In 2009, the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) was approached with a new idea to extend their reach and presence within the dairy industry – a reproduction awards program. Since then, the council’s board of directors created a program that honors dairy operations throughout the U.S. for their outstanding performance in herd reproduction.

Stature, rump angle, teat length, teat placement – do they impact longevity and reproduction? In this article, we’ll look at these four linear type traits often thought to impact performance. Perception is not always reality, so we look to the data to find the true answers.

I meet very few people that enjoy change and more that actually resist it. Not sure why that is, as in my years of being a veterinarian, I have had minimal impact on the changes that continue to impact the dairy industry.

When breeding for long-lasting dairy cows, many producers do not feel they have all the tools, indexes and traits to help guide them to reach their goals. Surprisingly, the information and indexes that are most important for breeding longevity and efficiency into their herds have been available for quite some time.

Immunity is not solely explained by environmental exposure to foreign agents and other environmental factors such as diet, temperature, housing and so on; additionally, there is an important genetic component to immunity.

Efficiency in all the productive areas is an important factor for dairy farm profitability today. The estimated cost of mastitis in the U.S. is about $2 billion per year, and the cost of an individual case has been estimated from many studies to be from $0 to $400.

It’s no secret that transition cows are some of the most vulnerable animals on a dairy. The physiological changes and stresses surrounding calving can disrupt immune function and leave cows susceptible to a variety of disorders.

Editor’s note: The following is an edited excerpt from Dr. Donald E. Sanders’ book “Raising Heifer Replacements – Doc’s Way,” published in 2012 by Vaca Resources. A wise client recently told me that if you are going to succeed in the dairy business, you must be 100 percent better than neighboring dairy farms – that is, 5 percent better in each of 20 different management skills.

Calves represent the future of every dairy herd, and delivering proper nutrients during their first critical hours of life is vital to their survival. It’s been well-documented that there are long-term benefits of feeding high-quality colostrum and feeding to a higher plane of nutrition.