As the growing season approaches, farmers will be hard at work outdoors. Farmers face many potential hazards in their line of work, from machinery injuries to chemical exposures from fertilizers and pesticides. One danger that may not be as visible comes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. While farmers rely on the sun for crops to flourish, they often don’t realize too many of these invisible rays may damage their skin, leading to skin cancer, premature aging of the skin and suppression of the immune system.

Most inventions or new ideas result from a problem for which there is no commonly prescribed answer. Women often have more need to find an alternative solution because, unlike their macho counterparts, “brute force” is not usually a choice. Which brings me to Kristy and her pet cow Jers.

In a war zone of diplomacy and development, successes can be far and few between. When we do have one, all the spent effort seems worthwhile, and the terms of success are sustainable. I often write in this column that one of our primary objectives should be coming home. That means we help those that want help, and then when they are ready to do the lifting on their own, we are done.

Cattle value reduced by virus exposure Fever, pneumonia, diarrhea and compromised immunity are among the telltale signs of infection with the group of viruses that cause bovine viral diarrhea, an economically significant disease that affects cattle herds throughout the world. Calves exposed to a bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in utero may develop persistent infections and shed the virus throughout their lives. Post-birth exposure to BVDV usually leads to infections that last seven to 10 days.

Read More

Held in Nashville, Indiana, the 19th ADSA DISCOVER Conference welcomed 67 registrants, representing 23 states and five countries. The four-day event centered around sustainability in the dairy industry. The 20th DISCOVER Conference will be held September 202-23, 2010 in Champaign, Illinois. Register by August 20 to take advantage of the early registration fee.

When Victor Palato arrived in the U.S. at the age of 18, he was very much a city boy who had little experience with agriculture. More than 22 years later he’s now an experienced herdsman and manager of 11 employees at Circle H Dairy, a 1,700-cow herd in Turlock, California. “I had never worked with cows, horses or animals back in Mexico,” Palato says.

What can a herdsman or worker do about cow comfort in the summertime or for those cows suffering from heat stress? The answer: Do more, earlier and quicker, for cows when they get sick.

Equipment safety training is one of the most crucial parts of your safety program. Since most equipment accidents are caused by operator error, it just can’t be understated. And unfortunately, most equipment accidents are serious, if not deadly. It’s hard to believe that tractor rollovers are still one of the leading killers on a farm.

Q. Part of our milking routine includes forestripping. This seems to slow down the milking process. Why should we bother to forestrip? NMC responds: Forestripping is one of the most important steps in the milking routine. And although forestripping is physically tiring and is often perceived as time-consuming, it is well worth the effort and can actually help shorten milking time and improve milk quality.