Fresh Cows: Fetching the cow and blood money
Badger Dairy Insight webinar recording from September 2023
Articles
Sub-optimal transition cow care causes significant economic losses
Earlier in the year, I attended the Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, where many of the topics focused on transition cow care. One of the big take-home points from more than one speaker was that prevention of clinical disease is vital for long-term success of your cows. Issues during the transition period are associated with reduced reproduction and milk production. Prevention is followed closely by early diagnosis of clinical disease issues.
Fresh cows: Milk fever
Even though hypocalcemia, commonly known as milk fever, has been a fresh cow problem for years, it has been addressed through nutritional management during the dry period and early lactation to decrease clinical cases to less than 1%. However, 73% of 3rd and greater lactation animals have had subclinical hypocalcemia.
Robotic milking farms and digital dermatitis
Digital dermatitis, commonly known as hairy heel warts, is a common infectious foot disease that causes lameness in cattle and often leads to decreased milk production, performance, and fertility in cattle. Learn how it affects robotic milking farms and strategies for prevention in this video.
Stepping up your footbath management game
Digital dermatitis, commonly known as hairy heel warts, is a common infectious foot disease that causes lameness in cattle and often leads to decreased milk production, performance, and fertility in cattle. Watch this video to learn more.
The high fertility cycle in dairy cattle
Over the past two decades, a reproduction revolution has occurred in the dairy industry. Twenty years ago, the 21-day pregnancy rate in U.S. dairy herds averaged about 14% with conception rates rarely exceeding 40%. In 1998, the annualized 21-day pregnancy rate goal was 20%, which few herds could achieve.
Impact of copper sulfate footbath use on eastern Wisconsin’s manure, soil, and forage copper concentrations
Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive farm. Monitoring soil health and maintaining soil integrity can improve water filtration, boost crop production and health, and foster biological and physical components of soil. Fields that receive dairy manure are likely to receive higher copper concentrations than non-dairy manure.
Step into biosecurity with clean and disinfected boots
Keeping your livestock safe from microbes, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, is the biosecurity goal that all farms should have. Wearing clean, sanitized footwear helps meet this goal as foot traffic moves microbes to and around the farm.
The Ideal Footbath
A footbath is one of the most important tools used on dairy farms to prevent lameness and maintain hoof health. When used properly and paired with a disinfectant, a footbath can prevent and control foot rot and digital dermatitis on dairy farms. Recently, the recommendations for footbath dimensions have changed after new research was conducted at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
Calf Recumbency aka Early Onset Muscle Weakness Syndrome
In 2020, there were multiple calves found unable to stand at birth or shortly after and were then seen by veterinarians in Pennsylvania. Calves were either weak and unable to stand immediately after birth, could stand with assistance, or lost the ability to stand within the first two weeks of life.
