Betsy Hicks

Lameness and economics discussion group sparks on-farm change

Data monitoring and peer group discussion can be effective at eliciting change in lameness treatment and prevention.

April 3, 2023

Lameness is a costly issue for dairy farms, with an average prevalence of 25% of dairy cows on U.S. dairies experiencing lameness. Much of these costs are associated with milk loss and can add up to $200 to $500 per case.

Feedbunk management: Ensuring enough feed for all cows

November 24, 2021

Betsy Hicks and Joe Lawrence

Even when producers put up the right quality of feed for a class of cows, ensuring all cows have enough feed is a goal that has a few components to consider.

Feedbunk management: Ensuring enough feed for all cows

March 9, 2020

Betsy Hicks and Joe Lawrence

Even when producers put up the right quality of feed for a class of cows, ensuring that all cows have enough feed is a goal that has a few components to consider.

Achieving and measuring silage density

March 9, 2020

Betsy Hicks and Joe Lawrence

The topic of silage density in storage has garnered a great deal of focus in the last few decades, but it remains a key opportunity area on many farms for its role in 1) minimizing storage losses and feed quality deterioration, 2) optimizing the footprint of stored feed and resources committed to feed storage, and 3) allowing for accurate inventory calculations and management.