During the past 90 days, Merck Animal Health, with the input and oversight of its advisory board, has worked to implement its Five-Step Plan to Ensuring Responsible Beef and, according to the company, has made considerable progress.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association’s Annual Convention and Trade Show will include the 21st Anniversary Cattlemen’s College Feb. 3-4 in Nashville, Tennessee.

More than 375 dairy producers, consultants and industry peers came together Dec. 11-12 for the Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2013 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. MilkSource Genetics LLC was one of the pre-conference tours.

Alltech is continuing to expand its algal DHA plant in Winchester, Kentucky, one of only two plants in the world, the company says, commercially producing a high-DHA heterotrophic microalgae. The facility, which is capable of producing around 15,000 tons of algae, has already been updated since its opening in early 2011.

Delivering consistency from one end of the feedbunk to the other begins with the right TMR mixer. With different styles and sizes available, choosing the mixer that best meets your dairy’s needs can be a challenging task.

“Being a dairy cow is fairly risky business,” according to Dr. Frank Garry, Colorado State University. During his presentation at the Vita Plus Dairy Summit, Garry drew attention to the trend for increasing death losses among dairy cows and called producers to take action on this economic and dairy welfare issue.

Three Midwestern dairy producers discussed the trial-and-error, cost analysis and strategic thinking that influenced their heifer-raising decisions at the recent Vita Plus Dairy Summit. Attendees heard from Dan Smits, Double S Dairy, Markesan, Wisconsin; Dr. Don Niles, Dairy Dreams LLC, Casco, Wisconsin; and Chad Carlson, Carlson Dairy LLP, Pennock, Minnesota.

Two companies, Alta Genetics and CRV, have begun collaboration on their U.S. breeding programs. The cooperation between the groups offers economies of scale resulting in, according to the companies, greater volumes and higher quality of genetics on the U.S. base with the end product being a greater output of high GTPITM bulls.