There has been a lot of talk about the Margin Protection Program (MPP) introduced in the new farm bill. As the saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.” The MPP replaces the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), Dairy Product Price Support and the Dairy Export Incentive Program.

“Down cows are one of the unfortunate realities of dairy production,” according to Robert Leder, DVM, chairman of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association’s Dairy Welfare Committee. “When a cow goes down, we need to set up some protocols: who is going to be responsible, when are we going to take care of it, what we are going to do and how we are going to do it,” he says.

You may know that cull cows and bob veal calves are the dairy industry’s drug residue vectors, but how much do you really know about tissue violations and what are you doing to prevent them? When it comes to protecting the meat and milk supply, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) is stepping up to the plate.

A cooperative team effort is required to keep your herd healthy, producing to potential and profitable. You, your staff, your nutritionist or feed adviser, other professionals and your veterinarian are all integral parts of your production team. Your veterinarian brings a special skill set to this team.

Metritis is a common fresh cow disease that can affect up to 30 percent of a dairy herd. It can have serious impacts, including reduced fertility, lower milk production, a greater risk of culling and increased labor and treatment costs. These can add up to more than $350 per cow for each case of metritis. Multiply that by 10, and you’ll see how quickly metritis can stink up your fresh pen and your bottom line.

Dr. Rodrigo Bicalho of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently published promising new research indicating the possibility for a future vaccine that would be effective at preventing metritis. Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley interviewed him about the research.

With the use of sexed semen firmly established in the dairy industry, dairy farms have been presented with an opportunity to improve herd-level genetics through heavier culling of animals with lower genetic values, selling more offspring for commercial purposes or changing the way they manage their herd inventory by potentially using beef semen on cows with lower genetic value. After several years of sexed semen use, what do the numbers tell us?

Estrus detection has always been one of the most important topics to discuss when implementing an A.I. program in a dairy herd. With the changes physiologically correlated with the modern, high-producing dairy cow, visual observation of estrus has become more challenging. Cows are presenting this behavior during a shorter time interval, with less intensity and with less standing events as milk production increases.