Don’t breed too early 23 August Written by گروه دامدار برتر Print Don’t breed too early Correct time of insemination is important to ensure conception but also to make sure the embryo has the best conditions to survive long term. An old oocyte has higher probabilities of early embryonic death, and if we breed too early, the sperm may die before the oocyte is ready to be fertilized. So how then do we determine the best...
Managing your herd to improve feed efficiency, profitability 29 August Written by گروه دامدار برتر Print Managing your herd to improve feed efficiency, profitability The efficiency of converting feed to milk matters on farms because it has a major influence on farm profitability and environmental stewardship in the dairy industry. Dairy feed efficiency in North America has doubled in the past 50 years, largely as a byproduct of selecting and managing cows for increased productivity. Increasing...
Milk components tell a lot about management 22 September Print Milk components tell a lot about management The composition of milk indicates the health of the rumen and points to the effectiveness of management and nutrition strategies. Researchers from Cornell University and the Miner Institute found this correlation by studying the percentage of milk de novo fatty acids in bulk tank milk. High milk de novo fatty acid levels have previously been correlated with higher percentages of fat...
BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF RUMINATION AND ITS USE ON-FARM 08 July Print BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF RUMINATION AND ITS USE ON-FARM R. J. Grant and H. M. Dann William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Chazy, NY INTRODUCTION Rumination is controlled by dietary and management factors such as fiber amount and particle size, degree of overcrowding, grouping strategies, and other potential stressors in the management environment. Rumination reflects cow health and is highly sensitive to the state of well-being. However, direct observation of rumination is labor intensive and only ...
Don’t just blame the nutritionist 18 July Print Don’t just blame the nutritionist Feeding the best possible ration to your herd takes true teamwork between the farmer and nutritionist. I have other dairy farmers ask me questions about the analysis of the rations we feed at our farm. My usual answer is, “I don’t know, that’s what I pay the nutritionist to keep up with!†I have come to realize that I don’t need to know everything, I just have...
What is a good measure of dairy feeding economics? 20 August Written by گروه دامدار برتر Print What is a good measure of dairy feeding economics? Feed costs are the largest expense for dairy producers. They are typically account for over 50% of total costs. With the low milk prices, producers and nutritionists are looking for opportunities to reduce feed costs and improve efficiencies. But what measures are useful to help them make decisions? Suppose your nutritionist...
Troubleshooting Problems with Low Milk Production 12 April Print Your heat stress prevention checklist This is the season to start thinking heat abatement strategies as several southern states are already experiencing warmer temperatures and rising humidity. Meanwhile, it’s warming up in northern states, and weather predictions say a warmer-than-average summer could be on the way. What, then, is on your checklist to prepare for cooling cows this summer? Meggan Hain, DVM, staff veterinarian at Penn Vet’s Marshak Dairy at the...
Clean Water 12 May Written by گروه دامدار برتر Print Dairy cattle require large amounts of water daily, as free drinking water and moisture in the feed. The major factors that influence water intake are: 1) dry matter intake, 2) milk production level, 3) dry matter content of the diet, 4)temperature and environment, and 5) sodium intake. Several equations exist that predict water intake; perhaps the most accurate is from the Dairy NRC (2001) and...
BENEFITS OF AMINO ACID BALANCING IN DAIRY CATTLE DIETS 25 May Written by گروه دامدار برتر Print BENEFITS OF AMINO ACID BALANCING IN DAIRY CATTLE DIETS Precision feeding became an essential strategy to optimize income over feed cost in dairy herds, mainly through the increase in nutrient utilization and the corresponding beneï¬ts in milk and milk components production. Furthermore, the environmental impact of dairy herds is lessened when nutrient utilization is improved. All these beneï¬ts may...
EFFICIENT COW HANDLING:THE SOUND OF SILENCE? 04 March Written by مهدی Øسین یزدی Print EFFICIENT COW HANDLING: THE SOUND OF SILENCE? Excellent stockmanship is important to keep animals calm, avoid injury, and work efficiently while handling dairy cattle, however stockmanship training usually focuses on flight zones, chute and gate construction, and avoiding visual distractions. However, a recent presentation by Dr. Katy Proudfoot given at Miner Institute highlighted the frequently overlooked but equally important component of stockmanship: sound. Cows...
