Click a link below to see updates on Cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairyman.
2018
Issue 7, 2018: April 19, 2018 Issue 7, 2018: April 19, 2018 [Culling] Issue 6, 2018: April 1, 2018 ...
I recently heard a story (from a pulpit) regarding the deadly nature of the hippopotamus. Due to their territorial nature, hippos are extraordinarily aggressive. Depending on which list you read, hippos ...
The inauguration of Donald Trump represents a dramatic stylistic change in the way the nation’s government will be managed.
The extent of the changes he will bring about depends to a large degree on ...
The Dairy Business Association’s (DBA) annual “Dairy Strong” conference was held Jan. 18-19 at Madison, Wisconsin.
Under the theme “The Journey Forward,” the event brought together more than 700 farmers, ...
In 2010, I retired as the CEO of Southeast Milk Inc. (SMI), a Florida-based regional dairy cooperative. From July to November of last year, seven years after retiring, I returned to SMI as the cooperative’s ...
2017 is a year of changes for the dairy industry. An upgraded Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, activation of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), recombinant bovine somatotropin ...
When you think about price potential for feed in 2017, it’s important to look back at where we’ve been lately. The last four years have ended with record-breaking or near-record-breaking corn production ...
Our industry is constantly exposed to increased regulation and consumer scrutiny, but there is one thing that hasn’t and won’t ever change: the importance of having a strong partnership with a veterinarian. ...
Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, or Chief for short, is responsible for 14 percent of the current Holstein genome in the U.S.
While many of Chief’s genes have benefited the breed, a recent study in the Journal ...
Pick up the latest sire directory from any of the major bull studs, and you’ll see that the “bull book” contains more information than ever. More indexes, more traits, more numbers; it’s quite a job to ...
Increase profit. Reduce management inputs. Design a cow that eats less, doesn’t know what a hospital pen is and rarely gets the “open” diagnosis at pregnancy check. This can be accomplished in a single ...
Pregnancy rate is a standard measure of the success of a dairy reproductive program. It is the percentage of females eligible to become pregnant in a 21-day period that actually become pregnant. The good ...
One of the things I like about my job as sales and marketing manager for Simplot Animal Sciences is the variety of activities I can be involved in. My office is located on a 400-acre Idaho ranch stocked ...
We’ve all heard the statement, “Genetics don’t matter without first creating a pregnancy.”
This insightful truth has shifted our global breeding strategy to a stronger focus on fertility.
When improved ...
Faculty at the University of Florida are exploring an alternative treatment for infections from an unlikely source: crustaceans. The shells of lobster, shrimp and crab are treated with an alkaline substance ...
Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series featuring the steps to a successful transition period.
Dry cow nutrition and management of the dry dairy cow has been extensively researched ...
Every dairy producer’s goal is to have uncomplicated calving. But their practices aren’t always conducive to reducing dystocia risk. Eutocia, or normal birth, requires prevention and preparation and is ...
“If you look at modern, large or expanding farms, the ‘big three’ headaches are transition problems, excessive calf death loss and mastitis,” points out James K. Drackley, professor of animal sciences ...
What have we learned in the last five years? In this first of a two-part series, the authors detail the challenge of subclinical hypocalcemia.
Click here to read part-two in this series Optimal preventio ...
How to control digital dermatitis (DD) is probably the most frequently asked question a hoof trimmer gets. The quick answer is: DD will always have to be dealt with, and your trimmer and trim day can do ...
When severe cases of digital dermatitis (DD) are identified in the field, it is common to find “square” feet, characterized by overgrown heels and shortened claws. These animals typically exhibit visible ...
Few things hurt a dairy producer more than sending a pregnant cow milking 100 pounds of milk a day on a trailer to slaughter because she is severely lame, but in herds that battle thin soles. However, ...
Ketosis has garnered a lot of interest in the last few years. Recent research has pointed to the role of ketosis as a gateway condition for transition cow health events and loss of milk production.
Fundamentally, ...
It is estimated that out of every 100 calvings, about half of the cows will develop one or more fresh-cow problems, including displaced abomasum, ketosis, dystocia, retained placenta or others.
But ...
The weather. A short application window. The volume you have to handle. When it comes to manure handling, whether you’re a smaller operation milking 50 cows and using a skid steer to load your spreader ...
For all dairy farms, big and small, managing and disposing of manure is a never-ending job. It’s bothersome to have around and the odor can be offensive, by far the number one reason the non-farming public ...
According to a recent article in Psychology Today, laughter is the best medicine: It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort. It reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics ...
Most tractor operators know proper ballasting is important to transfer as much engine power as possible to the drawbar. Exactly how to accomplish this ballasting, however, frequently remains a mystery. ...
Constantly looking over your shoulder, criticizing every little detail, never being happy with your efforts, creating additional un-needed stress – these are just a few things micromanagers do to others. ...
It was the usual rite of a rural upbringing, and the time had come for my father and me to take part in it ourselves. When I was 11, he took me to the end of the cornfield, set up a hubcap and had me shoot ...
“I now say that the world has the technology – either available or well advanced in the research pipeline – to feed on a sustainable basis a population of 10 billion people.
The more pertinent question ...
Metritis is among the most common and important diseases that strike the dairy farm. While there are many effective treatment options available, cows with even mild cases pay a considerable price during ...
Let’s face it, farmers need money – more money – and more time. Seems like I can never get enough done in the day, and I’m always trying to cut some milk production costs too, so I had the bright idea ...
With more herds achieving outstanding milk yields, more questions are raised about how these high yields impact reproductive performance. If your herd is achieving a high milk yield average per cow, do ...
Technology that informs a self-driving car what a pedestrian looks like or that alerts you which of your friends are in a photo you posted on Facebook is coming to dairy farms. The technology could soon ...
Liquid manure can be costly to handle and haul long distances, causing dairy farms to consider alternative options to just storing everything in a lagoon.
One option offered by Terry Mescher, an agricultural ...
My parents always pushed us to be lifelong learners. We watched my dad reading industry magazines. We saw my parents going to meetings about all different business, agriculture and dairy topics. That instilled ...
When Brian and Bill Rowell built Green Mountain Dairy in 1999, they focused on cow comfort and efficiency. Since then, these brothers have won numerous awards for milk quality and reproduction, as well ...
Created on 27 September 2016
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