Properly formulated transition cow rations are an integral part of transition period success. Producers and nutritionists often spend a good deal of attention to getting these diets just right and then adjusting as necessary. However, the best ration in the world does no good if animals do not receive it. When troubleshooting rations, it’s not uncommon to find that transition cows and first-calf heifers do not receive the rations as nutritionists and managers intended.

Pregnancy losses are extensive in lactating dairy cattle. In fact, in many cases these losses are underestimated because of the challenges that exist on-farm to accurately determine conception early after insemination.

An effective cow and heifer breeding program is key to maximizing your long-term profitability. Extended calving intervals can quickly lead to lower overall production and higher reproductive culling rates, which is why it is important to identify open cows as swiftly and accurately as possible. Adding a milk-based pregnancy test to the pregnancy checking protocol may be the tool to do just that.

It is no secret that in the last few years consumers have been asking more and more questions about where their food comes from. Unfortunately, most of them have little knowledge of agriculture, or a skewed understanding of it, but desire to learn more.

For many dairy producers, the task of holding a team meeting to increase herd reproduction rates may seem like a great idea in theory, but once the actual planning begins, the questions on logistics appear to outweigh the benefits. Questions of concern may be:

With the arrival of lower-cost genomic testing options, an increasing number of registered purebred and commercial producers are using these tools for routine sorting and selection applications. While genomic testing costs have come down, they can still be substantial, and dairymen are searching for the most cost-effective applications of the technology. To address these issues, there are tools and strategies available that can help the producer make a good decision for their unique situation.