Dairy Resources - Management
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- Category: Dairy Resources - Management
March 2024
The biosensors housed within dairy specific wearable devices allow us to continually monitor a range of biometrics such as rumination, activity, bunk time, water intake, rest time, temperature, gps location in the pen, and even stress hormone levels. We are just beginning to see the application of these devices in the dairy industry. (Taylor Leach) |
Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.
Something wasn't right. Milk was down. Feed intake plummeted. Standing time increased. The cows stood at the bunk looking listless, yet they refused to eat, sometimes for days at a time. Activity systems across the board were showing a rapid drop in rumination.
These were the conditions that we and our partnering consultants experienced at several of our client's farms for the last month and a half.
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September 2023
The most successful and sustainable dairy producers are looking for ways to pinpoint profitability, and perhaps one of the greatest opportunities that lies ahead is in technology. (Farm Journal) |
The most successful and sustainable dairy producers are looking for ways to pinpoint profitability, and perhaps one of the greatest opportunities that lies ahead is in technology that can predict with even greater precision which cows are truly the most profitable in the herd.
Read more … 3 Technologies for Finding Your Most Profitable Cows
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- Category: Dairy Resources - Management
January 2024
Capturing the benefits of socially rearing calves while avoiding the negative effects of cross-sucking is a challenge. (Adobe Stock) |
There’s a rising pile of research that supports the benefits of raising preweaned calves in pairs or groups.
Dr. Emily Miller-Cushon, Associate Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at the University of Florida, has dedicated her research career to animal behavior, focusing largely on calf behavioral development.
On a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Miller-Cushon said eating behavior is positively influenced by social rearing. She noted calves raised in pairs and groups will eat more solid feed, and animals develop a preference for feed that others in the group are eating.
Read more … Two Reasons Why Feeding Hay Could Help Alleviate Cross-Sucking
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July 2017
As more farms adopt automatic feeders and group housing to raise their preweaned calves, more, too, is being understood about the factors that impact calf health in such rearing systems. (Maureen Hanson) |
How do you reap the advantages of raising calves in group pens on autofeeders without sacrificing their health?
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August 2020
To the casual observer, a healthy group of autofed dairy calves may look like an easy proposition. It’s true that, compared to individually fed calves, there is no need to mix milk; fill, deliver and wash bottles or pails; or bed and clean small spaces in individual pens or hutches.
But Mathew Haan, former Dairy Extension Educator at Pennsylvania State University, said it still takes work to operate that well-oiled machine. Haan, who now works for Organic Valley in Easton, Pa., has visited many autofeeder farms and extensively reviewed research specific to the management system.
Read more … Autofeeders Shift Calf Management Time and Focus
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February 2022
High PI counts typically indicate less than ideal cleanliness of either equipment or cows, but the cause can be difficult to pinpoint. (Farm Journal) |
When you think of milk quality, what comes to mind? Is it a low SCC count? Perhaps low incidence rates of mastitis? While both of these are key to producing high quality milk, there’s another part to milk quality that is often overlooked: preliminary incubation (PI) counts.
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October 2023
Abstract
Crossbreeding dairy cows with beef sires has increased in the U.S. dairy industry. This beef x dairy mating results in dairy-beef which has altered the U.S. fed beef supply. The predominant mating has been Holstein x Angus, thus research was conducted to determine the effects of Holstein x SimAngus breeding on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fresh meat quality. Starting on d 1, Holstein steers (n = 9) and Holstein x SimAngus (HolSim) steers (n = 12) were fed once daily at 0830 h, until an end weight of 635 kg was reached. Holstein steers averaged 421 d and HolSim steers averaged 432 days on feed. Daily feed offered was delivered into a semi-autonomous feed monitoring system designed to measure individual animal intake and feeding behavior (GrowSafe System Ltd). Steer body weight was recorded every 28 d. Data collected were used to calculate dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and gain to feed ratio (G:F). Steers were humanely slaughtered under USDA inspection, immediately following slaughter hot carcass weight (HCW) was recorded and 48 h following slaughter, carcass length, body width, backfat thickness and area of the longissimus muscle (LM) was recorded. Strip loins were collected from each carcass and aged for 14 d. After aging, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and slice shear force (SSF) were determined. Remaining steaks were placed under retail display for 7 d. Objective color was measured after 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 d in retail display. No differences were observed for ADG and G:F between Holstein and HolSim steers (P > 0.05). A tendency was observed for Holstein steers to have a greater DMI compared with HolSim steers (P = 0.0646). The HolSim steers had greater HCW and dressing percentages compared with Holstein steers (P < 0.0001). The HolSim carcasses had shorter carcass lengths and body widths compared with Holstein carcasses (P = 0.0005). Holstein carcasses had less backfat compared with HolSim carcasses (P = 0.0034). The LM area was larger in HolSim carcasses (P < 0.0001). No differences were observed for WBSF or SSF (P > 0.05). Strip steaks from HolSim steers had less deoxymyoglobin and greater oxymyoglobin values on d 0 of retail (P < 0.05). Strip steaks from HolSim steers had greater a* and saturation index values on d 7 in retail (P < 0.05). Strip steaks from HolSim steers had decreased metmyoglobin values and greater oxymyoglobin values on d 7 in retail (P < 0.05). Thus, indicating strip steaks from HolSim steers had increased red color. Growth performance data in this study confirm previous literature reported when comparing dairy x dairy to beef x dairy steers. Carcass and fresh meat data suggest that Holstein x SimAngus steers had improved yield production compared with Holstein steers without a loss in quality when steers were fed to a weight constant end point.
Teagan Schnurbusch, Derek W Brake, Emily A Petzel, Zachary D Callahan, Scott E Poock, Bryon R Wiegand
Journal of Animal Science, Volume 101, Issue Supplement_2, November 2023, Pages 56–57, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad341.061
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August 2021
ABSTRACT
Global rising temperature is a considerable threat to livestock production and an impediment to animal welfare. In fact, the 5 warmest years on record have occurred since 2016. Although the effect of heat stress on lactating cattle is well recognized and extensively studied, it is increasingly evident that rising temperatures will affect dairy cattle of all ages and lactation states. However, the extent and consequences of this effect are less understood and often overlooked in the literature and dairy industry. Early-life experiences, such as exposure to hyperthermia, can have life-long implications for health and productivity. This review highlights the body of work surrounding the effects of heat-stress exposure in young dairy cattle, including the prenatal fetus (in utero), postnatal calves (preweaning), and growing heifers, which are all categories that are typically not considered for heat-stress abatement on farm. Insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that might explain the adverse phenotypic outcomes of heat-stress exposure at different stages of development are also discussed. The estimated economic loss of in utero hyperthermia is addressed, and the ties between biological findings and opportunities for the application of cooling management interventions on farm are also presented. Our research highlights the importance of heat-stress abatement strategies for dry-pregnant cows to ensure optimal multigenerational productivity and showcases the benefits of cooling neonatal calves and growing heifers. Understanding the implications of heat stress at all life stages from a physiological, molecular, economic, and welfare perspective will lead to the development of novel and refined practices and interventions to help overcome the long-lasting effects of climate change in the dairy industry.
Jimena Laporta
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20722
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November 2023
Despite relatively low lameness prevalence, many New Zealand farmers believe it is an issue on their farm and they rank welfare impact of lameness of high importance. Photo: Canva |
Understanding what motivates and prevents behavioural changes in farmers is a critical step in disease control in dairy cattle.
Read more … Farmers’ perception of lameness in their dairy herds
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- Category: Dairy Resources - Management
November 2023
Manure liquid can be spread on the soil, or injecting the manure into the soil decreases odours. |
Dairy production intensification has various economic benefits for rural communities; however, it has negative environmental and public health impacts due to ineffective manure management. This article will consider 3 manure management systems in the dairy industry.
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