Animal Systems News
Every dairy operation has its unique set of challenges; however there are a few management and nutrition options that can help maintain profit.
A properly designed and built tie stall barn can provide a comfortable and productive living and working environment for milking cows and their caretakers. There are several new resources available for those who are planning new or remodeled tie stall dairy barns.
There is little doubt that a major shift in the cost of producing milk has taken place and may continue for some time to come. Monitoring the COP for your dairy operation has always been important, but is even more so now.
Dr. Alex Hristov, Associate Professor of Dairy Nutrition, and Dr. Joy Pate, Professor of Reproductive Physiology and the C. Lee Rumberger and Family Endowed Chair in Agricultural Sciences
The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) recently published part one of the results of the Dairy 2007 national survey. This periodic snapshot of current management practices provides insight into current trends and changes over time.
This is the second in a series that will explore the use as well as discuss some of the controversies concerning antibiotic therapy in dairy cattle.
In light of the recent tragic death of a Pennsylvania dairy producer by a herd bull I feel it is important to review once again the costs and risks of having a bull on the premises.
Depending on which utility company provides your electricity, your rate cap protection may have already expired.
Within a certain range of temperatures called the thermoneutral zone or TNZ, calves can maintain body temperature without needing extra energy.
To keep calves healthy, everything comes down to good hygiene.
While controversy continues as to the exact role of antibiotic use in animals and linkage to increased resistant populations of bacteria, many producers and veterinarians feel antibiotics do not work as well as they did years ago.
Stillbirth is a major issue within the dairy industry.
Significant changes have come to minimum wage laws. To understand how farmers are affected we must begin with laws that affect all employers.
All the information presented in this article is directed to dairy farmers who are classified as “commercial” or “industrial” customers of electricity. If you are classified as a “residential” customer, this article does not apply to you because your price for electricity is based on a flat (or nearly flat) rate of x cents per kWh (kilowatt-hour).
The key performance indicator for reproductive performance is 21-day Pregnancy Rate (PR).
Based on a large data set of first services (16,587), J.M. DeJarnette and coworkers at Select Sires, Inc. compared the reproductive performance of Holstein heifers inseminated with sex-sorted semen (SS) vs. conventional non-sorted semen (CS).
At the recent annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, scientists from around the world presented the latest results from current research. We've summarized some of the new and interesting findings that affect calf health, feeding, and management.
Members of Penn State's Dairy Science Club were victorious in the quiz bowl competition at the 2007 American Dairy Science Association-American Society of Animal Science annual meetings in San Antonio, TX, in early July. It marks the sixth time in seven years that the Penn Staters won first place in the quiz bowl.
When dairy producers try to assess the profitability of their business, it can be difficult to pinpoint which specific elements are negatively impacting the bottom line. To help consultants and their clients better understand and overcome these bottlenecks to profitability, Penn State's Dairy Extension and Dairy Alliance have created the Profitability Assessment Dairy Tool (PA Dairy Tool), giving a whole-farm view to better identify key weaknesses.
