Division of Extension
Milk fever (hypocalcemia) is a common disorder than can occur is cows following calving. During this time, the demand for calcium in the body is high to support mammary function and milk production. When a cow is unable to meet these demands, she can develop milk fever.
This article will explain the factors, farm practices associated with them, and key questions to help you investigate and manage milk fat depression in your herd.
Dairy cattle diets are formulated on a dry matter (DM) basis, so it is important to understand what that means. All forages and feeds contain both water and dry matter so, in a simplistic way, the DM fraction refers to the absence of water.
Las dietas del ganado de leche se formulan usando materia seca (MS) y por ello es importante entender que es lo que significa. Todas las pasturas y alimentos contienen agua y materia seca, en una manera muy simple de explicarlo, la materia seca hace referencia a la ausencia de agua.
[Listen to this 3-minute podcast] Research has shown cows love using brushes. A study found that lactating cows were willing to push heavy gates to get access to an automatic rotating brush, indicating that having a brush was important to them.
In this presentation, Leonard Polzin, Extension Dairy Markets and Policy Outreach Specialist, covers what producers need to know for the 2025 DMC sign-up. He walks through changes and discusses the DMC decision tool that helps producers decide on the level of coverage necessary.
Fresh cow diseases such as ketosis, milk fever, displaced abomasum, retained placenta, metritis, and mastitis have a huge impact on the overall health of an animal. In addition to the health of the animal there are other factors including lost milk production, longer days to cycle and get pregnant, plus the cost to treat these fresh cow diseases.
Dr. Catie Cramer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, discusses stressors associated with transport date (WI and US) from a fit-for-transport survey conducted by Colorado State University and offer some ways to mitigate transport stress.
Early detection and treatment of sick cows are essential to minimize negative impacts.
We can manage some metabolic diseases by managing dry matter intake, nutrient needs, body condition score, and stress during this critical timeframe of the dry cow, transition, and fresh cow periods.
Soybeans are great for livestock feed because they provide a lot of protein and oil. They need to be processed correctly to avoid digestion issues and maximize benefits.
In this video, Matheus Pupo, a passionate PhD student at UW-Madison, dives into innovative nutritional strategies to cut down methane emissions in lactating cows. Chuck Nicholson, an agricultural economist from UW-Madison, breaks down the financial impact of feeding 3-NOP on income over feed costs in the U.S.
