that are in the blood system. So it’s a blood-to-blood transfer that moves it from animal to animal,” Kendrick says.

Routine management procedures can inadvertently contribute to transmission if proper precautions are not taken. Shared needles, contaminated equipment or procedures that transfer even very small amounts of blood between animals can spread the virus.

Vertical transmission is also possible.

“The virus is small enough that it can go through the placenta wall, so there is some dam-to-calf transfer as well as colostrum,” Kendrick says. “If raw colostrum or milk is fed, there’s potential for live virus to infect the animal that way.”

These pathways mean infections can occur both in the milking herd and during early life stages.

Practical Management of BLV

Because dairy operations differ widely in their management practices, BLV control strategies often need to be tailored to individual farms.

“It’s not one solution for every farm because every farm is managing their animals differently from colostrum all the way up to the milking herd,” Kendrick says.

Still, several practical steps can help reduce transmission risk.

“It’s really thinking about management strategies of what you can do to reduce blood-to-blood transfer, whether that’s single-use needles, single-use sleeves, fly control, anything that’s going to decrease the chances of blood transfer,” Kendrick says.

Key Strategies to Reduce BLV Transmission

1. Reduce blood transfer.

Use single-use needles.
Use new palpation sleeves for each cow.
Maintain strict hygiene during procedures.

2. Manage colostrum carefully.

Avoid feeding raw pooled colostrum.
Freeze or pasteurize colostrum when possible.

3. Control biting flies.

4. Establish herd status through targeted testing.

Testing every animal may not be necessary to understand the scope of infection.

“If you test 40 specific animals across the lactation in your herd, you get a pretty good picture of the prevalence, so you have a starting point and you don’t have to test every animal in your herd,” Kendrick says.

The Michigan State University BLV website recommends testing the 10 most recently calved cows that are greater than three days in milk from each lactation group (first, second, third and fourth-plus).

Looking More Closely

BLV has circulated in the dairy industry for decades, often without drawing much attention, but growing evidence of its effects on immunity, productivity and longevity is prompting veterinarians and producers to take a closer look.

For many herds, the first step is simply recognizing the virus may already be present.

Calving Management Can Make or Break Profitability

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:41:01 GMT

The calving pen is where some of the most costly and preventable problems on a dairy begin. And while a hard birth might not look like much at first, Howard Taylor from Iowa State University warns that dystocia, especially in heifers, can seriously eat into profits.

“For every cow or heifer that experiences dystocia, there’s approximately a $1,500 loss associated with that,” Taylor says.

Those losses often become normalized on farms. It’s easy to shrug off a tough calving or a stillborn calf because “it happens,” but that mindset can lead to bigger bills and missed opportunities to improve herd health.

“Farms tend to have a baseline level of problems in their herd, and farmers see those problems as normal. But these issues are often preventable,” Taylor notes.

He believes the calving environment is one area where intentional management changes can make a big difference. Things like how calm the pen is, how often animals are moved or how many cows are grouped together can all shape how smoothly a birth goes. All of these small tweaks add up, and Taylor says they matter more than most people realize.

“Some changes only improve profit a little, but when combined, they can really boost your bottom line,” he says.

Heifers Are Not Just Small Cows

One important aspect Taylor urges producers to keep in mind is that heifers don’t calve the same way mature cows do.

“Heifers go into labor earlier, or they’re in stage two labor longer than cows,” he explains. “Part of that is because it is a new experience and they are in a different surrounding.”

Heifers tend to be more restless during labor and have higher cortisol levels. That extra stress can make the final stage of labor harder and, if it gets too high, it can be harmful to both the cow and calf.

“For heifers in particular, those higher cortisol levels reflect in more restlessness, longer labors,” Taylor adds. “If they get interrupted, it takes them longer to go back into active labor.”

According to Taylor, one mistake he sees too often is moving heifers once they’ve already started labor. This isn’t as big of an issue for cows, but it can halt progress in a hurry for heifers.

A cow will usually get back on track within an hour, but heifers just don’t rebound the same way. Even shifting them to a different pen can stall things out for several hours — up to 16 in some cases.

Rethinking Calving Facilities and Social Stress

There’s no perfect calving setup, but Taylor says every system comes with trade-offs farms need to think through. Individual pens are great for biosecurity and give cows the chance to separate themselves, but they can also be tough on heifers.

“The challenge with individual pens is they socially isolate the animal,” Taylor says. “So, for heifers, individual pens can be really stressful unless you have companion animals in adjoining pens.”

Group pens, on the other hand, let cows interact more naturally, but they require a lot more space than most barns can realistically spare.

“The minimum space [for calving] is 50 square feet per animal,” Taylor says. “The ideal space is over 100 square feet, which is really challenging to try and meet in a facility.”

One way some farms give a group pen more of an individual‑pen feel is by adding visual barriers. These help cows feel more secure, but they can also restrict airflow and make it tougher for workers to monitor each animal.

“Animals like to have the visual barriers there, but it also provides some challenges from a management standpoint,” Taylor says. “Finding the right balance between cow comfort, biosecurity, labor and practicality is a constant juggling act.”

Social dynamics add another layer to consider. Heifers raised together don’t always transition well when they’re suddenly mixed into a group of older cows.

“Heifers grow up together, so dropping one into a group of older cows can really throw her off,” Taylor says. “They’re usually pretty submissive, so they get pushed around and often go off feed for a bit. However, moving them with a former pen mate or companion may help reduce stress, keep them calmer during calving and help them stay on feed better.”

The timing of the move matters too. Cows tend to be more aggressive in the morning, so introducing heifers later in the day can help them settle in more smoothly.

Taylor says while these adjustments may seem minute, they can add up, making calving run more smoothly and giving both the heifer and her calf a stronger start.

Training People for the Maternity Ward

Taylor says people play a major role in how calving goes, yet many farms train employees heavily in the parlor and far less in the calving pen. He often sees workers unsure about when to step in or when to wait.

“With calving, we have people who are unprepared all the time, being exposed to trying to decide, ‘Should I assist? Should I not assist?’ Training is incredibly important and can help with these decisions,” he says. “Training is the best management practice and should be constantly evolving.”

Understanding when to step in is only part of the training, Taylor notes. Another key piece is knowing what actually happens during delivery.

“The uterus only uses about 80 lb. of force to push the calf out, but a single person can easily pull with a few hundred pounds,” Taylor says. “Most calf jacks can reach over 1,000 lb. of force, and it only takes around 300 to 400 lb. to break a calf’s femur.”

Taylor stresses stepping back and letting the animal calve on her own is often the better approach, especially with heifers.

“The less assistance, the better,” Taylor says. “We tend to want to assist more with heifers because they take longer and they’re more restless. But that’s the opposite of what we should be doing.”

Technology can support this approach by reducing unnecessary disruptions.

“For heifers, having people come in and check the position of the calf is really stressful,” Taylor notes. “But if you have cameras in there, it allows us to monitor without intervening and without creating stress, so we only go in when it’s absolutely necessary.”

He encourages producers to treat the calving pen more like a human maternity ward, keeping the space calm, quiet and low‑stress for both cow and calf.

Long-Term and Multigenerational Impacts

As Taylor points out, calving management choices reach far beyond the moment a calf hits the ground. He says the effects ripple well into the future.

“These are really long‑term impacts,” Taylor says. “That stressful delivery that could have been prevented doesn’t just impact that cow and that calf. It impacts that cow through the entire lactation. It also impacts that calf throughout their life, and it impacts their offspring as well.”

Because these effects carry forward for multiple generations, the true economic cost of calving problems is often much higher than it appears on paper. Lost milk, slower growth, less‑robust replacements and added health challenges all add up quietly over time.

Taylor says reducing stress for heifers in the calving pen isn’t just a welfare benefit. It is one of the most effective ways to boost performance across the whole herd. In his view, the choices made in the calving pen today shape the herd producers will be working with for years to come. And that’s why he sees the calving pen as a place where a little extra attention can really pay off.

Does Every Calf Need a Gallon of Colostrum? Not Necessarily

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:04:43 GMT

For years, feeding a gallon of colostrum shortly after birth has been considered the gold standard for calf care. It’s simple, easy to remember and straightforward to train employees to follow. But today’s calves don’t all look the same. With more variation in size, some researchers are asking whether the same volume makes sense for every newborn.

During a recent “Dairy Health Blackbelt” podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann, associate professor at Cornell University, revisited the research behind that long-standing recommendation.

“One of the questions I have gotten frequently is, why are we feeding all calves a gallon of colostrum?” she says. “It’s a pretty widespread management strategy in the U.S. And if you try to dig into the literature of why that came about, there’s actually not that much evidence that that is the best approach for every calf.”

She notes that for an average 85- to 90-pound calf, four liters is probably appropriate. But not every calf falls into that range. When birthweights vary, feeding the same volume across the board may not always match what each individual calf truly needs.

Putting the Gallon Rule to the Test

To take a closer look at the gallon recommendation, Dr. Mann and her team conducted a study on a commercial dairy in collaboration with researchers at the University of Guelph.

They began by pooling colostrum to keep quality consistent across calves. From each pool, four calves were assigned different feeding levels based on a percentage of their body weight.

“We made a big pool of colostrum, and then we assigned four calves to that pool, and one calf got 6% and one calf got 8% and one calf got 10% and one calf got 12% so that was our range, six to 12,” Mann explains.

Rather than giving every calf the same fixed volume, the team adjusted how much colostrum each calf received relative to its size.

The intent was not to create a complicated system requiring producers to weigh every calf and calculate exact doses.

“This is not meant for people to weigh each and every single one of the calves and then figure out the milliliters,” Mann says. “But it’s for us to understand, is there an effect on the calf’s ability to take up IgG into circulation. And if there is, how would we translate this into actionable recommendations on farm.”

Ultimately, the study focused on whether feeding different amounts based on body weight would influence how well calves absorb the antibodies they need early in life.

More Isn’t Always Better

The study looked at how different colostrum volumes (as a percent of body weight) affected IgG in the blood, absorption efficiency, stomach emptying and calf comfort. As expected, bigger feeds gave calves more total IgG

“We found that the more volume they got within a certain quality of colostrum, the more IgG they had in their blood, which makes sense, right? The more you give, the more you get,” Mann says.

But the benefit slowed at the highest volume, 12% of the calf’s body weight.

“There was a declining return on investment, so to say, with increasing volumes,” Mann says. “There was a steep increase from 6% to 8% to 10% of body weight, but only a very small improvement in blood IgG concentration at 12% of body weight.”

This happened because calves absorbed a smaller proportion of the IgG when fed very large amounts.

“The proportion of the IgG in colostrum that actually appears in the blood was declining, meaning that the more volume you put into them, the less proportion the calf can actually take up into that in that window of time.”

When calves get a large meal, their stomach empties more slowly, so less colostrum reaches the intestine while the gut is still “open” to IgG absorption.

“We wanted to see if different volumes affect how the stomach empties colostrum into the intestine, and timing matters because the gut is only open for IgG absorption for a limited period.”

She compared it humans overeating during a holiday meal.

“We do this around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we sit there and our belly hurts, right? Our systems know to slow down the gastric output in those situations, and that’s the same that happens in calves.”

Calf Comfort and Behavior

Dr. Mann’s team also looked at calf behavior, since small calves fed four liters often appear bloated or uncomfortable.

“We were interested in this notion from the field, and we did observe that the more volume we fed, the more we saw behavior associated with colic, like kicking the abdomen,” she says.

While lying time wasn’t significantly affected, higher volumes tended to reduce relaxed resting.

“We didn’t find a statistical effect in lying time, but those calves fed higher volumes tended to lie less in a relaxed position, similar to us at Thanksgiving,” she joked.

The “Goldilocks” Approach

When it comes to determining how much colostrum a calf truly needs, Mann describes the “Goldilocks” approach as the best option.

“I think we’re getting back to a Goldilocks approach where you want to have enough, but you don’t have to give too much,” she says. “Just the right amount is most beneficial to the calf.”

Based on this research, around 10% of a calf’s body weight is a solid target for an initial feeding. That amount provides enough immunoglobulins to support immunity without overwhelming the stomach, and it can be adjusted for smaller or larger calves.

Mann adds that while colostrum is packed with nutrients, extra benefits might be better delivered through multiple feedings rather than one very large meal.

“The nutritive value of colostrum should not be underestimated, but we also have to keep in mind the comfort of the calf,” she says. “Maybe it’s better given in separate feedings. A lot of farms have gone to feeding second feedings or even third feedings of colostrum.”

Practical Takeaways

While colostrum is essential for newborn calf health, Mann emphasizes that the goal isn’t to hit a fixed volume, but to give calves the right start while keeping them comfortable. She provides the following tips to use on the farm:

1. Know your herd’s average birth weight. “A good first step is to know the average birth weight of calves in your herd, since that can vary,” Mann says. “Once you know that, you can adjust the colostrum volume to match your average calf.”

2. Use a couple of standard volumes rather than one fixed size, “Many herds now use two standard volumes, like three liters and four liters. That way, even without a scale, you can look at a calf and decide: this one won’t be over 85 pounds, so it gets the smaller amount,” she says.

3. Consider second or third colostrum feedings. “Instead of giving all the colostrum at once, it can help to split it into two or three feedings if your farm can manage it,” Mann says. “Many people see benefits from this, though we could always use a bit more research to confirm.”

Mycotoxin Risk Holds Steady in 2025

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:49:12 GMT

According to the dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey , which assessed the global mycotoxin threat, 86% of North American samples tested above the recommended threshold for at least one mycotoxin. While mycotoxin levels haven’t necessarily escalated from 2024 to 2025, there was a shift in the distribution, which has some implications for cattle and swine operations.

“The 2025 results show a continued mycotoxin challenge, with contamination rates rising for both aflatoxins and zearalenone and average levels increasing across all major mycotoxins,” said Ursula Hofstetter, head of mycotoxin risk management at dsm-firmenich, in a press release.

The Major Players

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi, most commonly Fusarium, Aspergillus and Claviceps species. They develop in the field and can persist through harvest and storage. Weather stress, hybrid selection and storage management all influence which toxins dominate in a given year.

The primary mycotoxins shaping North American livestock risk in 2025 were:

Deoxynivalenol (DON)
A Type B trichothecene produced by Fusarium species. Commonly found in corn and wheat. Often referred to as ‘vomitoxin’.
Zearalenone (ZEN)
Also a Fusarium toxin. Structurally estrogenic and frequently present alongside DON in corn and small grains.
Fumonisins (FUM)
Produced by Fusarium verticillioides and related species. Predominantly found in corn.
Aflatoxins (AFLA)
Produced by Aspergillus species. More common in drought- or heat-stressed corn.
Ergot alkaloids (ERGOT)
Produced by Claviceps species. Typically associated with small grains.

These toxins rarely occur in isolation. Co-contamination often shapes the reality producers see on the farm.

What Changed from 2024 to 2025

The 2025 North American mycotoxin prevalence in raw materials compared to 2024 shows the following shifts:

DON: 74% → 76%
ZEN: 73% → 78%
FUM: 46% → 55%
AFLA: 15% → 17%
ERGOT: 44% → 9%

Trichothecenes remain deeply entrenched, with DON prevalence increasing slightly. Most of this increase is a result of an increase in wheat (73% → 93%). Meanwhile, fumonisins rose meaningfully and ergots dropped sharply.

Cattle: Rumen Function, Immune Resilience and Production Losses

Cattle historically are considered somewhat more resilient to mycotoxins than monogastrics, owing to partial ruminal detoxification. However, evidence increasingly shows persistent exposure to Fusarium toxins like DON, ZEN and FUM, especially in combination, can exert significant effects on digestion, immunity and metabolic health.

When looking at global finished feed samples for ruminants:

DON was prevalent in 69% of samples and above the risk threshold in 53% of samples.
ZEN was prevalent in 73% of samples and above the risk threshold in 33% of samples.
AFLA was present in 34% of samples and above the risk threshold in 29% of samples.

Studies have demonstrated short-term exposure to Fusarium toxins, including ZEN and FUM, affects fermentation patterns and the microbial community, which in turn can reduce fiber breakdown and volatile fatty acid production — key drivers of energy supply in cattle. Even modest disruptions to the rumen microbiota can reduce feed efficiency and gain over time.

The immune system is also affected by mycotoxins. The immunosuppressive effects of common mycotoxins in ruminants have been documented , including alterations in cytokine gene expression, immunoglobulin production and macrophage function.

Further, individual toxins like AFLA have well-established effects on liver function and general metabolism in cattle. Chronic AFLA exposure has been linked to reduced appetite, lower weight gains and elevated liver enzymes, indicating compromised hepatic function that can impact production and health resilience.

These findings indicate how cattle performance and disease resistance can be eroded by the mycotoxin patterns reported in the 2025 data. Persistent DON and ZEN exposure, combined with higher FUM presence, places additional load on rumen fermentation and immune competence, potentially contributing to subclinical production drift.

Swine: Immune Disruption, Gut Barrier Injury and Performance Drag

In swine, elevated prevalence of DON, ZEN and FUM can exert systemic effects on immune function, gut integrity and reproductive physiology at both clinical and subclinical levels.

When looking at global finished feed samples for swine:

DON was present in 85% of samples and above the risk threshold in 41% of samples.
ZEN was present in 79% of samples and above the risk threshold in 19% of samples.
FUM was present in 44% of samples and above the risk threshold in 8% of samples.

Research has shown DON and FUM alter the gut epithelial barrier, impair immune defenses and increase bacterial translocation from the gut, making pigs more susceptible to infections even when properly vaccinated. In the immune tissues themselves, DON exposure has been linked to changes in the gene expression of key antimicrobial and inflammatory regulators, implying a weakened ability to respond to disease challenge at the cellular level.

ZEN adds another layer of complexity. Beyond its well-known estrogenic effects (i.e., swelling of reproductive tissues and altered estrous cycles), ZEN has been shown to suppress antibody production in porcine immune cells, reducing levels of IgM, IgG and IgA. These immunoglobulins are important for protective vaccine responses. This explains why farms employing what should be effective vaccination programs still report breakthrough disease.

Collectively, these mechanisms mean widespread DON and ZEN exposure is a disease vulnerability issue. When the gut barrier is compromised and immune cell function is suppressed, pigs are less able to defend against respiratory pathogens, enteric bacteria and systemic infections alike, and their response to vaccination may be diminished.

Mycotoxin Co-Contamination Defines 2025

The defining feature of mycotoxins in 2025 is not a single toxin spike, but co-contamination. Feeds routinely contain multiple mycotoxins at once and their effects overlap, creating steady biological pressure.

The result is rarely dramatic toxicosis, but production drift is reflected in reduced gains, narrower reproductive margins, lowered health resilience and increased performance variability.

With persistent DON, rising ZEN and higher FUM prevalence in North America, ingredient-level vigilance and close monitoring of performance trends are important. The mycotoxin burden did not spike, but it did rearrange.