Fly control is always a hot topic with dairy producers because there are not a lot of viable options to alleviate fly pressure. Nuisance flies are typically most active from May to October in northern regions and are active year-round in warmer climates.

‘Sky’s the Limit’ at 2017 DCHA conference Don’t miss out on the exciting line-up at the 2017 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association conference being held April 11-13 in Madison, Wisconsin.

When Amy Shiplett joined her family’s operation full time in 2006, she struggled to find detailed information on raising calves and heifers from local resources, but through an online search, she stumbled across an organization that fulfilled her needs.

The following summary is part of a Dairy Farmers of Canada-funded Dairy Research Cluster study examining dairy cow comfort, lameness and longevity. The study included data from 141 freestall farms in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. Lying behavior was automatically recorded on 5,135 cows using accelerometers over four days.

The wet field conditions we saw last year across much of the U.S. have contributed to an increase in fungal diseases – in particular, a rise in the incidence of smut.

Dr. Charles Brummer’s research at the University of California – Davis has focused on alfalfa breeding. One area of focus is looking into the genetic basis of fall dormancy using various genetic mapping methods. His group is also evaluating a large amount of germplasm to find adapted, high-yielding, non-dormant germplasm under saline conditions and under deficit irrigation.