The successful raising of the neonatal calf can be one of the most rewarding jobs on the dairy, or it can be one of the most challenging, costly and frustrating.

Best practices for keeping feeding equipment clean in the calf barn, including protocols for proper sanitation and culturing, were presented during a panel discussion at the Cornell Calf and Heifer Congress 2016.

Producing a quality product should be the goal of every dairy farm. However, not every employee’s idea of a dream job centers around milking cows 12 hours a day. With that in mind, Dr. Michelle Borek-Stine, DVM, of Thumb Veterinary Services in Sandusky, Michigan, developed a unique approach to “tame the tiger” of employee engagement and turnover.

With all of the data available to today’s dairy producers, the value of that data is easily lost in the shuffle. Data is raw material that should be used to “drive understanding,” Robert Goodling Jr. said in a Penn State Dairy Nutrition Workshop session.

Teat-end frostbite can become an issue when wind chill temperatures drop below zero. If frostbite is noticed, promptly thaw the tissue with warm water – 105 to 110ºF. Thawing at this warmer temperature is more painful but will result in less tissue damage.

The Southeast region of the U.S. consistently has the highest average somatic cell count (SCC) of any other region in the country, but over four years of the Southeast Quality Milk Initiative project, one thing has been evident: Many dairy producers in the Southeast are producing high-quality, low-SCC milk.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are being phased out of use by the U.S. dairy industry due to concerns raised by foreign dairy product importers, including the European Union (EU) and China.

We are all familiar with the phrase “time is money,” and this is never so true as when fighting contagious mastitis in dairy herds. One of the most frustrating challenges a dairy farmer faces is the inability to identify what is causing the problem; you send off a sample for culture, wait over a week and then get back a report stating “No Growth.”

Early detection of mastitis cases is considered the best option to allow cows the best chance for a quick recovery. Until now, mastitis detection has been based on seeing clinical signs, such as a swollen quarter or flakes in the milk.

Are you milking your cows efficiently while optimizing milk yield and milk quality? The goal in any milking routine is to synchronize timing between milk letdown and unit attachment. Units should be calmly attached to clean, dry teats.