by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
It’s not just a trendy phrase among those concerned about the environment. “Sustainable agriculture” also represents a good business model. Dr. Jude Capper, a livestock sustainability consultant in the UK, recently presented a webinar on the topic for AMTS as part of the organization’s “The Nutritionist 2020” series. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
Looking for ways to be both more efficient and environmentally friendly, farmers have increasingly been feeding their cattle spent distillers grains as an inexpensive alternative to corn and soybean meal. A team from the University of Illinois decided to see what kind of impact this feed ingredient had on bull development and fertility. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Cattlemen who expect a dewormer to work this year, next year and five years from now should develop a management program that includes judicious use of anthelmintics.
Dr. Bill Epperson, veterinarian and professor of pathobiology and population medicine at Mississippi State University, said it isn’t a matter of whether there are parasites present, but to what degree. The two major stomach worms of economic consequence in cattle are Ostertagia (brown stomach worm) and Haemonchus (barberpole worm). (more…)
by Sally Colby
There are plenty of choices when it comes to vaccinating beef cattle, but the options boil down to a few key points, including preventing preventable diseases and allowing animals to produce the best quality product. Some vaccines protect individuals; others protect the herd. In addition to doing their own research on vaccines, beef producers should work with their veterinarians to establish protocol appropriate for each herd. (more…)
by Troy Bishopp
As the sweet locust blossoms of June attract the bees to their fragrant nectar, so too does the flashing neon cone sign entice folks to “all scream for ice cream.” Licking the frozen dairy treat is like “happiness condensed.” (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
Waste not, want not – that’s what we’re taught. And that’s the sentiment behind a nascent movement for brewers who are playing with leftover whey.
Whey, the byproduct of cheesemaking and yogurt creation, often has no other use and is dumped or otherwise disposed of. (One pound of cheese generates nine pounds of whey; eight ounces of Greek yogurt leaves behind a pint of whey.) Sean Bailey of the Fat Friar’s Meadery, based in Newcastle, Maine, thought he could change that, based on research he had done. (more…)
by Katie Navarra
Mastitis changes milk quality, but it is not always caused by the same bugs. Treatment and management decisions should reflect these differences. Most farms have zero tolerance for contagious bugs. Some pathogens like mycoplasma don’t respond to antibiotics, leaving farms no treatment options. This is one reason many farms cull cows with contagious mastitis. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Consumers receive mixed messages about consuming fat from animal products, often from sources they deem credible. Dr. Jana Kraft, associate professor in the department of animal and veterinary sciences at the University of Vermont, conducts research on dairy fat and fatty acids in the context of human health and disease prevention, especially type II diabetes. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Changing cow diets changes the amount of fatty acids in their milk. Fatty acids found in cow milk, which are thought to play an important role in human health, include linoleic and alpha-linoleic (ALA) – or omega 6 and omega 3 – as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). All cow milk, no matter what the animals are fed, contains these and many other fatty acids. But the amounts and proportions of these fatty acids can differ based on cow diet. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
“We’ve seen tremendous growth and adoption of robotic milking within the industry,” Trevor DeVries, Dairy Cattle Behavior and Welfare, University of Guelph, said, estimating that 15% of dairy farms in Canada use robotic milking equipment. (more…)
by Katie Navarra
UV light is presenting farmers with new opportunities for controlling diseases as a complement to or replacement for pesticides. The germicidal effects of UV-C have been widely known for a century, explained Nick Skinner, a research specialist at the Lighting Research Center (LRC), part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. (more…)
by Sally Colby
If a soybean crop isn’t performing as expected, or if yields have decreased over the years, the problem might be a plant parasite nematode (PPN). In many cases, the culprit is soybean cyst nematode (SCN). This pest was formerly a southern issue, but it’s been moving northward and impacting crops throughout the Mid-Atlantic. (more…)
Burger King’s gassy cow video agitates farmers
by Troy Bishopp
For a company that sells mostly beef, one might guess it wouldn’t want to upset the nation’s farmers. But on the heels of the non-beef Impossible Burger campaign, Burger King has once again angered beef producers by rolling out a provocative video featuring famous teen yodeler Mason Ramsey, which expounded on a narrative of farting cows contributing to climate change. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Generational dairy farms make changes over the years, but Ron Holter has made changes that took the family farm in a new direction.
Holterholm Farms was established in 1889, and until recently, Holter operated the Jefferson, MD, farm like many other dairies – raising crops, milking Holstein cows and producing milk year-round. That changed in 1995 when Holter switched to rotational grazing. (more…)
by Evelyn Leubner
June is Dairy Month. You may have heard of this campaign. Every summer when June rolls around, I get very excited. Not because school is out, or there is finally nice weather in central New York. Well, I do get excited about that, but not as excited as I do about June Dairy Month. (more…)
