Organic dairy and other livestock farmers are seeking emergency federal aid as they grapple with skyrocketing organic feed costs, steep fuel and utility expenses as well as the consequences of drought in many parts of the country. Two dozen U.S. senators and representatives wrote to U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for emergency assistance […]
“Straw originates as a by-product following small grain harvest. It’s used for both bedding and as a feed ingredient. As a feed ingredient, straw is multifaceted, with nutritionists bringing straw into diets for both functional fiber and low-energy nutritional aspects. Straw also can bring anti-nutritional factors, beyond what the eyes can see.” Read the full […]
“Subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) is an invisible threat to both the dairy cow and producer. As nearly 45 percent of multiparous cows experience SCH during the early lactation period, producers can implement dietary strategies such as feeding negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) rations in the late dry period or administering prophylactic calcium treatments to fresh cows […]
“Our study shows that feeding transition cows a diet adequate in Met and with calcium salts enriched in n3 FAs can enhance lactation performance by increasing energy-corrected milk yield over the first four weeks of lactation and improve liver function by altering liver methyl donor metabolism.” Read the full article by Joseph McFadden and Tanya […]
1. Use an appropriate dry cow antibiotic. 2. A teat sealant is a must no matter your dry cow antibiotic protocol. 3. Ensure high-producing cows are ready to be dried off. 4. Vaccinate. Cows vaccinated during the dry period are more likely to enter the next lactation with a robust immune system to fight off […]
Alfalfa is known for its high nutritional value, and that makes it a valued forage source. However, alfalfa is often hindered nutritionally because of the indigestible lignin components in the cell wall. Using technology to improve fiber digestibility in alfalfa can provide opportunities to improve feeding flexibility and enhance animal performance. Importantly, high-quality alfalfa can […]
Administering calcium boluses to fresh cows has become a widely adopted practice to prevent hypocalcemia on U.S. dairy farms. But are all calcium boluses equally effective? According to a study by a group of Canadian researchers: no. Verhoef and his team concluded that calcium chloride/calcium sulfate boluses were more effective at generating serum calcium response than boluses […]
Learn about the cows’ diet and how important it is on a dairy farm. Special guest appearances from Tom VanderWall and Harrison Hobart. Watch Harrison use the Penn State Shaker Box and also catch Tom’s biweekly checkup here at Five Star Dairy
Have you ever watched your cows stand in a big group and wondered what kind of secrets they’re sharing or how much they’re costing you by standing and socializing instead of producing milk? According to research done at the University of California (UC) – Davis, a conservative estimate for milk production losses due to bunching […]
A high incidence of sole ulcers in a dairy herd is probably not the fault of the ration, according to Gerard Cramer, DVM, DVSc, associate professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. “We’ve been blaming the ration for a long time, and we still have sole ulcers,” Cramer told the audience at […]
