Wooded pastures need “health checkups” just like open pastures do, according to Keefe Keeley, an agroecology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

As the first cutting of alfalfa is nearly complete for most dairymen, the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) recently provided its members with insightful ways to improve and revitalize existing alfalfa stands.

Management-intensive grazing and other intensive grazing systems have been promoted for quite a few years, but what does the word "intensive" mean when it is used with grazing?

Capital Press recently featured dairyman Tim Pedrozo of Orland, California. Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese Company has been producing raw milk cheese for 15 years. As outlined in the article, Pedrozo is concerned with the efforts of some other raw milk proponents to change the laws for selling raw milk.

Q. Why is this a top resource article? "Research continues to focus on ways to alleviate heat stress through genetic advancement and knowledge around genes that are important in alleviating heat load, hormonal manipulation such as the use of human chorionic gonadotropin to improve pregnancy retention, feed additives that potentially reduce core body temperature and, lastly, advancements in cooling systems and areas of opportunities with cooling such as dry cows." —Todd Bilby, Merck Animal Health The Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) is a valuable measure that you know when cows are becoming heat-stressed and to what degree so you can use cooling methods appropriately. Heat stress is caused by a combination of temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, air movement and precipitation. The majority of studies on heat stress in livestock focus on the two main environmental stressors: temperature and relative humidity (RH).

Calves will be cool, clean and comfortable this summer in a new barn at the Hansen farm near Chilton, Wisconsin. Eugene and Maggie Hansen, along with their sons Mark and Dan (pictured), moved calves from hutches into a calf barn in March. The building holds 31 individual stalls, where they raise both heifer and bull calves through weaning.