Animal Welfare

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

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.

Four Ways to Boost Calf Welfare Today

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:20:57 GMT

Dr. Emily Miller-Cushon has built her career around studying the behavior and welfare of calves.

The Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida recently shared insights from her research on “Meeting Dairy Calf Behavior Needs to Improve Lifelong Welfare,” a webinar sponsored by the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council .

Miller-Cushon’s intriguing work has focused on myriad aspects of calf behavior. She and her colleagues have studied social housing, oral behaviors, grooming activities and more. They also have examined the relationship between calves’ welfare and their health and performance.

Their findings have shown that there definitely are on-farm enhancements that can improve calves’ quality of life and sometimes their health and performance as well. Miller-Cushon emphasized that not all of those changes need to be costly or complicated. She noted 4 small measures that can yield big rewards in terms of calf welfare:

Give them a buddy – Miller-Cushon said there is now a large body of research that consistently shows the benefits of pair housing. “Essentially, there is not a downside to it,” she shared, noting that raising calves in pairs influences both their behavior and performance in both the short and long term. When’s the best time to introduce a pen mate? The researcher said starting at birth. She also noted that most calf hutches with outdoor runs provide ample resting space to house preweaned calves in pairs, so there is essentially no additional cost incurred.
Bump the feeding rate – To discourage cross-sucking in pair housing, Miller-Cushon advised working calves up to a peak milk or milk replacer allowance of at least 8 liters (quarts) per day. The satiety created by higher feeding rates should make calves less likely to demonstrate undesirable oral behaviors like cross-sucking and chewing and sucking their environment, like gates and fence panels.
Brush up on grooming – A study by Miller-Cushon’s team showed that calves with access to brushes for voluntary grooming had reduced duration of pen-directed oral behaviors and increased lying time, indicating that the brushes had a calming effect. While calves love the high-end mechanical, rotary grooming brushes, the Florida researchers also have observed positive outcomes from mounting stationary scrub brushes in calf-housing areas. Calves used them readily, and the investment was just a few dollars.
Serve hay as an appetizer – While the majority of calves’ nutrition should come from the liquid ration and starter grain, Miller-Cushon said calves are naturally motivated to eat hay. The oral manipulation of the feed, coupled with the exploration of it that keeps calves entertained, has been shown to reduce pen-directed sucking, especially at weaning time. “This hay can be relatively poor quality, because we are relying on it for the behavioral benefits it confers, not its nutritional aspects,” she shared. “Even straw can serve this purpose.”

Miller-Cushon and her team now are focusing their research efforts on the lifelong improvements that can be made for calves when they are raised in an environment that is supportive of their welfare. “In all species, social isolation has long-term effects on anxiety and resilience,” she shared. “They are now examining whether meeting behavioral needs in calfhood translates into better foraging skills, social abilities, competition for resources, coping skills under stress, and ability to learn as cows.”

Why Dairy Producers Say Robotic Milking is the Key to Quality of Life

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:09:20 GMT

In the pursuit of efficiency and sustainability, technological adoption in dairy farming is on the rise. At the forefront of this shift is robotic milking, a technology with more than 30 years of history, but whose exponential growth has particularly surged over the past decade.

Speaking at the 2025 IDF World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, Trevor DeVries, professor and Canada Research Chair in dairy cattle behavior and welfare at the University of Guelph, presented a compelling case for automation. His message was clear: technology is no longer just a tool for productivity; it is a vital intervention for both cow and human welfare.

The Mental Health Mandate

The agricultural sector has long been plagued by high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Dairy farmers, in particular, face a triple threat of stressors: grueling physical labor, volatile financial pressures and a chronic shortage of skilled workers. Research cited by DeVries reveals dairy producers often experience significantly higher levels of mental health challenges compared to the general population.

“When we ask why automated technology is needed, it’s not just about the accuracy of management tasks,” DeVries explains. “A lot of it comes back to the opportunities for us to actually reduce the human labor that is involved.”

By integrating robotic milking systems, the daily grind of the 4 a.m. milking shift is replaced by a more flexible, data-driven management style. This shift doesn’t just save time; it provides the psychological breathing room necessary for better mental health. The ability to attend a child’s school event or simply get a full night’s rest can be the difference between burnout and a sustainable career.

The 4.5/5 Metric

The most striking evidence presented by DeVries came from surveys of Canadian dairy producers who had made the leap to robotics. While the technology is often sold on the promise of increased profitability and precision, the producers themselves highlighted a different primary benefit.

In the survey, farmers were asked to rate if robotic milking had improved their profitability, met their expectations and enhanced their quality of life. While scores were high across the board, the quality-of-life metric stood out as a clear winner.

“Probably the most interesting is one of the highest scores that came through was the fact that they scored improvement of their quality of life at a 4.5 out of 5,” DeVries says. “The farmers agree, or even strongly agree, that these systems have fundamentally changed their daily experience for the better.”

This data suggests the value of robotics extends far beyond the milk check. For the modern producer, the ROI of a robot is measured in hours of sleep and reduced physical strain as much as it is in milk volume.

The Cow and the Caretaker

DeVries’ research also revealed the reciprocal relationship between the welfare of the cow and the welfare of the farmer. In a robotic system, cows are granted a level of autonomy that traditional parlors cannot provide. They choose when to be milked, when to eat and when to rest. This voluntary lifestyle leads to measurable improvements in animal health. International studies have shown cows in robotic systems often exhibit enhanced reproductive performance and reduced rates of lameness.

“There’s opportunity for improvements in quality of life, and it’s not only for the cows that are being managed in those systems, but also for the people that are taking care of cows in those systems,” DeVries notes.

When cows are healthier and less stressed, the farmer’s job becomes one of oversight rather than constant crisis management. This creates a virtuous cycle — a healthy cow requires less emergency labor, which reduces farmer stress, which in turn leads to a more attentive and effective caretaker.

The Management Caveat
However, DeVries reminds producers that technology is not a “set it and forget it” solution. The benefits of robotics are not guaranteed; they are unlocked through robust management and a shift in labor skills.

The transition to robotics requires the farmer to move from being a laborer to a data analyst. Without paying close attention to the health data, the environment and the fine-tuning of farm practices, the potential for profitability and welfare can be lost. Successful implementation requires a skilled workforce that understands how to interpret the digital heartbeat of the herd.

The Future of the Dairy Ecosystem

As the dairy industry looks to the future, the adoption of robotics represents a bridge between agricultural efficiency and human sustainability. DeVries’ presentation in Santiago serves as a reminder that the future of dairy depends on an intricate web of welfare.

While robotic milking offers a clear path toward reducing physical labor and improving farmer quality of life, it is not a universal remedy for the industry’s challenges. The high satisfaction scores reported by DeVries are contingent upon a fundamental shift in management style, moving from manual tasks to intensive data analysis. Ultimately, the success of automation depends on the producer’s ability to refine their oversight and maintain a high-quality environment. Technology in this context is not a replacement for animal husbandry but rather a tool that requires a specific skill set to unlock its potential for both cow and human welfare.

Your Next Read:
The 2026 Dairy Outlook: Navigating Volatility, Genetics and the Beef-on-Dairy Revolution

A Cow with a Tool: What Veronika Reveals about Cattle Cognition

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:47:25 GMT

In a remarkable new study published in “Current Biology”, researchers document the first quantitative evidence that a domestic cow can use tools flexibly and purposefully. This behavior has been long thought to be restricted to primates and certain bird species.

Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in rural Austria, was the subject of an experimental study that systematically tested whether she could use a simple implement for different goals. Rather than stumbling onto tool behavior by chance, Veronika grasped and manipulated a deck brush in distinct ways depending on the task at hand.

The research team, Antonio Osuna-Mascaro and Alice Auersperg of the University of Vienna, presented Veronika with a deck brush oriented in various positions.

“The goal of the study was to test whether Veronica’s tool use met the criteria for flexible tool use. In other words, whether her use of tools was goal oriented, repetitive and consistent with the tools functional properties,” Osuna-Mascaro says.

Across multiple trials she demonstrated:

Selective grasping of different parts of the brush
Deliberate orientation of the tool to solve specific problems (for example, using the bristles versus the handle depending on where she wanted to scratch)
Goal-oriented adjustments, such as releasing the tool and regrasping it to achieve better control

The pattern of behavior meets stringent definitions of tool use where an animal adapts the function of an external object to achieve a desired outcome and challenges long-held assumptions about cattle cognition.

“This might even qualify as the use of a multipurpose tool,” Osuna-Mascaro says, alluding to the fact Veronika used each end of the tool a different way.

A New Lens on Cattle Cognition

Until now, scientific literature on tool use has focused overwhelmingly on primates (e.g. chimpanzees cracking nuts ) and some bird species like crows and parrots . Veronika’s behavior pushed the boundaries of what researchers considered possible for large herbivores.

“Veronika is certainly special, but we don’t think she’s particularly different to other cows. Her conditions are,” Osuna-Mascaro explains.

Several conditions may have contributed to her skill:

Veronika was raised as a pet rather than as traditional livestock, giving her exposure to novel objects and environments.
She was free to interact with brushes and sticks over the years before any testing.
Her age and lived experience may have supported learning and exploration.

This context suggests environmental richness and individual experience may play significant roles in the development of complex behaviors, even in species not typically associated with high cognitive flexibility.

Reframing Livestock Intelligence

Veronica’s behavior challenges long-standing assumptions about cognitive limits in cattle:

Animal cognition research may need to revisit assumptions about which species are capable of flexible problem solving.
Livestock welfare and management discussions should integrate cognitive enrichment as a meaningful component of animal care.
Ecology and environment can shape animal intelligence; cognitive abilities are not fixed by species alone.

Life on the Highway: A Road Map for Better Beef-on-Dairy Calf Transport

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:56:19 GMT

Many dairy producers are producing more beef-on-dairy calves, but these animals typically remain on the farm for only a short time before being moved to their next destination. This early movement often happens before calves are fully prepared for the challenges of transport, which can impact their health and performance down the line.

Transporting young calves is becoming a bigger concern, says Catie Cramer, associate professor in animal sciences at Colorado State University. She says there is still a lot to learn and that what works for one dairy might not work for another. That early preparation matters to calf buyers, who can tell when calves arrive stressed or behind, putting them at a disadvantage right from the start.

“Young calf transport is a bit of a hot topic right now,” Cramer says. “There’s still a lot we don’t know, and we need more research. Every operation is different, so decisions really need to be based on what the data shows for each farm.”

In the past, beef-on-dairy calves often didn’t receive the same level of attention as replacement heifers. While that mindset is starting to shift, Cramer notes its effects can still be seen in the data today.

On a national level, about 80% of these calves are transported off-site at less than a week of age, and many are moved even sooner.

“In a study we did, we actually found that the majority of those calves were leaving the dairy at less than 24 hours of age,” she says.

Rather than moving directly to one destination, calves often pass through multiple marketing steps before they arrive.

“Sometimes they can go through an auction or calf jockey, and they may be marketed up to four times before they reach their final destination,” Cramer says. “Each added stop increases stress, disease exposure and management challenges.”

Protecting Calves During a Vulnerable Window

Calves are often transported at a time when they’re most sensitive to stress. During their first weeks, their immune system depends almost entirely on antibodies from colostrum.

“That calf really doesn’t have high levels of fully functional active immunity until towards the end of preweaning,” Cramer says.

Because of how the immune system develops, there is a window of susceptibility, typically around 2 to 3 weeks of age, when colostrum-derived antibodies are declining and the calf’s own immune response is just ramping up. Colostrum quality and management directly shape the length and severity of that window.

“If we have excellent transfer of passive immunity, that window of susceptibility is going to be slightly shorter and that colostrum is actually going to offer protection for longer,” Cramer says. “But if we don’t do a good job at providing excellent colostrum, that window is actually longer, and it can be earlier.”

The first 24 hours of life and how colostrum is handled set the stage for how well calves can survive and thrive during transport and beyond. That’s why it’s so important for dairy producers to feed beef-on-dairy calves high-quality colostrum within the first two to four hours after birth.

The Stress Factors in Calf Transport

Transportation in livestock has long been recognized as stressful, and calves are no exception. The journey can expose them to a variety of challenges all at once, including changes in environment, handling by unfamiliar people, loading and unloading and the motion of travel itself.

Cramer points out that each of these factors can add up, and she lists a series of potential stressors that calves can face during transport:

Extreme heat or cold
Rough or improper handling
Lack of bedding
Pathogen exposure
No access to milk or water on the trailer

“For the calf, this stress can result in dehydration, discomfort, disease, energy depletion, fear, hunger, injury, thermal stress and thirst,” she says. “All of those are not only welfare concerns, but they can affect the productivity of that animal as well.”

Challenges Start Before the Trip

Those challenges can be even greater when calves leave the farm already off to a rough start. Data from surveys and field studies show that many calves are shipped dehydrated, scouring or with inflamed navels and depressed attitudes.

In a Colorado study assessing calves at loading, most less than 24 hours old, almost half had at least one health abnormality. Survey data showed that a substantial proportion of producers would still ship calves with diarrhea, dehydration, navel inflammation or insufficient colostrum intake.

According to Cramer, these choices have predictable, serious consequences.

“If calves had naval inflammation at the source dairy, they were 2.8 times as likely to get diarrhea at the calf raiser,” she says. “If they were dull or depressed at the dairy, they were 2.5 times more likely to die at the calf raiser.”

Similar patterns show up at auctions and final destinations. One Canadian study found 20% of calves arriving at auctions had at least one serious condition such as navel disease, discharge, depression or inability to stand. A U.S. study of bob veal calves reported that 96% had at least one abnormal condition, and 82% had at least two, including low blood sugar, dehydration, thin body condition, failed transfer of passive immunity and depression. In Colorado, more than 56% of calves were dehydrated getting off the trailer.

A Road Map for Change

Cramer offers practical steps to help calves do better before, during and after transport. She shares six strategies, pointing out that the first four are “things we can and we should do now.”

Preconditioning at the source dairy:
- Excellent colostrum management (Ex: 3 qt. at ≥25% Brix within two hours, followed by 2 liters at ≥22% Brix 12 hours later.)
- Rigorous navel disinfection and clean environments to prevent umbilical infections.
- Providing milk and water as close to loading as possible.
Assessing fitness for transport:
Calves should only be shipped when they are well hydrated, vigorous, able to stand and have received high-quality colostrum and navel care.
Handling with care and providing adequate bedding and lying space:
Calves under a week of age spend over 70% of their time on the trailer lying down, so every calf must have space and deep, dry bedding. Timing shipments to avoid thermal extremes and adjusting bedding and ventilation accordingly can further reduce stress.
Post-transport care:
When calves arrive, they should be checked carefully and given the care they need instead of automatically getting antibiotics. Cramer says research shows feeding milk replacer with electrolytes for the first two days after transport keeps them better hydrated and gives more energy than electrolytes alone.

The final two strategies are more challenging but potentially transformative:

Retaining calves on the source dairy longer:
Studies show calves transported at ≥7 days of age have better average daily gain and lower respiratory disease than those shipped at 2 to 6 days. In a U.S. study, each extra day at the dairy reduced the odds of dehydration before transport fivefold.
Reducing transport duration and number of events:
Longer trips can lead to dehydration, weight loss and diarrhea that can last up to two weeks. Cramer says distance doesn’t always match travel time, as pickup routes can keep calves on trailers for many hours longer than the direct trip.

Next Steps

Cramer emphasizes improving outcomes for beef-on-dairy calves starts with better communication across the supply chain, clear training for those handling calves and a shared commitment to reducing stress at every stage.

“Transportation in early life can create a bottleneck for calf health and performance,” she says, “but careful management can reduce stress and help calves thrive if we do things right.”

Mooving Cows: A New Approach to Training Cow Handling

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:35:24 GMT

Veterinarians have long been advocates for animal welfare, not only in treatment, but in dairy management. Yet one of the most significant welfare determinants on dairy farms often lies outside the treatment pen: how cows are moved and handled. Cow-handling practices directly affect stress physiology, lameness risk, udder health, milk let-down and handler safety. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to influence these routines.

Studies consistently show the way cows are approached, moved and restrained has measurable impacts on cortisol levels, heart rate and behavior. Handling stress can compromise immune function, increase the incidence of masitis and interfere with reproduction. Conversely, calm, predictable handling improves milk yield and reduces fear responses over time.

Proper cow handling is not just good practice in welfare terms, but it is central to safe farms and productive herds.

When Jennifer Van Os from the University of Wisconsin-Madison spoke with producers, the need for education on animal handling became clear.

“I met with a bunch of Wisconsin dairy farm owners and managers to ask them about some of the challenges that they face with animal care and animal welfare,” Van Os says. “One of the most popular requests that I got was: Can you please come to my farm and train my staff on proper handling?”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t feasible, but she took the message to heart and considered what she could do to address the request.

Reimagining Animal Handling Training

Enter a clever training twist: the serious game ‘Mooving Cows’. Developed by Van Os and the animal welfare team at the University of Wisconsin, this digital touchscreen game enables farm staff (and anyone interested) to practice moving cows in a simulated dairy farm environment. Van Os and colleagues conducted research with four focus groups including farm staff and decision-makers (farm owners, veterinarians) on the game prototype to help shape the 1.0 release.

“Animal handling is really important for animal welfare, as well as other aspects of productivity and profitability on the farm,” Van Os says. “We know that when we handle cows appropriately, this can reduce the risk of injury, both to the cows themselves and to the people who work with them. We also know that when we handle them appropriately, it reduces cow stress levels, which then helps with milk yield as well as efficiency in the milking parlor.”

Rather than simply reading a manual, trainees play through a series of scenarios: moving cows from pasture to barn, guiding them into the milking parlor and navigating when a cow is reluctant. The game rewards patience, calm movements and minimal startling gestures, while it penalizes rushing, shouting or forcing cows into motion. In effect, it applies the principles of low-stress livestock handling in a safe, virtual form: pressure and release, staying on the edge of an animal’s flight zone, moving at a walk and staying in the cow’s line of sight.

One of the key aspects of the application is the opportunity for failure.

“There is this principle in educational video games that it provides this safe environment where you can deliberately mess up,” Van Os explains. “It provides an opportunity for you to learn by making mistakes or learn by failure, and that’s something you can’t necessarily do in training. If it’s hands-on and active and interactive, there are real life stakes where you don’t want to get injured and you don’t want the animals getting stressed or injured.”

Research performed by Van Os’ group shows users found that the application to be an easy-to-use training tool and knowledge of best cow handling practices improved after playing through the game.

‘Mooving Cows’ is completely free and is available for both Apple and Android devices. The application has been approved by the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care program for continuing education on stockmanship; completion of the game provides users with a certificate.

Van Os and her team hope to continue developing interactive, gamified cow handling applications with their sights set on training for maternity pens, the parlor and down cows.

New Animal Activism Reports Released: Activists Connect in the Courtroom

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:42:28 GMT

As part of the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s mission to safeguard the future of animal agriculture, we work to make sure that farm and food communities have all the facts about what animal activist groups are really working toward. That’s why we’ve recently released two new reports that break down the strategic coordination and funding behind these organizations.

The first report, “ Radical Vegan Activism ,” looks back at statistics from 2024 to show the tactics, targets and driving ideologies of key players within the movement. The numbers tell an important story, with nearly one-quarter of all documented activist attacks focusing on farms and food businesses. It is of note that research institutions were reported to be the most targeted overall. When it comes to agriculture, documented actions included vandalism (59 incidents), animal theft or release (43 cases) and trespassing (31 cases).

The second report, the “ Major Animal Activist Groups Web ,” outlines the connections between well-known organizations based on staffing, funding and project collaboration.

While some of these groups have a more public-facing presence — such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) — and often engage with the public and are seen on television commercials, others are working behind the scenes pushing legislation that is unfavorable to agriculture and, even in some cases, stealing animals from farms and facilities. The point of the “Major Animal Activist Groups Web” is to show that though groups may differ on how they get their point across, they are all working together in some ways to push for changes in modern animal agriculture that drive up the cost of production and threaten the availability of animal-sourced protein.

The web is updated annually with the inclusion of new connections and organizations. A key theme identified in this latest update was a focus on legal collaboration between groups. For example, Animal Activist Legal Defense Project is working to appeal a 2023 felony conviction of Wayne Hsiung , founder of Direct Action Everywhere and Simple Heart Initiative (a new addition to the web this year after holding an “animal rescue” event in Washington, D.C., this past March). Other legal focused groups recently added include The Brooks Institute and Legal Impact for Chickens.

The groups highlighted in this report represent a fraction of the activist landscape, yet together, based on the latest publicly available financial information, pull in more than $865 million a year — a significant jump from $800 million last year. As funding for activism grows, it’s more important than ever for those of us in the farm and food community to share our own stories. If we don’t speak up about what really happens on farms, we risk letting activist groups tell that story for us.

Want to learn more about protecting your farm or business from potential activist threats? Visit the Alliance website for more resources and information on proactive security measures.

Read more:
Jury Rejects ‘Rescue’ Defense: DxE Extremist Zoe Rosenberg Found Guilty in Chicken Heist

Marketing Cull Dairy Cattle: How to Integrate Welfare and Economics into Decision-Making

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:54:46 GMT

Dairy cattle span multiple product sectors, with a first career as a dairy animal and a second career as a beef animal. With a declining cattle herd population in the U.S., focusing on health and welfare of each animal remains important. In addition, finding extra value in each animal is critical to each operation’s business.

Look At The Factors
According to the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit, dairy or beef cows and bulls that can no longer be used for their original purpose are still valuable. Cull cattle, or animals being removed from the herd, can be marketed in several ways dependent on the type of operation, their production and marketing goals, resources, and other factors.

In a guide titled “Right Way. Right Time. A guide to cull dairy cattle management,” the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program collaborated with CattleFax and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to evaluate these various factors and improve cull cattle management to enhance animal welfare while considering economics.

This document uses established standards to address key areas of opportunity for effective cull cattle management and provide strategies for making timely culling decisions and improving welfare. It is designed to help producers examine the opportunity to capture more value.

“‘The Right Way. Right Time.’ handbook provides practical steps to help farmers and veterinarians make the right decision on the complex question of ‘When is the right time for a dairy cow to change careers,’” says Meggan Hain, chief veterinary officer for the National Milk Producers Federation and the National Dairy FARM Program.

Topics Covered
The handbook establishes a mechanism for proper diagnosis, treatment protocols and training topics like fitness for transport and euthanasia decisions.

When it comes to minimizing stress during transportation or career changes, understanding how temperature, wind speed, humidity and storms affect cattle and calves during transportation is important. There are also many aspects of transportation that can be controlled — including where the animal is marketed, the equipment used, stocking density and transporter education. Recommendations for calf transport from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) are included in the resource.

The BQA Transportation certification, which helped guide the ‘Right Way. Right Time.’ documents, provides direction on fitness for transport decisions with topics such as mobility scoring, body condition scoring, length of transport and withdrawal times. Both educational resources can be training tools for veterinarians when working with their dairy and calf operations.

For example, the following are points to consider before deciding to ship an animal:

Ensure all animals have cleared withdrawal times prior to shipping
Make proactive decisions to ensure early treatment or early culling to lead to better outcomes for the animal
Do not transport cattle with a Body Condition Score of 2 or less to reduce bruising, prioritize welfare and improve yield/payment
Mobility score 3 (using a 5-point scale) should be strongly scrutinized at the farm or auction market and evaluated for their ability to make the full trip to their end destination and in shape to walk into the processing plant
Full udders can cause animal discomfort and mobility issues, in addition to being a food safety concern since milk is considered a contaminant

With all fitness for transport and culling decisions, we should be asking ourselves, “What does it mean when the animal leaves the farm in that condition? Is this what is best for the animal?”

Euthanasia is also an important decision for which veterinarians should be a crucial adviser. Supporting producers in making euthanasia and culling decisions and developing protocols can help take the decision making away from the producer, making it easier to take that next step. For animals that should be euthanized rather than transported, ensuring landmarks are correct and maintenance of euthanasia tools are more steps to improving welfare. Considerations for carcass disposal should be weighed depending on what is available in the area and what is practical for the operation.

The Veterinarian’s Role
The veterinarian is key to the discussion, and can provide guidance and training on these topics.

It is important to recognize that cull cow marketing is rarely an all-or-nothing decision. There are nuances on each operation that the dairy farmer, employees and veterinarian should discuss when deciding to remove an animal from the herd. Cull cow management and marketing on the dairy is an important part of the business that deserves attention, rather than just serving as a byproduct from producing milk. Veterinarians are encouraged to use industry resources such as the “Right Way. Right Time. A guide to cull dairy cattle management” document, the National Dairy FARM resources at https://nationaldairyfarm.com/ , and the BQA program at www.bqa.org .

Kinder Ground: Supporting Animals and the People Who Care for Them

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:30:12 GMT

Cassandra Tucker has devoted her life’s work to studying and educating others about the welfare of production animals. But she wanted to do more to make the ideas she researched a reality for farm animals and their caretakers.

So, the University of California-Davis researcher, who is considered one of the world’s leading cattle welfare scientists, set out to create real change in cultivating on-farm compassion for animals. She partnered with her veterinarian colleague, Dr. Jen Walker, to form Kinder Ground . The non-profit organization funds grants for projects that support on-farm animal welfare or animal welfare education.

The Kinder Ground founders note that, while tremendous progress has been made in animal welfare research, “audits and certification had become common place, but progress in animal welfare had stalled and had encouraged a habit of compliance, not compassion. The supply chain was demanding better but often lacked the expertise or bandwidth to help make it happen. Farmers felt like they were being policed rather than partnered with.”

Kinder Ground takes a different approach, working with the farming community to promote animal welfare in a manner that is supportive, rather than punitive. They believe farmers deserve better partners, and the animals deserve lives worth living. Their mission: “Supporting the farming community to elevate the welfare of animals in food production.”

Examples of on-farm projects might include installing calf brushes, enlarging pen sizes, or implementing a locomotion scoring system. Kinder Ground also supports education projects that improve the understanding of animal welfare and the competence of caregivers to deliver it.

Each grant recipient must have “skin in the game,” in the form of cost sharing or committing time and energy to bringing the project to life. Spreading the principles of the specific project elsewhere on the farm or in the larger community is also encouraged.

Projects in the United States and Canada are eligible for Kinder Ground grants, and finalists will be asked to submit a letter of support from a trusted adviser, such as the herd’s veterinarian of record, nutritionist, or Extension agent. There is no specific farm size or number of animals required, but hobby farms, sanctuaries or farmsteads keeping animals for personal use are not eligible for funding.

The Kinder Ground application is intentionally straightforward, and takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Grant applications are reviewed, with subsequent awards granted, twice per year. You can access the application here .

Kinder Ground is a U.S. federally registered, tax-exempt charity organization. All donations come with a 100% donation guarantee, which means your whole contribution goes toward helping farmers and animals. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Learn more about donating to Kinder Ground here .

Your Next Read:
Push-ups Aren’t Just for the Gym (or Cows)

New Dairy Training Platform Boosts Consistency and Compliance

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:55:14 GMT

As the dairy industry continues to grow and change, it’s met with a unique set of challenges— from job roles to the expectations surrounding animal care and efficiency. Consumers are increasingly eager to understand how their food is produced and to verify ethical practices are followed.

Rising to meet these needs is DairyKind, an innovative platform transforming training processes within the dairy industry.

New System For Animal Welfare
Designed by a dedicated team of seven veterinarians, DairyKind offers a robust system for training and monitoring animal well-being practices on farms. This third-party platform ensures accountability and transparency by providing verification to the consumer, effectively bridging the gap between farm practices and public concern.

“The DairyKind seal gives confidence to consumers that the dairy products they purchase come from farms prioritizing animal well-being,” says Michelle Schack, DVM and co-creator of DairyKind.

Schack, along with her team, created DairyKind in response to the increasing audits and evaluations dairies face regarding welfare, safety and environmental concerns.

The Training Gap
DairyKind was conceptualized in 2019 and launched in 2020, starting in Arizona and quickly expanding to 12 states. It’s delivered more than 72,000 trainings across the U.S., offering a comprehensive online platform which provides accessible training in employees’ native languages. This ensures clear communication from day one and establishes foundational knowledge that supports ongoing in-person training by veterinarians and farm managers.

“It’s so important that every farm employee has very clear expectations from day one,” she says. “Group training is great, but it’s not enough. There was a gap there that needed to be filled. We saw that need, and we created DairyKind, as an online platform to deliver training that is accessible at any time in the native language of the person, and is a way that the farmers can deliver training to their employees in a very practical way.”

The platform has been particularly beneficial for ensuring compliance during various audits, whether that be the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) audit or others.

As highlighted by Schack, training deficiencies consistently rank among the top program corrective actions within industry evaluations. DairyKind aids farms by providing structured, reliable training documentation, simplifying the audit process and helping maintain high welfare standards.

The Benefits of Standardizing Training
Beyond compliance, DairyKind offers farms a practical training solution, informed by veterinarians who understand the unique operational challenges faced by dairy farmers. Courses are brief, typically ranging from five to fifteen minutes — making them easily integrable into daily routines without overwhelming staff. They even have quizzes to ensure employees comprehend the training lessons. The system also empowers farm owners, allowing them to oversee operations across multiple sites and ensure consistent communication of values and expectations.

For larger operations, DairyKind offers a hierarchy system that enables owners to efficiently manage training across different locations. Whether it’s a small family-run farm or a vast multi-location enterprise, the ability to track training and ensure every employee understands the ‘why’ behind their duties helps maintain consistency in animal care.

“We’ve really focused on seeing that people understand the ‘why’,” she says. “Understanding the ‘why’ can help them be better equipped to make better decisions in their everyday job and do the best job that they can and feel more empowered.”

When a farm has an audit — whether they have two employees or hundreds — it requires documentation of some type of training. DairyKind offers just that.

Consumer Connections
By upholding rigorous standards and maintaining transparency, DairKind allows consumers greater insight into the sources of their dairy products. Some clients have gone as far as to incorporate the DairyKind logo on their products, underscoring their commitment to animal welfare and engaging consumers with their values.

DairyKind is more than just a platform; it’s a catalyst for change, offering the dairy industry a path forward in an increasingly conscientious market. Through tools like this, the future of dairy will not only involve more efficient practices, but also greater alignment with the values of transparency, accountability and ethical treatment of animals — values that consumers passionately support.

Your Next Read:
Enhancing Biosecurity on Calf Ranches: Balancing Animal and Human Health

Smart Calf Rearing Conference Comes to the U.S.

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The 4^th annual Smart Calf Rearing Conference will be held September 24-27, 2025, in Madison, Wis.

This will mark the first time the biannual global conference -- focused on both scientific and on-farm applications of raising calves -- will take place in the U.S. The event will be held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, just prior to the 2025 World Dairy Expo, also held in Madison.

Following a welcome banquet and reception on Wednesday, September 24, Thursday and Friday’s agenda will feature noted speakers from around the world, addressing topics that include:

Is the microbiome our secret weapon to raise healthy calves antibiotic free?
Re-evaluating nutrition models to predict calf growth.
Beyond passive transfer: The role of colostrum in programming immune development in calves.
The impact of transportation on young dairy calves: New insights and a bumpy road forward.
Data-driven nutrition, disease, and welfare management of calves: Shaping the next generation... of cows.

The final day of the conference – Saturday, September 27 – will focus on producer perspectives and hands-on demonstrations of calf management. It promises to bring science to the farm, featuring talks from calf experts on colostrum management, group housing strategies, calf health, and how to succeed with automated feeding systems. Separate registration for just the producer day is available.
A scientific poster session also will demonstrate research focusing on calf health, nutrition, physiology, and welfare.

The first 3 days of the conference will take place at University of Wisconsin Memorial Union in Madison. The final day will be held at the university’s Arlington Agricultural Research Station near Arlington, Wis.

Along with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the conference is being hosted jointly by the University of Guelph, Förster-Technik, and Trouw Nutrition. Additional support is being provided by Dairy Tech, Inc.; Lallemand Animal Nutrition; Lely; SCC: and Vita Plus.

The Smart Calf Rearing Conference will bring together scientists, industry leaders, and calf raisers, all of whom are looking into the future or raising calves. Registration is being managed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A full agenda and housing information can be accessed here .

Don’t Let Activists Spoil the Fun this Fair Season

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:25:46 GMT

As we move into fair season this year, there are so many reasons to be excited! It’s a time to get out and visit with friends and neighbors, eat delicious snacks, and celebrate the hard work that youth put into raising livestock for shows. As a member of the agricultural community, this is also an invaluable time to reach outside the bubble and engage with the public about agriculture and where our food comes from. However, there are often detractors attempting to sway public opinion and, in some cases, even protest these events.

In recent years, animal rights groups have been known to protest with a variety of tactics, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) bringing their “Hell on Wheels” vehicle to the fairgrounds. This initiative from PETA is a large truck that is meant to look like it is transporting pigs – it also claims to be loud, playing “the screams of panicked animals.” Last year, this truck made an appearance at several Midwest state fairs and is currently circling the U.S. with recent stops in Nebraska, Indiana and Illinois.

Other tactics seen at fairs and expos last year include animal rights groups handing out stickers and other pamphlets. It was reported that a group of animal rights supporters previously handed out what seemed like coupons to fair attendees. These coupons claimed to be for free fair food, like turkey legs and pulled pork sandwiches, but when you scanned the QR code, it would take you to a website in support of their vegan cause.

Fairs have also been the target of animal rights groups protesting birthing centers, specifically those highlighting pork production. While this is a great experience for fair attendees to potentially see piglets born up close (and the care that goes into this practice), animal rights groups have used this as an opportunity to protest sow housing and farrowing stalls.

Unfortunately, animal rights activist organizations see fairs as a major opportunity to spread misinformation about our industry and to diminish the great work done in the agricultural community. The good news? There are some steps fair organizers and exhibitors can take to keep security top of mind and keep the fun times rolling:

• All events should have a crisis plan outlining who should do what in various scenarios – protests, disruptions, etc. Crisis plans can also address natural disasters, accidents and other issues that may arise during the event. During this planning process, local law enforcement should be consulted about how to handle activist activity at fairs.

• Keep an eye out for suspicious activity: people carrying signs or other protest materials, someone taking a strange amount of photos/videos or recording with their phone (livestreaming is a common practice), individuals asking very direct questions, etc. Report any concerns immediately to fair management.

• Avoid confrontation. Activists want attention – please avoid giving it to them. Keep your cool and let law enforcement or event management handle any issues.

I hope that this is truly a great fair season for everyone and that you don’t let the actions of animal rights groups stand in the way of this great opportunity to interact with the public and share what truly supports pig farming in the U.S. – great farm families, starting with youth!

Abby Kornegay is the manager of issues and engagement for the Animal Agriculture Alliance.

The Smell You'll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:41:21 GMT

“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”

He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”

It’s a Plague in Panama

Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.

“⁠This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses. “Post-calving cows are sitting ducks, I found one last week with maggots deep in her vulva, she was trembling as she tried to nurse her calf.”

An animal health professional treating an animal in Panama that has been infected by New World Screwworm.

(Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa)

To catch NWS and stop the spread, Espinosa encourages daily wound checks including navels on newborns, vulvas on fresh cows, sheaths on bulls, branding cuts and tagging nicks. Some red flags include a wound that swells overnight or oozes cloudy fluid and a milk tank mysteriously dropping.

“Treat every scratch like a ticking bomb,” he says adding if you find one with a wound acting a little strange, you should “peel back skin edges, and if you see rice-grain maggots with dark spines — sound the alarm.”

He says more than 6,500 cases have erupted across Panama, marching north through Central America like a plague.

“For years, our U.S.-Panama barrier kept NWS at bay,” Gallardo says. “We’d see maybe 25 cases a year — it was a nuisance, not a crisis. Then 2023 hit, and overnight our pastures became war zones.”

He says the reality in Panama is rainy season is maggot season.

“Here, in Chiriquí’s dairy country, it is the perfect storm,” he says. “Rainy season humidity of 90%, 85°F heat and flies everywhere. A single-infected cow bleeds $10/day in lost milk — its life or death for small dairies.”

NWS in Nicaragua

Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez, an agronomist from Camoapa, Nicaragua, says NWS was eradicated from Nicaragua in the 1990s. He says he first encountered it during an internship in Brazil where he experienced the serious challenge the fly causes.

“When cases began appearing here again last year, I was able to use what I learned in Brazil to prepare veterinary supplies and train people on prevention and treatment,” he explains.

(Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez)

He says it’s essential to enforce a daily inspection routine, checking every animal carefully for open wounds.

“When you find an infected animal, you’ll typically see a bleeding wound,” Sequeira says. “If the infestation has progressed, there will be a strong, foul smell due to tissue damage and the presence of larvae.”

He encourages U.S. producers to be prepared with sufficient supplies of veterinary medicines and insecticides for both treatment and prevention and to adjust management practices to reduce risk. For example:

When dehorning, branding or ear tagging, apply insecticide spray to the wound immediately.
Ensure proper care of newborn calves by disinfecting the navel with iodine solution as soon as possible, since that is the most common entry point for infestation.

“Although complete control of screwworm is not possible, taking preventive measures significantly reduces the economic and productivity impact of it,” he says. “Early detection and consistent preventive practices are critical to minimizing losses.”
Sequeira stresses a producer’s eyes and hands are their best tools to fight NSW.

“My warning to U.S. ranchers is this isn’t just a Panama problem,” he summarizes. “Newborn calves are maggot magnets. If you lose one calf to a navel infestation, you’ll never sleep again. Make inspections sacred — no excuses. Report fast and hide nothing.”

It’s Endemic in Brazil

Marcelo Costa is a veterinarian, professor and cattle business consultant in Brazil and Paraguay. In 1999, Costa was taught embryo transfer at Camp Cooley in Franklin, Texas. He then returned to his family’s third generation ranching operation where they started Camp Cooley Brazil.

“I have been dealing with screwworm all my life since it is endemic in Brazil,” Costa says. “Screwworm-infected animals happen all months of the year.”

A wound in the animal skin full of screwworm and new fly eggs in the skin borderline

(Marcelo Costa)

Like others, he has experienced finding infected animals with bleeding, foul-smelling wounds. He says animals show discomfort and may not follow the herd as normal.

“Newborn calves are usually the more attacked category because of the navel’s wet and bloody tissue,” he says. “If a screwworm infects the navel, it may open a door at the site for more severe infections that may cause diarrhea, pneumonia and other diseases.”

Costa stresses how much NWS costs producers beyond animal loss and decreased productivity.

“One of the biggest problems with NWS is the increased labor with vigilance and animal treatment,” he summarizes.

Guatemala Producers Are Learning to Cope with NWS

“Screwworm came to teach us the times are changing, and that any type of production is possible and open to any complication,” says Oscar León, a livestock production specialist and agricultural business administrator from Guatemala City, Guatemala. “Brazil learned how to cope with it, and Guatemala is in the process of it. The U.S. is not exempt from it, unfortunately. But with the adequate measures and prevention techniques, one can learn and teach others. We can make the impact less harmful on our production and wallets.”

(Oscar León)

León currently manages his family’s cattle operations and leads LAVAT S.A., a company that imports and distributes innovative animal health and nutrition products tailored to the needs of the Guatemalan livestock sector.

He explains it is important for producers to look for and treat any open wound or bruise as they are the first indicators.

“If an open wound smells like the scent of rotten meat, you will find the presence of screwworms feeding off live tissue,” he says. “Prevention and early timing are the best ways to treat screwworm. Make sure to take your time, observe your cattle, search for a bruise or wounds and treat them properly.”

He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone who works in the farm or ranch is aware of NWS and knows how to react if an infection is found.

Educating U.S. Producers

Chris Womack, a veterinarian and rancher from San Angelo, Texas, says he remembers helping his dad treat calves with NWS infestations.

“I can still remember the smell,” Womack says. “I thought it was cool because I was a little kid, and we dug maggots out of the calves. I can still smell it like it was yesterday, and it was horrible to look at them.”

Womack shares a historic context of NWS, which he says means “man-eater,” on the “Registered Ranching” podcast with Tucker Brown.

Womack also describes the emotional toll on the producer when faced with NWS.

“If you’re a steward of an animal and it has half of its head rotting off, or its abdomen is a gaping wound because the maggots are eating it up, or it gets in their ear and they’re walking around in circles with brain damage because they got meningitis, well, it’s devastating.”

Womack summarizes NWS isn’t just an agricultural issue, it’s a human health concern. Historical accounts and recent data from Panama show NWS can affect humans, particularly vulnerable populations like homeless individuals or those in areas with limited medical access.

Womack says the experiences with NWS during his childhood is the reason he is a veterinarian today. He says there is a generational ignorance in the U.S. regarding NWS, and that is something he is committed to fixing.

“The only way we can overcome ignorance is education,” he stresses.

Your Next Read: Breaking: Mexican Border Closed Again as New World Screwworm Comes Within 370 Miles of the U.S.

How to Reduce Calf Transportation Stress

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Now that summer has started, many of us will try to take a quick break and travel somewhere for vacation. We are still a couple of weeks away from leaving, but I am already feeling the stress that comes with travel. Growing up, my parents would start planning at least a month in advance. Do we have someone to do chores? Do they need to be retrained to milk and feed the cows? Does any fence need fixing? Just like we might feel some stress about traveling, our animals might feel the same. To help keep stress low, it’s best to be like my parents and start early.

Start at the Day of Birth

Both replacement heifers and bull calves are at record-high prices. Survey data indicate that 43% of replacement heifers are raised off the farm and leave at around 3 days of age. Eighty percent of non-replacement calves leave the farm before they are a week old. Whether calves are leaving to enter the beef industry or being transported to a contract heifer grower, getting the calves off to a good start is essential.

Calves cannot handle stress as well as older animals. The primary reason is their underdeveloped immune systems. Ensuring that calves receive an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum will help manage stress responses. Maternal antibodies from colostrum will be present in the immune system until the calf is around 21 days old. The calf’s immune system is not fully developed until approximately 60 days old. Therefore, not only is colostrum important, but other supportive therapies like adequate feed, water, and the use of vaccines are also crucial.

Stress and Disease

Transportation exposes calves to many new stressors early on. Commingling, temperature changes, and limited feed and water can increase disease risk. Research shows that diseases caused by transport stress can decrease average daily gain by 0.01 to 1.7 pounds. These losses result in lower carcass weights and reduced milk production in the first lactation.

Perform Pre-Transport Assessments

Transporting healthy calves will pay off in the long run. Well-prepared calves have had adequate colostrum, navels disinfected, and access to water and milk. If calves show signs of dehydration, illness, injury, or navel swelling, they should stay on the farm. Some research has shown that keeping calves on the farm until they are at least a week-old leads to higher average daily gains and fewer incidents of respiratory diseases.

Take The Edge Off: Meloxicam Eases Calf Pain After Dehorning

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:00:20 GMT

Managing calf pain has become a growing priority, not just for animal welfare, but for veterinarians, producers and consumers who are paying closer attention to the way animals are cared for. And while calves tend to bounce back quickly after dehorning, research continues to show the physiological effects of pain and inflammation linger longer than the visible signs suggest.

A study out of Kansas State University, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, took a closer look at how meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can help calves through the stress of dehorning. And more importantly, whether giving it before or after the procedure makes a difference.

In the trial, 30 Holstein bull calves were split into three groups - one got meloxicam 12 hours before dehorning, another got it immediately after and the third group received no pain relief at all. Over the course of a week, researchers tracked signs of pain and stress, including hormone levels, inflammation markers and how sensitive the calves were to touch around their horn buds.

Here’s what they found:

“The administration of meloxicam in the MEL-PRE and MEL-POST calves had a considerable impact on physiological indicators of pain and inflammation when compared to the CONT group,” the researchers note.

Put simply: the calves who got meloxicam — no matter when — handled the procedure better.

At just four hours post-dehorning, meloxicam-treated calves had significantly lower levels of cortisol — the stress hormone that spikes when animals are in pain. And five days later, they still had reduced levels of substance P, which is an indicator of discomfort.

However, not every measurement showed a difference. Eye temperature and haptoglobin (a marker of inflammation) were about the same across all groups. But when it came to prostaglandin E2 (PgE2), a chemical that fuels inflammation, the timing of treatment stood out. Calves who got meloxicam after dehorning had lower levels of PgE2 for up to three days compared to those treated beforehand or not at all.

This suggests that administering meloxicam after the procedure appears to extend its anti-inflammatory impact.

“The precise timing of meloxicam administration proved to be a factor, particularly influencing the duration of certain anti-inflammatory effects,” the researchers explained.

In the end, this study confirmed meloxicam can play an important role in easing pain and reducing inflammation in calves after dehorning. While both before- and after-treatment helped, the timing did seem to influence how long the drug’s effects lasted, especially when it came to certain inflammation markers. The difference in PgE2 levels suggests there’s still more to learn about how best to time pain management. But overall, the research supports meloxicam as a practical and effective tool to improve calf comfort during one of the most stressful early-life procedures.

New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:42:24 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. eradicated New World screwworm (NWS). Today, the risk of reintroduction is real. So real that Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if NWS will reach the U.S. but when.

“We need to spend $300 million now to save us $8 billion down the line in eradication costs,” says Lane, who serves as the senior vice president of government affairs. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s going to take years to re-eradicate New World Screwworm and push it back to Panama.”

As the fight to keep NWS out of the U.S. ramps up, the economic impact on ranchers and the industry is top of mind.

“Successfully eradicating New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966 cost stakeholders’ tens of millions of dollars,” says TR Lansford III, DVM, deputy executive director and assistant state veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission. “The freedom from NWS provides an estimated $1 billion in direct benefits to livestock producers and $3.7 billion in benefits to the general economy annually.”

Financial Impact of NWS On Ranchers
Regular, large-scale outbreaks of NWS started occurring in the U.S. in the 1930s. According to APHIS, producer losses have reached:

1930s and 1940s — $5 million to $10 million per year
1950s and 1960s — $60 million to $120 million per year
1970s — $132.1 million per year (While the U.S. successfully eradicated the devastating pest, there have been outbreaks, primarily in Texas, since then.)

(APHIS)

Experts agree if NWS reaches the U.S., eradication today will be far more expensive due to the size of the cattle herd, speed and distance of cattle movement in commerce, and increased wildlife interfaces.

“Historically it cost tens of millions, and now it’s estimated to cost into the billions of dollars to eradicate this pest if it gets back to the U.S,” Lansford says.

Based on historical data from an isolated outbreak in Texas in 1976, per-head impact reached $452 in today’s dollars, totaling $732 million.

“[NWS] is a highly impactful foreign animal pest because it is expensive and deadly,” Lansford says. “Back in 1935, when screwworms were endemic in Texas, the state lost about 180,000 head of cattle alone in that year.”

Lansford says the industry will see decreased livestock production and increased veterinary services, medication, insecticide, labor and vehicle costs for the inspection and treatment of NWS.

“Infested wounds and/or mucous membranes and lesions created by this pest cause significant distress and damage to an animal, which can lead to chronic conditions making the animal less marketable and less productive in its lifespan,” he adds.

USDA Investment to Fight NWS
The reopening of Moore Air Base in Texas as a sterile fly distribution facility has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. A brand new production facility, which would take two to three years to build would cost $300 to $600 million, depending on location and resources.

“That doesn’t include what it would cost to continue to operate one of those facilities,” Lansford says. “Certainly, research dollars also need to be spent to develop more effective treatments and other methods and modalities that we can use to help offset not only the infestations, but help prevent those infestations.”

USDA is also investing $21 million in the renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS.

Border Closing Impacts U.S. Cattle Industry
Since May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to keep NWS out of the U.S. Many U.S. cattle feeders depend on Mexican cattle to fill feedlots, especially now when the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 74-year low.

“Mexico exports, on average, 1.2 million head of cattle to the U.S. each year,” says Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for NCBA.

Obviously, that number will take a hit with the border closed, but Simmons says even prior to the May 11 suspension, mitigation protocols for NWS, including wound inspections, for cattle from Mexico allowed less than 25% of the usual numbers to cross the southern border each month.

As the U.S. fights to limit the impact of NWS, it’s a long-term battle, reminds Lane with NCBA.

“They’re getting those flies on that leading edge of the incursion. As I understand it, that is slowing the advance in a way that is very good to see,” he says. “The fact is, there are just so many different vectors. There are so many different ways this thing can move north, and we’re going into the hot season where flies thrive. So it’s really about slowing it, about preparing and about making sure we have the resources to meet it and push it back down as quickly as possible. But certainly everyone’s trying to focus right now on trying to hold the line as much as humanly possible.”

As Lansford has come to realize: “This pest will be one that leaves quite a mark on our economy.”

Your next read: How to Win Beef Consumers’ Trust: Authenticity and Responding to Concerns

The Effects of Heat Stress on Dairy Cattle Development, Health and Performance

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:18:39 GMT

It is not breaking news that yearly temperatures on Earth have been consistently rising. Indeed, data released from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies – GISS show that the global land-ocean temperature index has consistently increased after the 1900s (see Figure 1 below).

Regardless of the many factors that have been tied to the increase in global temperature (some that were addressed in previous WSU VetMed Extension Articles ), it is evident that the agriculture is affected by such changes, including the dairy industry. With increased global temperatures, the occurrence of heat stress (a condition that occurs when the body is exposed to excessive heat, leading to an inability to regulate body temperature effectively) and its associated detrimental impacts are more likely to be observed particularly in dairy cattle.

A recent study projected the decadal increases in average heat stress frequencies by 2100, and revealed that the majority of the U.S. regions will have at least 6 to 8 additional days under heat stress/decade until 2100 ( Gunn et al., 2019 ; Figure 2).

Because of the expected differences in climate, it is important that dairy industry stakeholders work together to further 1) understand the complexity and underlying mechanisms of heat stress impacts, and 2) develop alternative strategies to mitigate the detrimental impacts of heat stress.

With that in mind, this article focuses on reviewing some of the key aspects related to heat stress impacts on cattle development, health and performance, industry economics, and mitigating strategies.

Historically, the temperature-humidity index (THI) has been the mechanism used to determine when dairy cows are heat stressed. Although there is some variation on THI cut-offs the consensus was established as a THI between 68 and 70 ( Zimbelman et al., 2009 ; Chen et al., 2024 ). Guinn et al. ( 2019 ) described the differences in mean THI between summer and winter months in the U.S. for the last 10 years (69.5 vs. 39.3, respectively), highlighting that without any heat stress abatement strategies U.S. dairy cows could be under heat stress conditions for most of the summer months.

In fact, the same study revealed differences in productive and reproductive performance between summer and winter, illustrated by reduced milk production and pregnancy rates in summer compared with winter months. Similar results were also reported by other authors, including lowered pregnancy rates in warmer months compared with colder months of the year ( Hansen, 2009 ). Both Tao et al. ( 2020 ) and Ouellet et al. ( 2020 ) depicted the detrimental impacts of heat stress on milk production and dry-matter intake (Figures 3 and 4).

Other studies have demonstrated the effects of heat stress (or contrast between warmer vs. cooler months) on the occurrence of diseases, culling, and cow welfare. For instance, cows that calved in warmer months were observed to have greater odds of retained fetal membrane (Odds Ratio = 1.6), subclinical ketosis (Odds Ratio = 2.3), displaced abomasum (Odds Ratio = 1.8), and mastitis (Odds Ratio = 1.1) as compared with cows that calved in cooler months ( Pinedo et al., 2020 ).

Al-Qaisi et al. ( 2020 ) observed a greater somatic cell count in milk from cows exposed to heat stress conditions as compared with cows exposed to thermoneutral conditions, and cows that calved in the summer were more likely develop metritis as compared to cows that calved in cooler months ( Molinari et al., 2022 ). Furthermore, Vitali et al. ( 2015 ) reported higher mortality of cattle during heat wave periods compared to subsequent periods, and an association of mortality and heat wave duration (Figure 5). Heat stress conditions have also been associated with welfare issues in dairy cattle, as cows under heat stress conditions remain in a standing position for greater periods of time (possibly contributing to lameness issues) and have greater blood cortisol levels than cows under thermoneutral conditions ( Cook et al., 2007 ; Allen et al., 2015 ; Al-Qaisi et al., 2020 ).

Considering the effects of heat stress on cattle performance, mortality, and welfare, it is not a surprise that economic losses occur. Specifically, data published in 2003 estimated that heat stress conditions cause up to $2.3 billion/year in economic losses to livestock production ($2.9 billion in 2024 considering inflation). Under heat stress abatement strategies, the economic losses drop down to $1.7 billion/year and the dairy industry represents over 50% of the costs ($897 million; St-Pierre et al., 2003 ).

A component to heat stress in dairy cattle that has received a lot of attention is the “in utero” heat stress on dairy calves. Recent studies highlighted the carryover effects of late gestational heat stress on the progeny, illustrated by lowered birth weight (-4.6 kg), lowered weaning weight (-7.1 kg), and reduced longevity ( Ouellet et al., 2020 ). Moreover, the occurrence of heat stress during the dry period is also associated with differences in offspring mammary gland structure ( Dado-Senn et al., 2019 ), adrenal gland development ( Guadagnin et al., 2024 ), behavior ( Laporta et al., 2017 ), and hormonal/metabolic biomarkers ( Guo et al., 2016 ).

Lastly, combined studies have shown the legacy effect of heat stress on offspring, as lactational performance of such offspring is also different compared to offspring generated by dams under thermoneutral conditions ( Ouellet et al., 2020 ; Figure 6).

The research findings related to the legacy effect of heat stress on offspring add another layer of importance to the topic, and suggest that the detrimental effects and economic losses previously described are potentially underestimated.

Although the complex mechanisms that underlie the detrimental effects of heat stress on lactating dairy cows are not yet fully elucidated, studies have demonstrated biological changes associated with heat stress. For instance, lipopolysaccharide-induced accumulation of IL-1β, IL-10, and MIP-1α was greater in blood collected from postpartum cows that were under prepartum heat stress conditions as compared with control cows,implying that prepartum heat stress has carry-over effects on postpartum innate immunity, which may contribute to the increased incidence of uterine disease observed in cows exposed to prepartum heat stress ( Molinari et al., 2023 ).

Other studies have depicted differences in gut, ovary, muscle, and metabolism morphology/function associated with heat stress, which could be tied to the occurrence of subsequent diseases, animal performance, reproductive performance, and mortality ( Baumgard and Rhoads Jr, 2013 ; Fernandez et al., 2015 ; Hale et al., 2017 ; Ross et al., 2017 ; Fausnacht et al., 2020 ; Mayorga et al., 2020 ; Tang et al., 2022 ; Roths et al., 2023 ). Last but certainly not least, and certainly not depicting the entirety of the mechanisms of heat stress associated with cow performance, cows under heat stress conditions have reduced feed intake ( Rhoads et al., 2009 ) and reduced energy substrate adaptability in skeletal muscle, possibly contributing to reduced performance ( Ellett et al., 2025 ).

Given the detrimental impacts of heat stress on cattle performance, health, and welfare, it is important to consider the region-specific variations in climate and implement heat abatement strategies as needed. There are a variety of heat abatement strategies available for dairy calves, heifers, and cows that can be implemented in dairy operations. Multiple studies have tested the effects of different strategies for heat abatement in calves.

For instance, Dado-Senn et al. ( 2020 ) reported a positive association between postnatal heat stress abatement and thermoregulatory responses, feed intake, and health in dairy calves. Montevecchio et al. ( 2022 ) reported a positive relationship between pre-weaning heat stress abatement and lying behavior and healing time (related to disbudding) in dairy calves. The same group also reported positive welfare-related responses and greater wither-height for calves given heat abatement strategies as compared to calves under a simple plywood hutch ( Montevecchio et al., 2022 ).

Benefits for heat abatement in heifers and cows were also reported. For instance, the use of shade from a freestall barn, water soakers, and fans were associated with positive effects on heifer thermoregulation and productivity as compared with heifers kept under freestall shade only ( Davidson et al., 2021 ). Gunn et al. ( 2019 ) described the milk production losses (per cow/year) according to different heat abatement strategies, ranging from minimal (open barn or shading) to intense (air conditioning).

Aside from structural tools to improve heat abatement for dairy cattle, other studies have reported varying results associated with nutritional tools to ameliorate the impacts of heat stress in dairy cows, including chromium supplementation ( Soltan, 2010 ), Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation ( Al-Qaisi et al., 2020 ), choline ( Holdorf and White, 2020 ), and other components ( Fabris et al., 2017 ).

The potential of other strategies for heat abatement have been described; for example, a research group from the University of Florida reported that the SLICK haplotype confers thermotolerance in intensively managed lactating Holstein cows ( Dikmen et al., 2014 ). In that study, the authors revealed that cows carrying the SLICK haplotype had lowered rectal temperature and respiration rate across most times of the day compared with cows not carrying the SLICK haplotype.

Although several aspects associated with the SLICK haplotype have not been explored, a recent study reported that SLICK Holstein cows in Puerto Rico exhibited lower body temperatures, greater voluntary solar radiation exposure, enhanced blood supply to the mammary gland, and alterations in genes and metabolites involved in arachidonic acid metabolism at the mammary gland and blood plasma ( Contreras-Correa et al., 2024 ).

Figure 1

(The Author)

Figure 1. Global land-ocean temperature index ( NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies – GISS ).

(The Author)

Figure 2. Projected decadal increases in average annual Heat Stress Frequency between 2000 to 2100 ( Adapted from Gunn et al., 2019 ).

Average Daily THI

(The Author)

Figure 3. Correlation between milk yield and the average daily temperature-humidity index (THI) of the previous week. Circles represent individual observations, and dash line represents simple linear regression. All cows were housed in the same barn equipped with evaporative cooling, and fed similar lactating cow rations (Adapted from Tao et al., 2020 ).

(The Author)

Figure 4. (A) Summary of difference (kg/d) in milk yield in late-gestation heat-stressed cows relative to cooled counterparts (average difference = 3.6 kg/d; 10.3%) and (B) difference (kg/d) in prepartum and postpartum dry matter intakes in late-gestation heat-stressed cows relative to cooled counterparts (prepartum average difference = 1.4 kg/d; 12.7%; postpartum difference = 0.1 kg/d, 0.5%). Adapted from Ouellet et al., 2020 .

(The Author)

Figure 5. (A) Odds ratio and 95% CI calculated for dairy cow mortality during heat wave (HW) and in the 3 not heat wave days (nHW) after the end of heat wave (d 1, 2, and 3 defined as nHWst, nHWnd, and nHWrd, respectively). (B) Odds ratio and 95% CI calculated for dairy cow mortality in relation to the duration of exposure to heat. The duration of exposure was classified as short (1 to 3 heat wave days), medium (4 to 6 heat wave days), long (7 to 10 heat wave days), and very long (>11 heat wave days). Odds ratios are statistically significant when 95% CI does not include the unit (dashed line). Adapted from Vitali et al., 2015 .

(The Author)

Figure 6. Summary of the performance impairments associated with late-gestation heat stress for the dam (1), daughters (F1), granddaughters (F2), and dairy sector (2) reported in a series of study (where ECM = energy corrected milk). Extracted from Ouellet et al., 2020

Managing Heifer Inventories to Maintain Herd Size

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Market costs for replacements are at an all-time high, ranging between $3,000 and $4,000 per head. Iowa State University Extension calculated heifer raising costs in 2024 to be just over $2,600 for 24 months. The difference in the expenses provides a financial opportunity for dairy farms that can raise their own replacements. Heifer inventories need to ensure that herd size is maintained. The amount of heifers needed on the dairy to maintain herd size is highly impacted by age at first calving and herd culling rates.

Age at First Calving

Heifers are unique to the farm in that they are the future of the dairy farm but do not provide income to the farm until they have their first calf. The optimal first calving age ranges between 22 and 24 months. According to Iowa State estimates, reducing the age at first calving by a month will save the dairy $93 per heifer. However, research has shown that calving too early (< 21 months) would hurt profitability in the long run because heifers would not reach their full milk production potential.

Proper growth rates are extremely important to reach optimal age at first calving. Body weight determines when heifers reach puberty, around 45 to 50% of mature weight. Too low of average daily gain can delay puberty, which then will have a snowball effect by delaying time to first breeding and age at first calving.

Delaying the age at first calving costs money and increases the heifer inventory needed to maintain herd size. A herd of 100 milking cows needs 5 to 6 more additional heifers for every two-month increase of age at first calving when their culling rate is 30%.

Culling Rate

To no surprise, the rate at which animals leave the herd has a significant impact on the replacement inventory. A herd of 100 milking cows with an age of first calving of 24 months needs an additional 4 to 5 heifers with every 2% increase in culling rate. Therefore, increasing the culling rate from 22% to 32% would require 22 additional heifers to keep the milking herd size at 100.

High market prices for heifers can significantly increase farm income for farms with excessive replacements. However, heifer inventories should be monitored closely. Small changes in culling rate and age at first calving significantly impact the number of replacements needed.

Your Next Read: The 5 Big Market Trends Dairy Farmers Need to Keep Their Eye on this Year

The Bright Future of the U.S. Dairy Industry: Innovations and Opportunities

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:44:47 GMT

The U.S. dairy industry is witnessing a significant upswing, showcasing its potential for growth and innovation. Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), shared insights at the 2025 California Dairy Sustainability Conference held in Visalia, Calif. His address highlighted the resurgence of animal fats in the diet and the promising future of dairy products, including fluid milk.

Dairy’s Time to Shine
Doud emphasized the renewed interest in animal fats and noted that it’s now dairy’s moment to take the spotlight. With $8.5 billion invested in processing pipelines and new investments, such as Chobani’s recent $500 million expansion in its Twin Falls yogurt facility, the dairy industry is capturing attention. Doud challenged the audience by asking, “Where else in agriculture in the world, name another commodity in another country that has this kind of investment that’s going on in the dairy industry in the United States today?” Answering his question, he confidently stated, “The answer is nowhere.”

Emerging Opportunities and Investments
The massive $8.5 billion is spread across 17 facilities throughout the U.S., fueling the industry’s expansion. Doud pointed out the potential for growth in protein demand not just domestically but also globally. The Midwest stands as a primary area for expanding animal protein crush. Highlighting milestones, he mentioned Hilmar’s new cheese-producing facility in Dodge City, Kan.

“The Midwest, these are the only places on Earth that we can expand in terms of animal protein crush today,” Doud says. “Draw a circle with a 300-mile radius around Amarillo, Texas. Dodge City, Kan., last week, we just had the ribbon cutting — an enormous cheese producing facility.”

U.S. Dairy Exports on the Rise
The export value of U.S. dairy products has seen substantial growth year over year (YOY), rising 20% to an impressive $714 million — a January record. The relationship with Mexico as the top U.S. cheese customer continues to strengthen, although January exports recorded a modest 1% increase.

“The cheese exports to Mexico,” Doud enthusiastically remarked. “This is where it’s at, folks. This is why I’m so excited about this industry.”

China’s post-COVID-19 recovery shows a slower tempo, with Doud pointing out that just 300 million of China’s 1.4 billion people are driving dairy demand. He noted some challenges, such as China’s low semen import rates and the impact of high U.S. interest rates on global competition, but remained hopeful that changes in these areas could present future opportunities.

“That’s a leading indicator to say things are not going to go as well in China, no production going forward, maybe there is going to be some opportunity thereafter,” he says, noting that when you have high interest rates in the U.S. that makes the dollar strong, it makes it difficult to compete globally. “Our exports have been a little softer, but we’re still exporting about 16% of our production.”

Trade Imbalances and a Shift in Production
Another critical point Doud highlighted was the trade imbalance between the U.S. and the European Union (EU). Currently, the U.S. imports $3 billion in dairy products from the EU while exporting just $167 million. This imbalance underlines a broader narrative that sees U.S. dairy exports to non-traditional markets, like Guatemala, outpacing exports to the EU.

“It is an outrageous imbalance and trade,” he says. “You realize that we actually export 15 times more cheese to Guatemala than we do the European Union.”

Interestingly, while milk production appears stagnant, the shift in focus to producing more solids is changing the landscape of the industry.

“We have changed this industry,” Doud stated. “This is why we make more cheese because we’ve got more solids.”

The U.S. dairy industry, driven by substantial investments and shifting consumer preferences, is poised for significant growth in the coming years. As the dairy industry adapts to new challenges and opportunities, stakeholders and consumers alike can look forward to an era where dairy continues to thrive and innovate on a global scale.

Your Next Read:
Water Woes, Labor Limitations and Regulatory Restrictions Put California’s Dairy Industry At A Crossroads

More Funding Going to Tackle HPAI H5N1, Egg Imports are Now Underway to Stabilize Supply

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 20:35:10 GMT

On Thursday morning, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins gave an update on progress the Trump administration is making on the five-prong strategy it unveiled Feb. 26 to combat avian influenza virus type A (H5N1).

Speaking to industry stakeholders, media and offices of elected officials, Rollins focused on the administration’s work to lower egg prices and improve supply, while also emphasizing the importance of biosecurity in protecting U.S. poultry flocks from the virus.

Regarding egg prices, she said wholesale prices are down nearly 50% from their peak in late February from $8.53 then to $4.08 currently.

However, Rollins said she realizes that wholesale prices don’t automatically show up as reductions in retail prices.

“I know for some of us who are shopping that we’ve seen egg prices drop immediately, which has been true for me. But then we’ll hear from people in other parts of the country where they have yet to see that reduction on their grocery store shelf.”

With Easter just a few weeks away, she acknowledged that egg demand is always “unusually high during the season,” and that egg prices could potentially move back up.

To help address the egg shortage, Rollins noted that shell egg exports have declined by 8%, “keeping more eggs in the U.S. and lowering prices.”

In addition, the Trump administration is allowing egg imports as a temporary measure to stabilize prices and supply. Rollins’ chief of staff Kailee Buller said this measure would likely be discontinued once those measures were achieved.

USDA Focuses On Biosecurity For Poultry Operations
Rollins said biosecurity in poultry flocks will continue to be a major part of the Trump administration’s plan to address H5N1, moving forward.

“Our pilot programs have proven that biosecurity is the most important thing our farmers can do to protect our flocks against the disease, at least right now,” she said.

The USDA is working closely, she said, with its federal partners including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to “combat avian flu as a unified federal family.”

On Wednesday, USDA announced it is expanding the availability of its biosecurity assessments to commercial poultry producers.

“These assessments, which were previously available on a limited basis have been extremely successful in improving biosecurity on individual premises and preventing the introduction or spread of avian influenza,” Rollins said.

While USDA is exploring the viability of vaccinating poultry for H5N1, she said the use of any vaccine for poultry or any animal species has not been authorized at this time.

“I know there has been some misreporting on that,” Rollins said. “The day we rolled out the plan, I actually talked about the fact that we’re not ready to vaccinate. We need to do some more research, and so that has not changed, but I do look forward to this next process of learning more about getting more research done and perhaps seeing what makes sense for the country moving forward, once that is concluded.”

Dairy Is Not Part Of USDA’s Primary H5N1 Focus
No information was offered during the conference call to address the issue of H5N1 in dairy cattle or other livestock or animal species.

Mike Watson, administrator of USDA-APHIS, said right now USDA is focused on the poultry vaccine.

“We’re looking for a vaccine that has sterilizing immunity but also an opportunity for us to have different introduction methods for the vaccine right now, as injections are the only possibility,” he said. “We need new tools, whether it’s water based, aerosol based, those kind of things. We’re looking for manufacturers to really look at what those options might be, to really provide us with a vaccine that matches the current strain but also is highly effective. And again, this is really focused on poultry.”

Buller said there is already quite a bit of research at USDA on the topic in dairy.

“Please rest assured, we are thinking of you all (in dairy). We know you all are impacted. But for this particular strategy, we have been hyper-focused on the poultry side. USDA has separate work streams as we’re working through this on the cattle and dairy side.”

One of the media asked whether Sec. Rollins had talked further with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding his idea of letting H5N1 burn through poultry flocks to identify birds that might have immunity or show resistance to the virus.

Buller answered the question, as Rollins had stepped away from the call. “I have not been engaged specifically with those conversations with the Secretary and Secretary Kennedy,” she said. “They are talking very regularly and you are aligned on the approach, but in terms of that specific topic, there’s no further light I can shed on that at this time.”

Assessments Available To Poultry Operations
USDA is offering two different, free, voluntary biosecurity assessments for poultry operations not currently affected by HPAI.

The first is a wildlife biosecurity assessment. The second is a general biosecurity assessment. Poultry producers can request one or both of these free assessments.

Per the wildlife biosecurity assessment, Rollins said USDA will conduct on-farm assessments at poultry facilities and provide recommendations to producers for facility repairs and wildlife management techniques. The assessments include a series of regular engagements, including wildlife hazard identification surveys, wildlife abundance surveys and wildlife management on the premises.

“USDA has assessed approximately 130 facilities to date (in 2025), and plans on doing significantly more moving forward and expanding that program,” she said.

For the general biosecurity assessment, USDA will work with poultry producers to review biosecurity plans and physical measures.

“This is a proactive resource for premises that are outside of avian flu control areas to identify and mitigate potential biosecurity gaps,” she said.

Funding Is Ramped Up To Address HPAI In Poultry
The USDA announced on Thursday that up to $100 million in funding will be available to support projects on avian influenza, prevention, therapeutics, vaccines and research.

“USDA will invest up to $100 million in these projects, which will identify and foster innovative solutions to fight avian flu and directly support American producers,” Rollins said during the conference call.

Funding is available through a competitive process to for-profit organizations, including manufacturers of vaccines, biologics and therapeutics, as well as states, universities, livestock producer organizations and other eligible entities, she noted.

USDA will prioritize one or more of the following. First, it will support the development of novel therapeutics to address HPAI in poultry. Second, it will support research to further understand the risk pathways of avian influenza for producers and to inform improved biosecurity and response strategies.

“Let me just say, as a quick aside, I’ve had multiples and multiples and multiples of conversations with some of our chicken farmers across the country —many of them have been highly successful at not having the bird flu infect their populations,” Rollins said. “Better understanding of risk pathways and realizing what best practices are is a big part of (this work).”

The third focus is on the development of novel vaccines to protect poultry from H5N1 while promoting biosecurity.

“That will all be part of the research funding opportunity that we announced about an hour and a half ago,” Rollins said.

USDA will test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions to prevent the virus and treat infected flocks.

“USDA, in consultation with HHS, has already had multiple conversations with Secretary Kennedy and leaders in the NIH and CDC, but will also be exploring prevention strategies to promote biosecurity in agriculture and in humans, to ensure limited impact on American farmers,” Rollins noted.

USDA is offering a webinar to assist interested applicants in learning more about the funding opportunity and how to submit a proposal on Tuesday, April 1 at 12 p.m. Eastern. No details on how to participate in the webinar have been communicated yet.

“As we try to do everything under this president and here at USDA, we will be as fast and efficient and effective as we can possibly be, working around the clock,” Rollins said.

Buller added that Sec. Rollins and her staff will continue to host update calls regularly.

“It’s very important to Sec. Rollins that we are showing progress on this five-prong plan and being honest and open with the public about what we’re up to and the progress and potential challenges that we have ahead,” Buller said. “We have an open door here, and we remain open to having conversations and hearing from stakeholders.”

Calf Milk Poses H5N1 Risk, Too

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:11:23 GMT

Soon after the discovery of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 in dairy cattle, scientists learned that milk was a primary vector in spreading the disease from cow to cow.

But what happens when waste milk from the sick cows is fed to other animals? Early in the disease outbreak, domestic cats consuming raw milk from infected cows began dying. This prompted researchers at the USDA National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa to conduct a study on the potential of passing H5N1 to preweaned calves via unpasteurized waste milk.

Four Holstein calves ranging from 7-11 weeks of age were fed approximately 1 quart of unpasteurized waste milk from experimentally inoculated cows twice a day for 4 days. One additional calf served as a control, and was fed milk from HPAI-free cows in the same experiment period.

Calves fed infected milk showed signs of illness that included nasal discharge, mild fever, mild lethargy, loose stools, and slightly increased respiratory effort for 5-6 days. The researchers noted that all symptoms were mild and may not be readily recognized in an on-farm setting with other environmental or health stressors.

Transmission of the H5N1 virus to the 4 calves fed infected milk was confirmed via nasal swabs collected 2-4 days after the feedings. Within 2 weeks after the experimental feeding trial, all calves in the study were humanely euthanized. Presence of the virus was further confirmed via tissue samples from lung lesions, lymph nodes, and tonsils from the 4 calves receiving infected milk.

The USDA researchers said the study underscored the importance of pasteurizing waste milk fed to calves, as pasteurization has been proven to kill the virus. This is especially crucial because research on infected herds has shown that cows begin shedding the virus in their milk up to 2 weeks before they start to show clinical signs of illness.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of California-Davis have investigated a practical alternative to pasteurization of waste milk: acidification. In a study recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science , they noted that fewer than 50% of large dairy farms routinely pasteurize waste milk fed to calves.

They found that in a laboratory setting, acidification of waste milk with citric acid to a pH of 4.1-4.2 effectively deactivated the H5N1 virus. The acidification process takes only 6 hours and does not require refrigeration.

The UC-Davis researchers posed that acidification can be a practical, affordable, accessible method of preventing the spread of H5N1 to calves in operations that do not have pasteurization systems for waste milk.

Calves will be a critical control point in navigating H5N1 in the U.S. dairy industry. The USDA researchers noted that 1 out of every 10 dairy operations in the country raise their heifers off site, and most veal and beef-cross calves are transported to another facility for raising.

Protecting those calves from H5N1 will be a crucial element in preventing spread of the disease.

Your Next Read:
How Often Does the Real Ration Hit the Bunk?

Goodbye, La Niña? Eric Snodgrass Dissects What the Shift Means for Weather This Spring and Summer

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:12:50 GMT

La Niña is weakening, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) expects neutral conditions to develop in the next month . But even with La Niña fading, meteorologists are still concerned about drought this spring and summer.

NOAA this week said forecasters expect ENSO-neutral conditions to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. According to NOAA, La Niña’s signature is cooler-than-average surface water in the east-central tropical Pacific, stronger-than-average trade winds, and drier conditions over the central Pacific.

ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer.

“I do expect changes,” Snodgrass says. “Think about it like this: The previous winter was an El Niño winter, and it was very mild and very wet. So, we got into spring ’24 with tons of moisture. I mean, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota flooded out. Then we had this incredibly dry fall as the La Niña began, and it reached a peak twice. It actually hit a peak in December, and then a secondary peak about a month later at the end of January. It’s been fading ever since. The big question is, as we go into neutral conditions for this upcoming growing season, is it going to be one that paints a picture of precipitation extremes? Did it leave us with any sort of kind of problems from winter that are carrying over?”

Snodgrass says the severe weather outbreaks on Friday, that brought high winds, dust storms and wildfire warnings across the Plains, is a reminder how dry it is in the Southwest.

“We’ve got major pockets of the country that are still dealing with some pretty big drought conditions. It is fading, and that is a signal we have to pay attention to,” Snodgrass says.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is also concerned about what impact the shifting pattern will have on farmers this spring. But it’s not just the dryness. It’s also the fact areas are getting inundated with rains that could pose problems.

“With this stormy weather pattern in place, that is going to create some difficulty for spring field work in some areas. It looks like the primary storm track may be through parts of the middle of the country extending into the lower Midwest and eventually the interior northeast. That is one area where we already have fairly wet conditions,” Rippey says.

How sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the tropical Pacific changed over the course of all La Niña events since 1950 (gray lines) and 2024-25 (black line). This shows the traditional calculation for Niño-3.4, the monthly temperature compared to the most recent 30-year average (1991–2020 for the 2024 line). By this measure, the La Niña threshold was crossed in December 2024, but La Niña remains weak.

(NOAA)

La Niñas and El Niños Are Strongest in the Winter
Snodgrass points out La Niñas and El Niños are always strongest in Northern Hemisphere’s winter, which means they fade in spring and summer.

While La Niña-like conditions were a trademark in late fall, we didn’t reach the official definition of La Niña until January.

“The atmosphere way back in November was already treating our winter timeframe like a La Niña,” Snodgrass says. So, we were getting the influences of it as it comes in and goes out. And now the question is, what’s it going to do?”

February 2025 sea surface temperature compared to the 1985-1993 average. The surface of the east-central tropical Pacific is slightly below average temperature, but much of the global ocean remains warmer than average.

(NOAA )

“This is a great map to look at,” Snodgrass says, referencing the map above. “If you focus right in the middle, you see the large area of the cooler colors. Our line is now shifting to the central and West Pacific and behind it over by South America. All of the warmer water is beginning to emerge. And that’s what’s killing it because there’s a trade wind across that area from the east to the west. We’re going to watch this fade carefully during the spring. But the question is: Do we get winter’s leftovers?”

What Fueled the Dryness This Winter?
During the winter, Snodgrass points out there was no subtropical jet. That’s what fueled drought in the Southwest and Northwest.

“I’m actually kind of worried about the beginning of April having another shot at cold air after what we’ve been experiencing in March, which has been so very, very mild. Then you say, well, we’ve had so much dry air in place. Are we still worried about more dry air coming back? To be honest, these big storm systems coming through the central U.S., if we could get four, maybe five more of those by early April, we’re going to hate it. It’s nasty weather. It’s not fun, and it’s dangerous, but it returns moisture. That could be part of the mix of things, including the fading of La Niña that could help bring us away from these major early season drought risk scenarios.”

55% of corn production, 46% of soybean production, 33% of the cotton growing area and 27% of the winter wheat production are currently experiencing drought.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

Growing Drought Concerns
What if it doesn’t? What if we don’t see more of this severe weather hit the Southwest and Plains, and moisture remains absent as we get into the height of spring? Well, the area will enter into the height of the growing season dry and reduce their chances of seeing moisture this summer.

“That’s a box we check every spring,” Snodgrass says. “If the drought monitor saw a reduction in drought over winter, then that gives us a different look for spring. But what we see here is two-thirds of the country in some stage of drought, including the abnormally dry category. But it’s the epicenters of drought that are so concerning. Look at the Western Corn Belt. Look at the Southwest. We just wonder if that funnels into the Mississippi Valley as we go forward.”

At the same time some areas are seeing drought, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and the boot heel of Missouri are all experiencing heavy rains and flooding.

“By May 11, I want to know what the drought monitor map looks like. If it looks no different, then I’m going to be sounding alarms going into summer with concerns this will start to creep and move because as soon as we get into the summer weather, all we get is convective storms pop off. And what do they do? They just locally deliver rain - not big broad swaths of it,” Snodgrass says.

Tale of Two Weather Scenarios
He says the forecast leading up to May 11 is a tale of two weather patterns, with the Mississippi River being the dividing line for moisture.

“If you are along it and east of it, I think we’re going to have tight windows to plant. You could include a little bit more of Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in that as well,” Snodgrass says. “I think we’re going to see repeated storm systems. The best moisture is east. It keeps avoiding that southern plains area.”

What to Watch: Where the Storm Chasers End Up
Snodgrass says if storm chasers are busying chasing severe weather across the Ohio Valley, the mid-south and the southeast, but not in Kansas and the Plains, that’s a key indicator there’s a problem with the moisture getting back into the plains.

“If it’s not there by the time we start June, it’s very difficult to rely on the atmosphere to return it once you get into the summer months if you live in the central plains, which is where they could build from,” he adds.

To watch the complete discussion with Snodgrass, visit Farm Journal TV and take advantage of the free trial.

Your Next Read:
Ag Meterologists Worry More Drought Lies Ahead For Spring

Facility Focus: Are You Managing Footbaths as Well as You Think?

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Footbaths are one of the most commonly used management tools on the dairy, yet they often don’t get the attention they deserve. With lameness ranking among the most costly health issues in today’s dairy operations, a “set it and forget it” approach is not an effective way to prevent the spread of digital dermatitis (DD)—an incurable disease that can quickly take hold if not managed properly.

Aerica Bjurstrom, a Regional Dairy Educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares key management practices to help producers keep their footbaths operating efficiently.

Monitor Use
To be effective, footbaths should be at least 10 feet long, allowing each cow’s hooves to step into the solution twice. Additionally, the solution depth should be maintained at a minimum of four inches to ensure dewclaws are fully submerged. As solution levels drop, footbaths can be topped off, but it’s essential to maintain proper concentration levels as per product recommendations.

“[The footbath] solution should be changed after 150 to 350 cows pass through,” Bjurstrom advises. “If cows have cleaner hooves and legs, the solution can last for 300 to 350 cows. However, dirtier hooves require more frequent changes.”

Tracking daily cow traffic through the footbath can provide better insights into when the solution needs refreshing. Additionally, Bjurstrom notes that cows should have the option to bypass treatment when necessary. “A simple chlorinated or soapy bath on non-treatment days can help maintain foot cleanliness.”

She also emphasizes that treatment frequency should be tailored to your herd needs. “During a DD outbreak, start with three footbath treatments per week. If the condition does not improve, increase frequency to four or five times weekly. For maintenance, a schedule such as Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday or Monday-Wednesday-Friday can be effective.”

Know Your Product
Footbath effectiveness is not one-size-fits-all, and proper solution management is key to success.

“Your footbath solution should be maintained at a pH of 3.5–5.5,” Bjurstrom explains. “Making the solution too acidic or too alkaline won’t improve DD management. Since healthy skin naturally falls within a pH range of 4–5.5, keeping the solution in this range helps maintain skin condition and optimize treatment results.”

Copper sulfate is one of the most widely used footbath treatments, known for reducing both the incidence and severity of hoof lesions. However, Bjurstrom cautions that its effectiveness can be diminished by organic matter. “Dirty footbaths will be less effective than clean ones, as organic matter can rapidly neutralize copper sulfate. The recommended concentration is between 2–5%.”

Don’t Put It Off
While managing footbaths isn’t the most glamorous job, it’s certainly one that can’t be overlooked. A well-maintained footbath plays a critical role in preventing lameness and keeping your herd healthy.
Take the time to develop a routine maintenance schedule that includes:

Regular solution changes based on herd size and cleanliness
Consistent monitoring of concentration levels and pH balance
Thorough cleaning to remove organic buildup and maintain effectiveness
Employee training to ensure proper handling and safety procedures

By staying proactive and making footbath management a priority, you can help prevent the spread of digital dermatitis and keep your cows on the right track—literally and figuratively.

Your Next Read: Leading By Example: How this Employee Became the Best in the Business by Being Genuine