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Left abomasal displacement (LDA) is a common and economically important disease in high-yielding dairy cows. Since the first description of LDA in 1950, many techniques for surgical correction of this disorder have been developed.
At Giessen University in Germany, the standard procedure to correct LDAs is the minimally invasive repositioning of the displaced abomasum according to the Janowitz method, first described in 1998.
Cattlemen and veterinarians primarily use commercially licensed vaccines to immunize livestock against common diseases. These commercial products are manufactured in USDA-licensed facilities, have been shown to be relatively safe when used as directed and have demonstrated some level of efficacy in controlled studies.
Once a bacteria or virus is isolated, modified and approved for use in a licensed vaccine, the vaccine may occasionally be updated with more recent strains from the field. Often vaccines continue to use the original isolates for several years without being updated.
After more than 28 years working as a hoof trimmer in the dairy industry and, like many others, seeing the many changes within the dairy industry, a simple question must be asked: “Why is lameness increasing as an issue?”
The answer is the modern dairy industry still has not recognized the requirements for the hoof to function “normally.”
When the Professional Nutrient Applicators Association of Wisconsin (PNAAW) formed a decade ago, it identified road and bridge issues as one of its top three priorities. The problem is that all types of farm equipment are getting larger and larger, while town roads are not designed to handle large and heavy loads.
To find out what was really happening to the roads, PNAAW initiated a four-state, four-year $630,000 study. Partners in this endeavor included the state Departments of Transportation for Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin; Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin; Minnesota Pork Producers and other agribusinesses and associations.
When it looked like electricity prices were about to skyrocket in 1985, the Hurst family of Lititz, Pennsylvania, decided to manage that risk by installing an anaerobic digester.
Agricultural equipment manufacturers have risen to meet the needs of today’s growing industry; however, local town and county roads where this equipment travels have not changed.
Based on the results of a four-state, four-year study (click here to read Lee's article in the March 21st issue of Progressive Dairyman and more about this study), Kevin Erb, conservation professional development and training coordinator with the University of Wisconsin Extension, has identified a few short-term and long-term solutions.
“There are several key steps the farm community and town board can take to minimize damage potential,” Erb says.
According to the U.S. EPA’sAgSTAR program, anaerobic digesters are technically feasible at more than 2,600 U.S. dairy operations, but many early adopters of methane digester systems find they are not supported by the current market conditions and energy policies.
I did not grow up on a dairy farm. People always ask me, “Did you know what you were getting into?”
They often have concerned looks on their faces. After more than six years of dating before we got married, I kind of had a clue.
In fact, one of our first dates was milking cows. Since then we have spent many major holidays, birthdays and anniversaries in the barn together working side by side.
HOW WE MET: I met Rachel a few years ago through mutual friends when I was looking for someone to watch a little person very near and dear to me. I see Rachel a few days every week.
While she knows what I do for a living, the majority of the time our conversations are about kids and family.
Knowing she’s a mom trying to do right for her kids and those entrusted to her each day, I thought she’d be a good example of a primary household shopper from small-town, middle America.
The Garden of Eden was a glorious place. The grass spread like a carpet under Adam and Eve’s feet. They never encountered a thorn or a weed. The fruit and nuts hung from trees in abundance. Adam and Eve only needed to reach up to have their needs met.
