Articles
The importance of water for dairy calves
The importance of the water and how by providing warm water for calves, especially in colder weather, can benefit rumen development, increase starter intake, and weight gain, and growth performance.
Handling down cows
Dealing with a down cow can be frustrating, however with proper procedural practices in place, you will equip your team with the attitude and skillset to handle the situation.
▶️ Watch: New Concepts in Colostrum Feeding for Dairy Calves
Dairy producers should consider feeding a smaller volume of colostrum to newborn calves. Delivering the correct mass of immunoglobulin in a smaller volume ensures the successful transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is preferable to current colostrum feeding guidelines.
▶️ Watch: Cows need fiber too! Storage and feeding tips to minimize nutrient losses
Badger Dairy Insight: August 20, 2024
▶️ Watch: Grazing your way to reduced heifer cost and better sustainability
Badger Dairy Insight: April 16, 2024
Are my dairy cattle fit for transport?
This infographic will help you better understand if your dairy cattle are fit for transport.
How can we measure methane emissions from commercial farms?
Based on their symbiotic relationship with the rumen microorganisms, dairy cows have an extraordinary capacity to transform human-inedible plant materials into energy for maintenance and lactation.
Build Your Foundation on High Fertility
Today, we can form our own pyramid of characteristics for high performing dairy herd reproductive management. During a recap of the 2024 Reproduction Roadshow, Dr. Paul Fricke, Dairy Cattle Reproduction Specialist for UW-Madison and Division of Extension, introduced his building blocks for top reproductive performance and how achieving each step opens more opportunities to use additional reproductive technologies.
▶️ Watch: Leveraging digital technologies to improve management decisions in dairy farms
In this episode of Badger Dairy Insight, we hear from Dr. João Dórea, an assistant professor in Precision Agriculture and Data Analytics in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at UW–Madison.
Crowd gates done right: Best practices for cow comfort and welfare
Proper crowd gate functioning benefits both cows and dairy farm workers. For farm managers, effective staff training, regular crowd gate maintenance, and proper management are essential for ensuring successful crowd gate operation. While crowd gates help keep cows near the parlor entrance, it is crucial to avoid misusing them to promote positive animal welfare.
Top strategies to streamline your milking parlor
Ensuring a comfortable and safe parlor environment for both cows and workers, while efficiently using all available resources—including time—is crucial for the dairy business’ profitability. Milking time on a dairy farm is a balancing act between maintaining cleanliness and calmness while moving quickly enough to finish on time and get the cows back to their pens, where they can eat, drink, rest, and produce milk.
▶️ Watch: Updating our thinking about corn silage and alternative forages
Jennifer Van Os discusses collaborative work at UW-Madison to identify practical strategies for alleviating heat stress in hutch-housed dairy calves.
