Dairy Cattle
Compared to Holsteins, is calving time with crossbreds more difficult in terms of calf weight, stillbirth, gestation length, or dystocia?
“Similar to Staph aureus and mycoplasma, Prototheca [mastitis] is hard to detect, has no known cure, and is contagious by intermittently shedding from cow to cow.”
Art Schaap, owner of Highland Dairy in Clovis, New Mexico, has been living a nightmare for the past four years. His nightmare is finally coming to an end, but not without the heartache of euthanizing 3,665 cows.
With beef prices soaring and milk prices in favorable conditions, producers are keeping a keen eye on cows who are not pulling their own weight.
There are three main threats to dairy sustainability: lowering the carbon footprint, assuring continued availability of affordable water and a qualified labor force.
Neospora is the most commonly diagnosed cause of abortions in cattle both domestically and worldwide.
Veterinarians can enhance their relationship and business with producers by identifying ways they can be more efficient. Two good starting points: management of the parlor and the parlor environment.
National Dairy Herd Information Association is accepting applications for $1,500 scholarships that will go to third- or fourth-year college of veterinary medicine students.
A recent study at a northern Colorado dairy showed whether cows had to wait a long time to be milked or a little did not have much impact on their subsequent activity and resting behavior.
This is the story of one dairy producer’s struggle with the impact of stray voltage on her cows and family. She wants her family’s experience to be something veterinarians and dairy producers can learn and benefit from.
Adopting a heifer synchronization program can pay dividends. The sooner heifers become pregnant, the sooner they can enter the milking string and become productive members of the herd.
Dairy farms are a hustling and bustling place. Last year, the Berning family in Illinois opened their dairy farm barn doors and offer Farm Camp for kids of all ages. Camp includes farm chores, scavenger hunts and more.
When forced to make a choice, cows will pick resting over eating.
As the thermometer starts to creep its way into the upper 80s, 90s or even the 100°F mark, nobody wants to put in physical work during the hottest part of the day - cows included.
Paying attention to feed-bunk behaviors can alert dairy producers to issues with diet, feed management or delivery that impact health and performance.
In 2021 the USDA reported the state with the largest milk production growth by percentage in the nation was South Dakota.
The time of consistent heat stress is upon us. Heat-stressed cows produce less milk, have reduced fertility, and have higher SCC. Providing proper heat abatement can have both an economic and welfare impact on the farm.
While many alternatives to palpation have evolved over the years, a quick, convenient, on-farm pregnancy test kit has remained elusive...until now.
Are your producers getting heifers bred earlier than is beneficial? DVM Gavin Staley thinks that’s the case too often. He offers three practices to focus on for hitting the “sweet spot” in heifer-breeding maturity.
A researcher explores the intricacies of fecal pH and explains how changes in the metric can be an early signal of digestive and health disruptions in dairy cows.
Jesse Goff, Iowa State University dairy veterinarian and professor, attributes hypocalcemia, including the subclinical stage, to metabolic alkalosis. He says the issue has to do with potassium in forages being fed.
Check out the photographs of nine common problems Dr. Ahmed Tibary, Washington State University, says he most often sees in the sperm of bulls that fail breeding soundness exams.
A new insurance concept is being launched to allow dairy producers around the world to financially insure against the production losses caused by heat stress.
All feed types are costing more, and there’s no way around that. However, several management practices can be used to potentially lower costs without sacrificing cow health or the animal’s next lactation.
To help producers obtain a lower SCC, it is important to know what you are up against in the herd and how to treat for specific problems, says Peter Edmondson, DVM.
Progesterone is a key hormone in the establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy. Increasing its concentration can boost pregnancy rates and decrease pregnancy losses after embryo transfer.
The new Calf Care & Quality Assurance program is ready to engage some arms and legs to carry out its mission. The second CCQA Instructor training is planned for June 2022.
Keep an eye on water intake and feedstuffs. Avoid vaccinations when heat levels are high. Address the environment for management steps you can take to improve cow comfort.
A high incidence of sole ulcers in a dairy herd is probably not the fault of the ration.