“Great herdsmen rely upon more than just their skill and experience; they depend upon their attitude …to do things right all the time.” This is the theme of an article I wrote for your herdsman in the May 2011 issue of El Lechero. While you give lots of responsibilities to your herdsman, making decisions may be the most difficult part of his job. If he is a “good cowman,” then helping him decide if, when and how to treat sick cows requires that you provide guidelines, training and support for him.

Dairy producers, calf raisers and allied industry came together last month to focus on the future of the dairy industry – the calves. “This is where it starts,” said Douglas Braun, DVM, senior veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health Dairy Veterinary Operations. “The farm’s future for the next year is in the fresh cow. For the next three to five years, it’s in the newborn calf.” Braun performed a wet lab in getting calves off to the right start at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He stated, “We are still losing 8 percent of calves before we have a chance to wean them.”

There has been a good deal of confusing information concerning the causative agent in bovine pinkeye over the past few years. Quality veterinary medical diagnostic laboratories around the country have reported the isolation of Branhamella ovis or Moraxella ovis from clinical cases of pinkeye patients. M. ovis is a spherical-shaped (coccoid) organism as opposed to the typical short “rod-shaped” Moraxella bovis.

Visual appraisal of heifer body condition is important to Matthew London. The 1,200-head commercial heifer grower strives to achieve optimum body condition at all stages of growth so that heifers leaving the Cleveland, Georgia, farm freshen at 22 to 24 months old. London’s goal parallels that established by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association in its Gold Standards II (www.calfandheifer.org/?page=GoldStandardsII).

This article was #4 in PDmag's Top 5 most-well read New Technology articles in 2011. to jump to the article. Summary: This new concept in anaerobic digestion was originally designed by researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The sequential batch reactor creates a longer solid retention time without increasing the hydraulic retention time. The average length of stay in each vessel is 3.5 days for a total seven-day cycle, compared to the 22-day hydraulic retention time in other digesters. This digester operates at 68 to 77°F (psychrophilic), compared to the mesophilic and thermophilic digesters, more common in the U.S., that run at 95°F and 131°F, respectively. The lower temperature provides an environment for more stable bacteria to work simultaneously. The energy-efficient digester boasts stability and maximum production, and it is said to be replicable on a larger scale than most. Because this article was so popular, we asked Bio-Terre Chief Operating Officer Elise Villeneuve some follow-up questions: Q: What type of interest have you received? How do you quantify that interest? A: There appears to be growing interest in the dairy sector for enhanced manure management systems that incorporate an anaerobic digestion technology.

Despite all of the advances in technology and synchronization protocols in recent years, many producers still find themselves struggling to consistently achieve high reproductive performance. Although attributing mediocre results to genetics or high production is interesting conversation, as managers and consultants, we are continuing to learn how to improve reproductive profits through effective monitoring of data, optimization of cow comfort and transition programs.

Click here to download a pdf of the latest checkoff watch update, provided by the Beef Checkoff Program. This update features information about a program-funded sustainability report. PD