Representatives from across the dairy industry spectrum discussed the impacts of Idaho’s 400,000 cells per milliliter somatic cell count (SCC) limit at the 2017 National Mastitis Council Regional Meeting held in Boise.

Mastitis is most often associated with disease of the udder recognized as either subclinical or clinical disease resulting in reduced milk production and potentially a sick cow.

Frequent rains this spring and summer have led to lush, fertile pastures. Grass isn’t the only thing that has flourished with the timely rains, though. Parasites reproduce more rapidly in warm, humid weather too, increasing the risk of economic loss.

Dairy goat product demand is growing and driving a need for more goat milk. Before entering the dairy goat industry, there are a number of factors to consider to make the operation a profitable one.

Timely euthanasia is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for farmers and veterinarians. Many times, there isn’t a definite answer. Euthanizing the animal too early could mean a missed opportunity, but doing it too late means unnecessary animal suffering.

Placing a high emphasis on animal welfare doesn’t just make the public happy; for two producers it has yielded great dividends in the form of improved reproduction, increased milk production and streamlined SOPs.

The emphasis on animal well-being from industry, regulatory and consumer perspectives only continues to increase. Therefore, the ability to consistently and constantly monitor cow health in real time is gaining in importance because it is a meaningful way to ensure the quality of animal care.

In many cases, cattle death is the first sign of a blackleg outbreak. By the time the disease can be identified, it’s often too late. In the last month, the number of blackleg cases in beef and dairy herds have been up all across the Southeast.

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series about how transition cows’ immune systems are impacted by metabolic factors. Read Part I Metabolic factors affecting the immune system of the transition dairy cow. 

You vaccinate your cows and heifers, but are they immunized? Not necessarily. To get a good immune response, you need to set your animals up correctly.