Recently added papers have explored new concepts in feeding dairy cows.

For years, nutritionists have considered protein nutrition only from the standpoint of optimising milk and milk protein production. Increasing production was balanced against increasing cost. However, increased emphasis on the effect of farming activities on the environment have led to the potential for regulations on ammonia emissions from animal housing. How these regulations might impact the rations fed to dairy cows in the US is explored by Cornell faculty in this article: Ammonia emissions - how will they change dairy ration formulation >>

Another emerging topic in feeding dairy cows is Hemorraghic Bowel Syndrome (HBS). This devastating disease has become increasingly common among high producing dairy herds of all types. While the exact cause remains unclear, a number of feeding and management interventions appear to be helpful. The current state of knowledge about this problem is presented in a newly added paper: Maintaining digestive health in dairy cattle >>

A well accepted concept in nutrition is that most foot problems are related to nutrition. In a detailed summary of foot disorders, Dr. Jan Shearer discusses laminitis and the fact that not all laminitis is a result of poor nutrition. Possibilities for prevention of lameness due to non-nutritional laminitis are discussed. Additionally, not all hoof/lameness problems are due to laminitis. Other types of foot problems, their causes and methods for management/correction are presented: Laminitis - More than how you feed your cows >>

With the mud of Spring (or Fall, for those in the Southern Hemisphere) right around the corner, mastitis prevention becomes an even higher priority. Two new papers by Dr. Kiro Petrovski, a Milkproduction.com user from New Zealand, provide greater insight into the problem of mastitis. How milk composition changes during mastitis provides a great primer on the biology of milk component formation, as well as giving some hints on what might happen to the milk check during bouts of mastitis. Milk composition changes during mastitis >>
The second paper discusses the milking machine and how machine milking does and does not contribute to a mastitis problem. Ideas for maintenance to prevent problems, as well as discussions of what types of problems are not likely due to a machine issue will be most useful in preventing and troubleshooting mastitis outbreaks. The role of the milking machine in the aetiology and epidemiology of bovine mastitis >>