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Hot weather and flies tend to go hand-in-hand, but there are measures you can take to limit fly populations in the summer months.
Pre-weaned calves are especially susceptible to the detrimental effects of flies because they often live in confined spaces and cannot escape a fly-infested environment.
Research continues to show that prenatal stress can affect metabolism of the offspring. This appears to hold true for many different species of animals including cattle. One stress that consistently affects pregnant dairy cows is heat stress.
We know that heat stress can impair a cow’s reproduction and depress milk production. However, effects on calves – either before or after calving – are less well-defined.
Cow-calf separation is embedded into the rhythm of life on most dairy farms, so much so that many people in the industry may not have thought much about why it’s done, or more pointedly, questioned whether it should be done.
But with rising concern over the animal management practices in the dairy industry, we suggest that the dairy industry would benefit by engaging with consumers about this and other contentious practices.
When you look at the rising cost of replacement heifers, keeping calves healthy and productive before and after arrival is critical to the dairy’s bottom line. Too many calves die from scours each year, which is an expensive problem for dairy producers.
According to the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy 2007 study, diarrhea and other digestive problems accounted for more than 56 percent of pre-weaned heifer deaths.
Heat stress and its effect on calves is not fully understood, but we do know that calves are stressed in high temperatures and humidity. These effects can be severe, and it is up to the people working with the calves to recognize the signs of heat stress and take appropriate action to prevent problems from occurring.
Scours can occur as a result of pathogens and stressors. When calves get scours they may experience electrolyte loss, dehydration and increased risk of death due to dehydration. During these times, oral electrolyte solutions become extremely important.
John and Debbie Feldpausch of Westphalia, Michigan, manage and operate a progressive calf-raising facility using some of the newest technology in the business. Their success has been due to their years of experience and dedication to healthy calves.
Every producer thinking about or already purchasing a robotic milking system has heard all the stories that can go with a transition – the drama, the tall tales, the truly rough experiences.
These sagas usually are the only stories that get re-told over and over, making it seem like every robotic milking startup will have an epic story to tell.
As part of a new format for the annual Dairy Calf & Heifer Association Conference, which had a theme this year of “Be A Driver of Change,” conference organizers had a renewed focus on hands-on learning.
The conference offered two afternoons of bus tours, with additional presentations at each of the four stops. Read on for some key takeaways from the tours.
On two occasions in the Bible, the Lord tells us that He will send a prophet before He comes again to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers.
