Animal Production Resources
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RenewedCattle producers commonly evaluate reproductive performance by determining how many cows became pregnant during the breeding season. Although pregnancy rates are important, when the females become pregnant within the breeding season is a major component of cow-calf profitability. Cows that become pregnant early in the breeding season calve earlier in the calving season. Consequently, they have more time to recover before the next breeding season, which increases their chances of becoming pregnant and staying longer in the herd. Estrus synchronization programs have the ability of inducing estrus and can be combined with natural service to increase the percentage of cows and heifers that become pregnant early in the season. This publication describe different synchronization protocols that can be incorporated by cow-calf producers utilizing only natural service.
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Antibiotic therapy continues to play an important role in the control of mastitis in dairy cows. Lactational therapy is effective against Streptococcus agalactiae but less successful against infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and other causes of mastitis. As a result, alternative treatment strategies have been developed, including a combination of both intramammary infusion and the parenteral administration (injection) of antibiotics to successfully cure quarters infected with S. aureus. Likewise, extended therapy, which involves prolonged drug administration, has improved cure rates against this organism. Nonantibiotic approaches to treatment have included oxytocin injections, but relapse rates after this form of therapy can be unacceptably high. Dry or nonlactating cow therapy is almost always more successful than lactational therapy because cure rates are higher and new cases of mastitis are prevented. To reduce antibiotic usage, selective dry cow therapy is becoming popular, and teat seals are appealing because they prevent new infections without having to rely on antibiotics.
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RenewedDue to cows’ universal exposure to manure, which contains E. coli and other gram-negative bacteria, as well as the requirement to maintain sec as low as possible, all cows should be vaccinated with one of the coliform vaccines available on the market. These vaccines have been proven to significantly reduce clinical coliform mastitis and have been shown to be profitable when incidence of clinical coliform mastitis exceeds 1% of milking cows.
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Pregnancy diagnosis is an important part of reproductive management in productive beef cow-calf operations. Open cows decrease profitability as they utilize similar resources as pregnant cows without producing a marketable calf to justify these costs. With the move toward more efficient operations and inclusion of artificial insemination (AI) and other reproductive technologies in cattle production, abstaining from pregnancy diagnosis may no longer be economically viable or practical. Establishing a pregnancy diagnosis program allows for the detection of cows that are not pregnant and allows producers to make management decisions to increase reproductive efficiency, such as culling of infertile females or resynchronizing females that are open. Although the economic benefits of incorporating pregnancy diagnosis are clear, the rate of adoption by beef cow-calf operations is considerably low in the United States. This article provides an overview of the different methods available (rectal palpation, transrectal ultrasound, and blood tests) for pregnancy diagnosis and provides a practical description of how to implement these methods.
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According to the National Mastitis Council, the recommended milking procedure for dairy animals is 1) provide low-stress environment, 2) check foremilk and udder for mastitis, 3) wash or predip teats with an effective disinfectant, 4) completely dry teats with a single-use towel, 5) attach milking unit within 120 sec of teat stimulation, 6) adjust milking units as necessary, 7) shut off vacuum for removing the unit, and 8) dip teats with a postdip disinfectant. One of the most critical steps in this recommended routine is checking foremilk to not only ensure there are no signs of mastitis and to maintain milk quality, but also to effectively stimulate the teats in preparation for milk collection. Thus, stripping the first three to five streams of milk (foremilk), during the premilking routine serves three important purposes including: teat stimulation which can result in optimal milk release, enhanced milk quality by removing the highest bacterial and somatic cell count milk, and identification of mastitis to allow rapid, well-informed decisions regarding further evaluation, milk culturing, and/or antibiotic therapy. This publication will discuss the purposes of forestripping for dairy animals to serve as an educational resource when creating and evaluating best milking practices.
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This publication provides information relevant for agriculture and other industries that are under increasing public pressure to reduce emissions of certain atmospheric gases. Explanations are given about greenhouse gases, carbon footprints, reducing fossil fuel use, alternative energy sources, manure management and carbon credits. Knowing your carbon footprint or energy use can help poultry producers reduce the amount of energy they use and improve their bottom line.
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White striations in broiler breast meat tend to reduce customer confidence because severe white striping means that the cooked meat will be tougher than meat with low white striping. There is also higher fat content in meat with severe white striping. Consumers will not buy broiler breast meat with high fat and moderate to severe white striping because it is inferior in quality and nutritional value. This can cost the poultry industry significantly. Research has shown that this undesirable trait is particularly prevalent in broilers that have grown to a high body weight over a short period of time. Further research is needed to develop growing and feeding regimens to produce a heavier bird without changes in muscle quality, such as white striping.
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Amino acids are essential building blocks of proteins and are obtained from plant and animal products. Some amino acids can be synthesized by the chicken, while others (essential amino acids) must be supplied in the diet. In organic poultry production, the sources of these essential amino acids must be organic. This publication compares the amino acid content, digestibility, and availability of organic soybean meal with conventional soybean meal.
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The quality of an egg involves both the exterior and interior qualities of the egg. Egg quality includes the cleanliness of the shell, soundness of the shell, thickness of the albumen, and color of the yolk. Good egg quality is critical to maintaining the hatching potential of eggs, as improper handling or storage of eggs will reduce the ability of the eggs to hatch and produce good quality chicks. For table eggs, improper handling and storage of eggs will reduce the grade of the eggs and could pose a potential health hazard.
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