Articles
Quick Reference: Reading Dairy Sire Proofs
Advances in dairy genetic research have created an ever-increasing amount of information for dairy farmers to take into consideration for sire selection. Dairy sire proofs contain a mix of numbers, acronyms, and other terminology. This reference guide covers common sire proof information and what it means.
▶️ Watch: Watch: Regulation of the Lactating Mammary Gland
In this UW-Madison Extension Dairy Program webinar, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences Lactation Physiology Professor Laura Hernandez discusses calcium metabolism in the mammary gland, the physiology during the transition period, and other things the mammary gland needs to thrive.
It’s Proof Time! How You Can Decode Dairy Sire Summaries
The Council for Dairy Cattle Breeding releases updated dairy sire summaries in April, August, and December. The science of sire summaries has changed in recent years. More traits, especially for health, longevity, and efficiency can now be evaluated and included for selection.
▶️ Watch: Is it time to rethink employee onboarding and training?
In this recorded Badger Dairy Insight webinar, UW-Madison Division of Extension Farm Management Outreach Specialist Jim Versweyveld discusses onboarding and training for dairy employees and discusses how interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training.
▶️ Watch:The importance of cow handling and a revolutionary way to practice
Handling cows is necessary to harvest milk and provide animal care, but these interactions also present a risk of injury to personnel. Inappropriate cow handling threatens animal welfare, milk production, and public trust in dairy farming. But how can the industry best teach these skills? Interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training.
Renovating Tie-Stall Barns for Indoor Calf Housing
An alternative to this is indoor calf housing, where renovated old barns can be utilized, taking advantage of the existing structure. Adapting an old building to house calves involves several steps:
Feed additives, an alternative to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in dairy cattle
The contribution of the dairy production system to climate change is small compared to electricity generation or transportation. The U.S. EPA’s 2022 report showed that the contribution of the agriculture sector to the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S was around 10% on a million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMtCO2e) basis in 2020 (Figure 1), and about 39.5% of this 10% is represented by livestock methane emissions from the enteric fermentation and manure management.
Economics of Dairy Cattle Hoof Health
When it comes to health issues on a dairy farm, lameness is usually a main concern along with mastitis and reproductive issues. Lameness includes any abnormality which causes a cow to change the way she walks.
Recording Hoof Health Events
The sheer volume of information collected on a dairy farm may seem daunting to keep track of, but proper recordkeeping can play a vital role when making decisions. One area that may not receive as much attention is animal health events, especially hoof health. How would your current animal health records rate if they were compared to the requirements established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 21CFR530.5?
Hoof health & nutrition of dairy cows
Nutrition affects more than just the cow’s digestive system. The effects of an imbalanced diet can be seen throughout the animal’s body. Of particular interest are concentrates, such as grain-based feed ingredients, that typically contain high amounts of sugar and starch.
Hoof Health & Housing
Dairy cow housing facilities are a double-edged sword regarding hoof health and lameness. Built right and managed properly, housing facilities can limit the problem and aid recovery.
Lameness Starts in the Heifer Pen
Hoof health is essential for not only the overall health of the animal, but also for her welfare. Digital dermatitis (DD), or hairy heel warts, is an extremely painful condition for dairy cattle, reducing their ability to walk to and from the milking parlor, or to the feed bunk. Based on USDA NAHMS 2017 data, 16.8% of all cows and 2.6% of bred heifers have lameness on a dairy operation.