As consumers become more health-focused, the food industry has embraced the opportunity to meet their increasing needs. Most notably, “transparency” has become more prominent within the beef, chicken, pork and dairy industries.

There have been many different programs developed over the years targeting improved udder health and the production of high-quality milk. Some of the programs have been around for a while and others, which had soft funding sources (e.g., state budgets), have come and gone.

Happy 2018! It is nearly one month into the new year, and it may be time to adjust or redefine your resolutions to turn them into reality over the next 11 months. It is never too late to set new goals and intentions for the year, and it is important to remember that successful goals continue to evolve over time.

It’s human nature to love a celebration – whether it’s your favorite sports team winning the big game, a party for a long-awaited engagement or a milestone birthday bash. Why should celebrating major successes on your dairy be any different?

Skin can chap due to frequent washing, repeated wetting or exposure to cold, dry or windy weather. Teats are subjected to these processes during every milking. Teat dips with effective emollient packages can rejuvenate dry teats. Skin conditioners come in many varieties.

Monthly test-day somatic cell count (SCC) reports from the Dairy Herd Improvement system have been used for decades to manage bulk tank SCC or decide which cows to cull from the herd.

Although somatic cell counts (SCC) have long been used as an indicator of udder health and milk quality, several common myths and misunderstandings remain. Dr. David Kelton, veterinary epidemiologist and professor at the University of Guelph, dispelled some of those myths at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners 50th Annual Conference, Sept. 14-16, 2017.

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” This was the saying on our first show camp T-shirts, and it’s an excellent motto to start off a new dairy cattle show season.

Walt Coleman knows what it takes to lead through hostile environments. As a NFL referee with 26 years of experience, he has had to make decisions and lead with authority even when the coaches, team members and fans disagreed.