Herd Health
With tightening margins, higher feed cost and more attention to environmental consequences, there are opportunities to refocus on just how much or how little protein is needed to sustain high production and returns to the herd.
It’s almost accepted as gospel that a high somatic cell count (SCC) cow in a small herd can throw off the entire bulk tank even if the rest of the herd is doing well. When it comes to large herds, the conventional wisdom is that a few high-count cows can get diluted by their herdmates.
A comfortable cow is a happy, productive cow.
Since Elanco acquired Posilac from Monsanto in 2008, it has made re-education about the dairy production technology a priority. The Indiana-based company has reached out to the entire dairy food chain to promote Posilac’s safety and its role in affordability and sustainability, says Dennis Erpelding, director of corporate affairs for Elanco’s international business division.
Metritis, a common reproductive disease, occurs in 10% to 30% of dairy herds. Typically diagnosed during the first 10 days in milk, metritis is associated with other transition and fresh cow challenges.
Dutch veterinarian Joep Driessen gives producers a pretty straightforward formula for correcting common cow management bottlenecks: •Look at cows closely to detect problems. •Think about what’s causing those problems. •Act to correct them.
A new biological treatment could help dairy cattle stave off uterine diseases and eventually may help improve food safety for humans, a University of Florida study shows.
As more farms adopt automatic feeders and group housing to raise their preweaned calves, more, too, is being understood about the factors that impact calf health in such rearing systems.
Monitoring what’s happening at the pen level, rather than for individual dairy cows, is proving to be the best approach for producers with more than 1,000 cows.
Although dairy producers have made leaps and bounds in the efficiency and productivity of the cow in the last five years, the facilities haven’t kept up to the high-performance athlete that today’s cow is.
Three dairy producers openly talked about technology must-haves and how ROI comes into play when making technology investments.
Proficiency is an aspirational state that demands we make the most of the technologies.
From repro to health, activity monitors ramps up efficiency.
The transition period is a critical and demanding phase for dairy cows and is associated with an increased risk for diseases and body condition loss. Technology can help to get the transition right.
Farmers utilizing robotic milking facilities may have an upper hand when it comes to gradually drying cows off.
April showers bring May flowers, but it can also bring mastitis and a sudden increase in somatic cell count levels.
The timing of unit removal is important in harvesting the most milk possible while managing teat health.
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has recently launched its open comment survey for the FARM Animal Care Program’s drafted Version 5 standards updates.
It’s one of those diseases that is always going to be a threat, but also can be minimized and managed with great success.
Monitoring calves’ body temperature is a critical metric to maintaining their health, and is especially valuable if temperature changes can be detected early.
Always looking for the next opportunity, Kutz Dairy is positioned for growth. With the technologies currently in place on the Wisconsin dairy, Allan Kutz believes the next steps of growth will be easier.
While Lung Ultrasound is the cornerstone of any good Calf Herd Health Program, there are many other benefits to getting your herd vet in your calf barn on a regular basis.
Progesterone is key to maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Reclaimed sand and recycled manure solids help farmers lower bedding costs. When bedding meets quality thresholds, farms that use recycled bedding produce the same quality of milk as those that use fresh bedding.
Making a big investment on a farm takes a lot of consideration. Often, owners meet with outside team members to help brainstorm and think through this process. The same holds true when producers look to purchase robots.
The workplace trend, quiet quitting, has gotten a lot of attention lately. Instead of going above and beyond, employees are wanting more from their work-life balance. The question is how do you keep employees motivated?