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Cows to prevent crime

Published: 1/13/2012 Written by: Monica Wadsworth
0 comment 1/28/2012

Can cows have a positive effect on inmates in correctional facilities? According to the staff at Sörbyn in Northern Sweden the answer is yes. Inmates that work with the cows show more feelings and have more empathy. But what do the inmates think? This will be the subject of a research project that has just started on the three correctional facilities in Sweden that still have dairy herds. A reporter from Swedish National Radio visited one of them, Sörbyn outside Umeå in Northern Sweden. This is an excerpt from the story translated from Swedish.

La Montaña - Mexico

Published: 12/27/2011

In a region where the milk production level is the country’s lowest, and the demand for milk is ten times larger than what is produced, new innovative management methods and technology can be the solution to the problem and a key to a profitable venture. It can also serve as inspiration to other milk producers in the region.

Cultural Differences? Or, are we really that different?

Published: 12/7/2011 Written by: Gregorio Billikopf

As we interact with others of different cultures, there is no good substitute for receptiveness to interpersonal feedback, good observation skills, effective questions, and some horse sense. There is much to be gained by observing how people of the same culture interact with each other. Don't be afraid to ask questions as most people respond very positively to inquiries about their culture. Ask a variety of people so you can get a balanced view.

Dairy intake part of the solution to obesity problem

Published: 12/13/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

According to an article in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition insufficient calcium intake can be part of the obesity problem in some individuals and an increase in calcium/dairy intake is part of the solution.

Dairy cow health and metabolic disease relative to nutritional factors

Published: 11/21/2011 Written by: David R. Smith Paul Kononoff Jeff Keown

Nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, or erratic management of feeding programs for dairy cows can create large numbers and various types of health problems generally categorized as metabolic diseases. Compounding the problem are the ever-changing nutritional needs of the cow, her lactation/dry period needs, feed quality changes, and the producer’s personal management practices. This article describes the various implications and effects of dairy cow metabolic problems, their causes, and management recommendations for prevention.

Dairy market at a glance - Oct 2011

Published: 11/7/2011

Milk production in the EU, New Zealand and the Americas for January to October 2011 has increased between +0.53% (Australia) and +18.03% (Uruguay) compared to the same period last year. No increase in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states due to high costs.Source: CLAL.it

FAO Food Outlook report 2011

Published: 11/4/2011

An extended period of favourable international prices has meant that publically ﬁnanced inventories of dairy commodities have been drawn down and are now at minimal levels in the EU and the United States. Consequently, international dairy quotations for the coming year will remain particularly sensitive to climatic conditions in relation to pasture growth, the availability and price of fodder and feed, and their effect on milk production.

Animal welfare a risk for the future of the dairy industry

Published: 10/28/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth
0 comment 1/28/2012

"Milk producers need to engage with the public and address the animal welfare concerns that arise. We need to make sure that our on-farm practices haven’t fallen out of step with the main stream values in our society." At the IDF World Dairy Summit in Parma, Dan Weary from the Animal welfare program at the University of British Columbia gave his presentation Identifying and addressing animal welfare issues that undermine the societal sustainability of dairy farming.

Efficacy and economic benefit of an internal teat sealant during drought and rainy weather dry period on incidence of clinical mastitis

Published: 10/19/2011 Written by: Eial Izak Emilia Castello Guillermo Veneranda

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an internal teat sealant during drought and rainy weather dry period on incidence of clinical mastitis in the first 100 days of lactation. Eighty cows from 2 dairy herds were randomly assigned to receive either a long-acting antibiotic or the same antibiotic combined with an internal teat sealant at dry off.

Guide to good dairy farming practice

Published: 10/7/2011

Dairy farmers’ production systems worldwide need to be able to combine profitability with the responsibility of protecting human health, animal health, animal welfare and the environment. Dairy farmers, as the primary producers in the supply chain, should also be given the opportunity to add value to their product by adopting methods of production that satisfy the demands of processors and customers. This updated Guide to Good Dairy Farm practice from FAO and IDF gives individual dairy farmers proactive guidance on how these objectives can be achieved on their farm.

Addressing teat condition problems

Published: 9/27/2011 Written by: Teat Club International

This paper descibes effective treatments, changes in management or changes in machine settings that appear to provide successful solutions for particular teat condition problems in commercial herds. It also indicates the expected time scale - after the start of a successful treatment or management change - until improvements in teat condition should become evident.

Managing livestock manure for sustainable agriculture

Published: 9/15/2011

A workshop was held in the Netherlands in November 2010 aiming to promote exchange of information on manure management among member states of the European Union, with special focus on manure processing.

Dairy management webinars

Published: 9/2/2011

There are several on-line traning resources available, to support dairy producers, their employees and advisers in their daily work. One of them, the Technology Tuesdays webinar series from the Extension Dairy team at Penn State University, focuses on animal well-being and housing.

Automatic Milking

Published: 1/18/2012 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Automatic milking is becoming more and more interesting to milk producers around the world. In the next few months we will post interviews and articles about AMS milking. For the curious, but also for those of you who are already milking with robots, for benchmarking and sharing of best practices. Let us know if there is any particular subject within Automatic Milking that you would like to read more about.

Happy cows, happy farmers

Published: 8/10/2011

“The most remarkable thing I have noticed is that after two months the farmers stop talking about heat detection. They start trusting the system more than their own observations. And from what I see they are right in doing so.”

Monitor your herd and get results

Published: 8/11/2011

"I think better control of the reproduction is the main advantage of the Herd Navigator. The ketosis warnings are also very useful, monitoring the energy balance of the fresh cows is very important, especially in large herds. And let's not forget that the time saving is significant,” says Annica Hansson, dairy production advisor in Sweden.

Cash-flow tool helps dairy producers manage feed costs during tough times

Published: 7/28/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

High feed costs and low profit margins are challenging dairy farmers to do more with less. A tool create by Michigan State University Extension can help you evaluate and manage cash flow. And it’s in an easy-to-use Microsoft Excel format.

Keeping birds out can help control feed costs

Published: 7/18/2011 Written by: Milkproduction.com staff

With the high cost of feed these days, it is the largest expense in raising dairy heifers. One way to control feed costs is to manage shrink. Shrink is defined as the amount of feed delivered or grown on a farm that is never consumed. Experts estimate that shrink may account for 5 to 30 percent of feed purchased.

Bilingual online training for animal care taking

Published: 7/15/2011 Written by: Milkproduction.com staff

Beef and dairy producers, veterinarians and other people involved with animal agriculture condemn willful acts of animal abuse. A key component to preventing this type of cruelty is the education of animal caregivers on downed animal care and humane euthanasia techniques. An online non-ambulatory cattle management training program that allows tracking of the people who have completed the training is now available in English and Spanish for animal caregivers on beef and dairy cattle operations

Don Mateo, Argentina - Knowing the value of knowledge

Published: 6/29/2011

Knowledge and animal welfare are the main challenges for Argentina’s dairy farmers today, according to Raúl Martinich, owner of Don Mateo dairy farm in San Jorge, Santa Fé province in Argentina.

Calf Housing & Environment courses

Published: 5/27/2011

At the Washington State University web site everybody involved in calf management can assess the dairy calf housing and environment through online courses. The purpose of the educational materials presented there is to provide the background and science behind current recommendations for dairy calf housing and environmental management to dairy producers, calf care-takers, dairy advisors, and veterinarians. Their ultimate goals are to improve the health, welfare, and performance of young dairy calves and mitigate the pathogen load into the environment.

Do you know how much mastitis is costing you?

Published: 5/20/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Do you know how much mastitis is costing every year? Jeffrey Bewley, University of Kentucky extension dairy specialist, has developed a tool to help you calculate the economic impact of mastitis due to lost milk production. Individual farm data can be entered to calculate losses, and a dashboard shows you what’s happening in your herd.

Robotic Milking: Farm test - the cow's time spent in the milking robot

Published: 1/9/2012 Written by: Morten Lindgaard Jensen

Which milking robot manufacturer to choose is for many a careful evaluation based on several factors: cost, annual running costs, capacity, reliability and service options, to mention some. All parameters are important when making this kind of investment. The total time the cow stays in the milking robot affects the number of cows that can pass through the milking robot, affecting the utilization of the milking robot’s capacity. An optimal capacity utilization is important to ensure a good economy with milking robots.

New Milk Quality web site from University of Wisconsin

Published: 12/22/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth
0 comment 1/28/2012

A new website to help Wisconsin dairy producers improve milk quality has been launched by two professors in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Connecting transition cow physiology, behavior, and nutrition

Published: 11/29/2011 Written by: Barry Bradford

In the past, efforts to improve the transition to lactation have focused largely on preventing infections and maximizing energy intake in transition cows, and these have generally been treated as independent issues. However, new models are emerging to explain the development of numerous transition disorders.

Havamäki farm- Finland

Published: 11/14/2011

The switch from a parlour to milking robot led to both less and lighter work

Increasing world population a challenge for world milk production

Published: 11/8/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth
0 comment 1/28/2012

Milk production needs to increase 200 million tons in the next 15 years, from 700 million in 2010 to 900 million by 2025, if we are to meet the demands of the forecasted 7.8 billion people, according to Torsten Hemme from IFCN. But we must not forget that in the past 15 years milk production increased 170 million tons, and 62% of this milk came from Asia.

Designing dairy ventilation will be focus of Penn State webinar

Published: 11/7/2011

“The Aerial Environment: Fresh Air and Plenty of It” will be the topic of the next session of the Technology Tuesdays webinar series offered by the Penn State Extension Dairy Team. The webinar will be held Nov. 8 from 8:30 to 10 a.m., Eastern time, and is free of charge.

Giulieta Farm - Italy

Published: 11/1/2011

Investing in milking robots and biogas plant - twin prospects for the future

Report reveals a positive global dairy outlook

Published: 10/25/2011

The World Dairy Situation Report 2011 is a yearly publication by the International Dairy Federation, a collaboration between experts and key organisations around the globe and within the IDF. This year’s report showed some very positive developments.

How machine milking influences mastitis

Published: 9/23/2011

Machine milking, along with its various associated practices such as udder or teat washing, has significant effects on the etiology, incidence, and progress of mastitis. These effects may operate directly by increasing the new infection rate, or indirectly by increasing exposure to bacteria or reducing disease resistance.

Calculating your energy costs

Published: 9/19/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

The team of experts in the EU Energy - Geronimo project has developed a series of calculators that will assist you in establishing the return on investment on specific investments you might be considering to make on your dairy farm with a view to saving energy or tapping into renewable energy potential.

Current status and future challenges in mastitis research

Published: 10/10/2011

Worldwide, mastitis is one of the most important diseases in dairy cattle. It is important of the high incidence of the disease and its associated production losses. Moreover, mastitis affects milk quality and has, therefore, consequences beyond the dairy farm.

The value of manure as fertilizer

Published: 9/15/2011 Written by: Ray Massey

An often asked question is “what is the price of manure?” This question is difficult to answer because price is determined by markets. In the absence of markets for manure, its price is unknown. The best that can be done is to estimate the potential price of manure for a specific purpose.

UK Dairy industry road map – progress report

Published: 9/7/2011

The UK dairy industry's 2010 Dairy roadmap, reports on progress made within the industry since the launch of its first roadmap in 2008. The report finds that all the targets that were set out have been met, except for one.

Monitoring the cow's body for more accurate decisions about health and nutrition

Published: 8/11/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Automation technology is changing the way we produce milk, and the benefits are far-reaching: improved profitability, milk quality, lifestyle and animal welfare. It can also provide us with information about the cow that we have not had before, to support decision-making.

Automatic Milking Systems in North America

Published: 8/10/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Thorough planning and research, willingness to adapt your management style and ability to trust the system to milk your cows without your active involvement are all necessary if you want to make a successful transition to automatic milking, Mark Futcher, Marketing Manager - Automatic Milking for DeLaval Inc., North America shares his experience and gives his advice.

Lameness in dry cows will likely mean ketosis in fresh cows

Published: 7/29/2011 Written by: Milkproduction.com staff

Ketosis is often a problem in fresh cows. A recently published study shows a strong link to lameness in dry cows. In dairy cows, one problem often leads to another. The falling domino scenario is particularly the case around calving time. Over-conditioning can lead to ketosis that can lead to a displaced abomasum. And metabolic problems after calving can mean reduced reproductive performance later. The underlying causes that start the sequence of problems can be many and often several in combination.

Management, health, and nutrition of the calf can affect age and body weight at calving, first lactation and lifetime milk production

Published: 7/25/2011 Written by: Jud Heinrichs

Research has shown that many components of the way we manage calves can have long lasting effects on the dairy animal. Studies done since the late 1960s have shown the value of colostrum, blood IgG levels in young calves, calf nutrition, calf health, and various management aspects that will all impact long term health, overall growth, and even age and body weight at first calving. There have been but a very few studies that took these factors and followed dairy calves through to calving, their first lactation, and their complete lifetime production.

Good discrimination in hiring at a dairy

Published: 7/21/2011 Written by: Gregorio Billikopf

Bruce Burroughs, of Vista Farming in Merced, discriminates when he selects employees, and he is proud of it. Of course, Bruce knows that it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of such "protected" characteristics as sex, race, color, religion, age (40 or older), national origin, and disability. Bruce knows, however, that he is not required to hire unqualified workers.

Why and how to read a cow or bull

Published: 7/12/2011

Knowing behavior patterns, especially of bulls, may help reduce injuries and might possibly save your life. Reading behavior can also help you improve care.

Animal welfare in Argentina

Published: 6/15/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Animal welfare is a much-discussed subject in Argentina, as the country is currently going through a transition from a pasture-based production to a more intensive system with confinement, either in free-stalls on concrete floors, or in dry lots. This intensification leads to an increase in productivity but also to increased problems in animal health, mainly mastitis and hoof problems.

Good housing and good management = more milk

Published: 5/12/2011 Written by: Monica Wadsworth

Herds with similar genetics fed the exact same ration can differ 29 lbs/day (13 kg/day) in production, depending on management and housing. If you multiply this by herd size, you'll see what cow comfort can do to your farm's profitability. By improving cow environment and comfort you can optimize the cow's time budget, behavior, health, performance and profitability. Rick Grant from the Miner Institute explains how in this free webinar from Hoard's Dairyman.