Articles
Administering reproductive hormones to dairy cattle
Using proper injection techniques for animal health products, including reproductive hormones, helps ensure products work effectively. In addition, it is important to safely handle animals and health products to protect both farm workers and animals.
Silage-specific corn hybrids for dairy cattle diets
Corn silage is a key forage fed to lactating dairy cows in Wisconsin. Upgrading the nutritional value of corn silage could maximize the consumption of dry matter or increase the energy density of the diet.
Cleaning and sanitizing multi-dose syringes and transfer needles
Properly cleaning, sanitizing, and storing multi-dose syringes and transfer needles will reduce contamination from many viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The steps described here use only tap and distilled or deionzed (purified) water and do not render the equipment sterile.
Determining cattle pregnancy status
Maintaining a successful reproductive program in our modern dairy and beef operations requires dedication. While it is rewarding to hear a pronouncement of pregnancy, there is not much the manager can do with that information, except wait.
Maximize feed bunk management to increase profitability
Something that is constantly on the mind of dairy producers, no matter how small or large the farm, is the cost of production. Feed is the largest input cost on the dairy, making efficiency with feed bunk management a priority for all dairy farm managers.
Fecal starch calculator – Background and guide
Starch digestibility varies greatly within and among feedstuffs and thus, evaluating starch digestibility is essential for satisfactory diet formulation, nutritional management, and income over feed costs. Commercial laboratories that offer feed analysis have multiple options to measure starch digestibility of feeds and forages, and fecal starch is one of these options.
Animal drugs by a different name
Shopping for deals and managing inventory are two ways to lower livestock drug costs. Have you ever been confused by the different brands available? How do you know which is the better buy?
Managing worms at spring turnout
Green is my favorite color. Green tree buds, lawns, and pastures signal that winter is finally over. It’s very tempting to turn young stock out onto newly green pasture. We are tired of indoor feeding and cleaning, and we have fieldwork and other chores to attend to. However, tempting as it is to open the pasture gate, first remember these worm management steps.
Resources for handling down cattle
There are times when cattle producers need to come to the aid of a downed animal. Daily observations should identify cattle that are unable to stand and there must be a plan in place for how to quickly respond to help these animals.
Colostrum is critical after calving
Bovine colostrum is the production of “first milk” from the mammary gland in the 24 hours after calving and it is the first source of nutrients for the calf. All female mammals produce it, and, in all species, it is of great importance, since it provides key antibodies, or immunoglobulins, to jump-start the immune system and determine whether the offspring survive or not.
The overview of the digestive system of the calves
The stomach of ruminants is made up of four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Each compartment has a very specific characteristic and function to help the digestion and absorption of essential nutrients to the animal.
Up your colostrum game
The importance of colostrum is no secret to dairy and livestock producers. Unlike many other species, the placenta of cattle prevents the transfer of antibodies from the dam to the calf in the uterus. Instead, calves must rely on colostrum, the cow’s first milk, to pass antibodies from dam to calf.
