The importance of successfully transitioning dairy cows from pregnancy to lactation has been well documented. With more than 50 percent of periparturient cows experiencing hypocalcemia, dairy experts remind producers about the importance of diet management to optimize health and lactation performance.

I meet very few people that enjoy change and more that actually resist it. Not sure why that is, as in my years of being a veterinarian, I have had minimal impact on the changes that continue to impact the dairy industry.

In the wake of published studies speaking to efficacy of intramammary treatments for gram-negative clinical mastitis, namely a five-day ceftiofur treatment option, experts weigh in on the pros and cons, specifically, of the five-day treatment plan.

Editor’s note: The following article is the first in a series of articles regarding current heat stress research and heat abatement techniques. Winter in Minnesota, as usual, was very cold this year, especially in January. On one especially frigid day, the wind chill was -35ºF.

Respiratory disease in calves continues to be an issue dairy producers across the country are dealing with. According to the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy 2007 study, respiratory disease was the second leading cause of death in unweaned heifers and the single-largest cause of weaned heifer deaths. And, more often than not, poor ventilation is the root cause of the respiratory issue.

The milk quality premium has long been the standard in the U.S. dairy system. Producers are rewarded for producing milk with lower somatic cell counts with dollars that are over and above the flat price per hundredweight (cwt). This system has been around for a long time for good reason: It works.

When making the decision to use a modified-live vaccine (MLV) or a killed vaccine specifically for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), it’s important to balance risk with achieving the greatest benefit from a vaccination protocol.

Pre-fresh health in dairy cows is more than a feed ration adjustment and a pen move. It’s all the little things that prepare a cow for calving and lactation. Pre-fresh health is similar to flipping on the power switch to a vacant building. You must maintain the health and wellness of pre-fresh cows so that once lactation is turned on, they are in peak physical condition for performance and production.