Proper care of pregnant heifers and cows starts calves off on the right foot The care for heifers and cows in the days and weeks before calving, known as pre-parturition, has a significant impact on unborn calves.

Despite overall declines in drug residues found in bulk milk samples, marketing and regulatory efforts continue to apply pressure to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock, including dairy herds.

Some combinations are simply meant to be. Can you imagine Abbott without Costello? Lucy without Rickie? Laverne without Shirley? Likewise, dietary anion-cation difference (DCAD) and metabolizable protein (MP) must both be considered in formulating successful dairy rations.

Trace minerals are required for essentially all biochemical processes in the body. Many of these minerals are dietary essentials for optimal growth, physiologic function and productivity in animals.

I’m a cop show fanatic – NCIS, NCIS: LA, NCIS: NOLA, Castle, Hawaii 5-0, CSI. You name it, I watch it. When I was recently asked to write in Progressive Dairyman’s “I Belong To” segment, one of the questions was: If you were not a veterinarian, what would you be?

The reasons for seeking optimal reproductive results in your dairy herd are many. However, given the current dairy economic climate, the financial consequences of poor reproductive performance are even more top-of-mind for most dairy farmers.

For years, 50 to 60 days has been branded as the ideal length of time between calving and first service, but a recent study is looking at how giving dairy cows closer to 90 days before breeding could impact reproductive performance, and the results may surprise you.

Consider the scenario of a cow leaving the milking herd. Culling a cow can sometimes be a good situation when she is sold for reasons like poor production, fertility issues, health challenges or overstocked pens, thus allowing your best cows to thrive. But what about when a cow leaves the milking herd because she died?

The use of polled genetics can be a “kill two birds with one stone” solution for dairy producers: It can relieve the onerous management task of dehorning calves and can also ease consumer concerns about a problematic animal welfare issue.

Good luck in business is financial strategy in disguise. The most successful business owners have a financial game plan. Talent and hard work can only take a business so far.