Dairy
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The number of calves sold is a major source of income from a cow/calf operation. A high percent calf crop increases profit. Reproductive efficiency is the first factor to consider in a breeding program. A beef cow must conceive in the first 40 to 60 days of the breeding season, have a live calf unassisted, breed back to calve every 12 months, and raise a calf that is heavy enough to be profitable. To accomplish this, she must be managed correctly.
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Sprouted grains are usually considered unsuitable for milling or distilling; however, they can serve as an excellent source of nutrients for cattle.
Wheat, which is commonly used for human consumption, is usually priced higher than other feedstuffs and is typically not utilized for livestock consumption. Sprouted wheat, however, is discounted heavily at the mill and may be economically feasible to incorporate into beef cattle rations.|
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Due 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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Clean water for cattle is important for animal health and production and water delivery systems require routine maintenance and monitoring.
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When it comes to managing a dairy herd, infections and inflammation of the cow’s uterus can have negative implications for animal welfare, milk production, and rebreeding capacity. Maintaining uterine health is essential for proper ovarian function and the creation of a uterine environment that is favorable for successful pregnancy. Although all production species can suffer from disruptions to uterine health after parturition, the prevalence of endometritis is notably greater in dairy breeds when compared to other breeds of cattle. Producers should be willing and able to assess uterine health through reproductive records and visual observations (with or without additional tools), and work with their veterinarian for identification and treatment of subclinical cases of endometritis if an issue is apparent. This bulletin provides information on how to minimize the risk of endometritis.
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The Southeast U.S. is susceptible to hurricanes and tropical storms every year. Hurricane season occurs from June 1 through November 30, and these storms are normally forecast several days in advance. Tornadoes, ice storms, thunderstorms, or straight-line winds—potentially damaging winds produced by thunderstorms—are rarely forecast with enough notice to prepare other than to hopefully warn employees. Storms disrupt operations and have the potential to cause injury to people and livestock and devastate facilities and the landscape. While there is nothing that can be done to prevent the impact of a storm, producers should have an emergency plan that safeguards family, employees, livestock, and equipment. The emergency plan should also address how to safely manage the damage after a storm. Emergency plans should include one-day, three-day, and seven-day or longer responses during which power outages, access to vendors, and normal operations may be very limited. Hurricanes that occurred in 2017 and 2018 caused devastating damage in some areas that took weeks to restore power because of the extensive damage to distribution lines. This bulletin will provide information producers can use to develop an emergency preparedness plan in advance of a storm and suggestions for their potential responses following a storm. No plan will be 100% effective in all situations, but preparing will hopefully minimize damage and help speed the recovery.
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This publication provides production and management benchmarks for Holstein herds processed by Dairy Records Management Systems. Some examples of using and applying benchmark values are provided. However, this publication should be viewed primarily as a comprehensive resource of production and management benchmark values. These benchmarks will be useful to dairy producers, dairy managers, consultants, veterinarians and agribusiness representatives as a first step in the analysis of herd management practices.
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This publication provides somatic cell count benchmarks for Holstein herds processed by Dairy Records Management Systems. Some examples of using and applying benchmark values are provided. However, this publication should be viewed primarily as a comprehensive resource of somatic cell count benchmark values. These benchmarks will be useful to dairy producers, dairy managers, consultants, veterinarians and agribusiness representatives as a first step in the analysis of herd management practices. Conduct a more complete analysis of herd management practices in order to pinpoint specific causes and develop solutions.
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The implementation of horn fly control measures, such as aerosols, bait, strips, foggers, dust bags, traps, oilers, ear tags, pour-ons, natural predators, and insect growth regulators is instrumental in reducing the new infection rate, while existing mastitis cases can be eliminated with antibiotic therapy. Such management practices will promote animal health and well-being, enhancing producer profits by ensuring that heifers calve with low sec and the potential for maximum milk yield.
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