Body condition scoring (BCS) is a relative measurement of the amount of fat tissue that cows store, which is also correlated to their energy reserve. The industry uses a 5-point scale (with quarter-point increments) to determine the body condition of dairy cows. By evaluating BCS changes, we can identify possible nutritional deficiencies, health issues and, by extension, potential impacts on milk production and reproductive performance.

Iowa State University animal science and veterinary researchers made possibly the first ever successful bovine embryo transfers in the Republic of Kosovo, paving the way toward improved dairy production and food security for the small nation in southeastern Europe.

Below is a statement from Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF): We appreciate the decision today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to extend the sign-up deadline for the dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP) until Friday, Nov. 20.

Breeding your top females to the best bulls available may seem like a solid strategy for genetic improvement, but if those matings are closely related, it could have a negative impact on your herd.

Dairy producers in the U.S. typically breed their Holstein heifers and cows with semen from Holstein A.I. bulls on a random basis without regard to pedigrees and the potential for inbreeding.

Dr. Peter Vanderloo of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory examines several udders during a presentation at the PDPW Business Conference in March. He discusses the diseases that likely infected the udders and what could have been done to prevent infections.

Nestled in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin, milk cows graze in a picturesque setting, munching on green grass. Later in the day, they will make their way home to the comfortable freestalls and feeding barn. Here they will eat a TMR (total mixed ration). This combination of rotational grazing and feeding of a TMR mixture is why I consider our farm a hybrid.

The nation’s dairy farmers need additional time this fall to consider their risk management options under the new Margin Protection Program (MPP) offered by the USDA, according to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), which asked the USDA to extend the MPP sign-up deadline by two months.

If you enjoy a pumpkin-flavored coffee or dish of ice cream this fall, you'll be in good company. According to Nielsen data, 37 percent of U.S. consumers purchased a pumpkin-flavored product, which could have included anything from cereal to oral care.