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With the increased use of electric fencing for containing animals and controlling grazing, many producers have found themselves trying to comprehend electrical terms and concepts. The goal of this [article] is to introduce the novice fence builder to some...
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Editor’s note: This is Part 3 of a series of four articles titled “Dairy biological risk management.”
Human traffic on the dairy farm Foot traffic also poses a risk of pathogen introduction and spread on a dairy facility. People walking through a ...
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Dairy cattle housed in freestall barns are normally separated from the feed delivery area by some sort of barrier. Barriers are important as they prevent cattle from walking and defecating on the feed. They have been designed to allow cows unrestricted ac...
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Shelf life is that length of time that a perishable item is given before it is considered unsuitable for use. In the case of maternal colostrum, bacterial contamination is the measure determining suitability. The criteria using laboratory incubation metho...
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A low-fat vegetarian diet is very efficient in terms of how much land is needed to support it. But adding some dairy products and a limited amount of meat may actually increase this efficiency, Cornell researchers suggest. This deduction stems from the fi...
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Dairy replacement heifers represent the future production of a dairy herd. The goal of the replacement program is to have an adequate supply of replacement heifers so that the number of milk cows in the herd remains at a constant or increasing level and t...
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Fresh cows and heifers present the highest risk animals for mastitis. Summertime, especially, amplifies these risks as hot, humid weather increases mastitis germ loads as well as decreases animal immunity due to heat stress, lower dry matter intake and ot...
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Electrical power is essential to the operation of farms and ranches. However, it can cause serious problems if not respected. Everyone who lives or works on a farm or ranch should watch for electrical fire hazards and know what to do in the event of an el...
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A lot of the focus on the dramatic changes in agriculture has been the rapid expansion of ethanol production in the U.S., especially Iowa and surrounding states. This expansion, and a few other factors, has led to large increases in corn and oilseed price...
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Sudangrass, forage sorghums and sorghum-sudangrass crosses (all in the genus Sorghum) contain a non-poisonous chemical called dhurrin. If these plants are damaged by freezing, chewing or trampling), the dhurrin is converted into prussic acid (cyanide) whi...
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For several years it’s been fairly common for farmers to install some sort of rubber in the alleys of their freestall barn. Most often, the rubber is placed in the alley where cows stand to feed with the hope that it will improve cow comfort and encoura...
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STEP 1: Some cowboys are born and raised on a ranch; they grow up riding and working cows, they compete in high school rodeo, have a horse and an FFA project. They develop the art of hangin’ out and lookin’ cool, which is easier if you’re a big fish...
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Our winter period is a slog, at least this year. The snow is old, the wind does not slow, and the sediments saturate the white layer of ice.
On gravel roads near our home, sheets of ice overlay the curvature of their width, nary a place level except righ...
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The measure of somatic cell count (SCC) is critical to determine udder health. According to the National Mastitis Council, a herd with a bulk tank SCC of 200,000 cells per milliliter or greater is considered to be producing “abnormal” milk. Higher cou...
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Before I get into the main body of this editorial, I would personally like to offer my condolences to the friends and family of Ron Thaemert, Extension Educator for the University of Idaho.
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Some alfalfa fields have had a rough time. If drought does not stress the crop enough, the winter ice or freezing temperatures certainly could.
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Alfalfa is a high-quality, valuable forage crop that can be successfully produced on most well-drained soils.
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Manure application to forage crops can provide both a yield and quality benefit compared to commercial potassium (K) or no application, according to an Oxford Soil and Crop Improvement Association trial.
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The increased use of disc mowers, which are much less susceptible to damaged knives than sicklebar mowers, has resulted in many farmers mowing alfalfa fields considerably closer to the soil surface, less than 3 inches of stubble height.
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Re: Just dropping by ... The Sabbath of the Lord
Posted on Friday, 21 September 2012 by ALBERT WITTEVEEN.Thank you for sharing your thougts in this article.I couln't agree with...
Re: Dairy production ramps up on Hawaii’s Big Island
Posted on Thursday, 20 September 2012 by Bruce Allen.Dairy is good news for Hawaii. However, if you are not certified...
Re: Dairy production ramps up on Hawaii’s Big Island
Posted on Thursday, 20 September 2012 by Kristi.I will not be purchasing any dairy products from Island Dairy because...