Darin Mann, of M&M Feedlot in Idaho, discusses his operation. Manure from livestock operations can have a negative perception by the general public – it can smell, attract flies and, if not handled properly, can cause environmental concerns. But one family in Idaho is working hard to change that perception through environmental stewardship and an innovative approach to manure management, and by all accounts they are succeeding.

(Click here to listen to the podcast of this column.) A few weeks ago, I was privileged to act as a merit badge councilor for a group of Boy Scouts. I have been a merit badge councilor for Citizenship in the Nation (a merit badge) for over twenty years. I went to the dentist the other day to get a root canal, and the young dentist said, “Do you remember when you taught us about the Constitution in Boy Scouts?”

“A good day’s work is a good day’s work.” Labor Day 2010 finds us with our head down, shoulders to the wheel, noses to the grindstone and 10% unemployment.

The battle with mastitis has always been an on-going, difficult challenge for the dairy producer. Research shows that in addition to the $150 economic loss per diagnosed case of mastitis from discarded milk, antibiotic treatment, decreased production and time spent managing treatment, mastitis also takes a toll on the dairy cow’s reproductive success. Several studies support the detrimental effects of mastitis, including research from the University of Tennessee. This study’s objective was to identify the presence and strength of the relationship between mastitis and reproduction within a 758-cow Jersey herd. Reproduction data was collected and analyzed over a 10-year period.

Larger dairy units and the introduction of automatic milking systems will increasingly emphasize the importance of reducing risks for lameness, since immobile animals will not fit into a system with low labor input. Despite much effort to reduce lameness worldwide, treatments of lameness do not seem to subside. Previously there was a general assumption that the cow’s feet environment was of primary concern for the outcome of lameness. Hygiene was the final message to prevent infectious claw diseases. At that time, herd problems with digital dermatitis (DD) exploded and were blamed as a cause for most lameness problems.

Back pain is the bane of many farmers and ranchers. A life of lifting, riding, shifting and physical exertion often leads them to a long-term relationship with osteopathic surgeons.