Latest News From DAIRY

During the recent Academy of Veterinary Consultants conference, Dan Altena, DVM, Valley Veterinarians Inc., offered some take-home points to help veterinarians with crossbred calves in the feedyard.

There are a range of efforts underway worldwide to curb methane production by cattle.

The dairy, beef, and veal sectors are collaborating to form a first-of-its-kind program to promote the health and welfare of calves throughout the supply chain.

Report reveals a shift to technology to support existing farming practices as globally producers look to innovate in the face of changing market pressures.

Colorado ranchers say they are “under attack” by their governor after hiring a director of the Bureau of Animal Protection who has ties to Mercy for Animals and leads a project that promotes plant-based food choices.

Habits formed early in life – whether good or bad – often carry through to adulthood. Like little children, calves, too, need to be trained on positive behaviors, including the way they eat.

More and more farms have made the switch from feeding calves individually to group autofed systems. However, disease detection in group-housed calves remains a challenge. Could autofeeders help detect sick calves?

Dairy cow numbers started 2021 at an all-time high in January, with 9.445 million animals in the U.S. milking herd. However, those numbers would steadily drop throughout the summer and fall months.

Mastitis infections are divided into one of two categories — environmental or contagious — based on the source of the infection.

Dairy farmers and calf raisers have tried to adapt calves to solid calf starter as soon as possible to save money. If this is done poorly, calf raising costs can soar due to increased levels of sickness and even death.

Similar to human fingerprints, cow noses are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to change, and remain the same over the life of an individual, making them ideal long-term markers of identity.

Rural communities are likely to see an outbreak of the COVID-19 variant omicron later than big cities but Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the pandemic will eventually end.

Anti-caking agents make the pellet manufacturing process easier, and can help prevent ground feeds from doming, bridging, and sticking to equipment.

Breakdowns in the global supply chain are hitting home for U.S. livestock producers and the veterinarians who serve them, in the form of shortages of commonly used medications.

The most profitable parts of the U.S. in 2022 will be the Northwest and Northeast, but smaller farms in those regions won’t participate in this success. Here's why.

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) recently released a first-of-its-kind document on cattle vaccine guidelines.

As one of the top scourges to calf raisers, cryptosporidium is an ever-present challenge that rarely takes a holiday.

Have you ever had a cow come down with a disease while she was pregnant? Probably so. But does that illness impact the calf? Maybe not.

Factors for consideration include colostrum management, group composition and dynamics, bedding and space, nutritional management, early disease detection and the need for "real life" observations.

Incidence rates for displaced abomasum (DA) range from 1% to 6%, and up to 90% of DA's happen within the first 30 days in milk.

Animal activist groups went full Grinch-mode this week, calling for the end of "animal gifting" programs such as Heifer International and 'Hatching Hope' that work to support impoverished people. Because, well, Humbug!

Seasonal changes in day length can have a huge impact in milk production, ranging from 5 lb/cow/day in the northern United States to 8 to 9 lb/day in the south.

As feed prices currently challenge U.S. livestock producers, Feedipedia can be a resource for incorporating non-traditional feedstuffs into innovative rations.

The intricacies of transition-cow nutrition and its role in lactation success may be made a bit easier with the Liver Functionality Index.

Michal Lunak, Extension Educator for Penn State, addresses the seven most common -- and costly -- management diseases that occur during the cow’s transition period on U.S. dairies

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding more than $16.3 million to 64 projects with states, universities and other partners to strengthen programs to protect animal health.

It appears that making sure dry cows are comfortable and encouraged to rest influences the survival of their newborns.

Here’s a breakdown of just how much these seven transition period diseases could be costing you.

While some animal rights activist organizations rely on tactics like undercover video campaigns where individuals misrepresent themselves to get hired on farms or plants, others are much more brazen in their approach.

Now there is a new way to help cows transition into the dry period more comfortably with Bovikalc Dry — an oral mineral bolus designed to decrease dry matter intake and reduce milk production.

To keep an efficient and profitable reproductive program humming, proactive reproductive management practices need to be practiced daily.

Nearly two years after COVID-19 invaded our world, we are still living with its disruptions, but we should not overlook the more traditional factors also at play.

There’s not a clear answer to why heifers contract the disease, though studies have shown that teat canals of heifer calves can become colonized at very young ages.

Supply-chain disruptions are hitting America's meat producers and sending them scrambling for alternatives as they seek to care for farm animals and keep down costs.

Antimicrobial resistance is a “One Health” challenge that requires effort across both human and animal health sectors. Animal health companies have invested billions as part of a strategy to reduce antibiotic use.

Early mastitis detection is often the key to reducing the impact of the disease in a dairy herd. There are a number of technologies to help address the issue.

The rumen may be taking center stage in digesting another global challenge: plastics

A record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in the United States in August 2021, a historic high that has far-reaching effects on American life in general, and agriculture specifically

“The more we understand about how specific nutrition components influence health and performance responses, the more we can support cows in their production cycles.”

Wintry weather demands extra attention for preweaned calves, and that includes the temperature of their liquid feedings.

Alltech believes agriculture can meet global demand and positively impact the future of our planet. The company's vision of Working Together for a Planet of PlentyTM is reflected its 2020 Alltech Sustainability Report.

Dairy farming is a 24/7, 365-day commitment. At times it can even feel like farmers are literally with their cows nonstop. Nestled in the small Northeast Iowa town, Dan and Lynn Bolin offer an experience to do just that.

When the mercury drops, preweaned calves expend more energy to maintain their body temperature. They often need added nutrients to keep them healthy and growing through frigid conditions.

If you or an employee treats an animal with a drug, it’s important to keep adequate and updated treatment records.

If a way could be devised to shut down immune system activation, and thus reduce the detrimental effects of inflammation at its root cause, cows in transition may remain healthier.

Addressing mental health is a significant challenge in rural America due to unique barriers. Rural Minds™ provides education and resources to confront the stigma of mental illness.

Agriculture can be a powerful part of the solution in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That's the message Frank Mitloehner, animal scientist and air quality expert, delivered at a lecture at Kansas State.

Reproductive decisions, determining heifer cyclicity and breeding problem cows are just a few reasons to detect estrus with breeding indicator patches.

While every dairy farmer has a unique affection dairy calves, the next great generation of his or her milking herd, it’s not a good idea to kiss them or allow farm visitors to smooch away.

Growing the ideal heifer is an ever-changing goal. A research team from Penn State University and the University of Florida recently explored the impact of bodyweight at first calving on milk yield and herd longevity.