Cattle
Replacement Heifers
For the last five years, production of milk replacement heifers has been on the rebound in the United States. But US born replacements may decline in coming years, for the same reason they’ve been rising, Canada, long prohibited from supplying the US dairy cow market, is back in business. Imports of Canadian breeding cattle were barred on May 20, 2003, the day the Canadian Food Inspection Agency revealed a native-born cow had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease.
Surviving High Feed Cost
The current economic downturn has presented serious challenges for many Americans. Dairymen have certainly not been exempt. Rising grain prices have inflated the cost of many traditional feeds and spurred the conversion of grasslands to row crop farming. Competition with recreational users for “marginal” land has further reduced pasture availability. More recently, high feed costs have been coupled with lower milk prices, further squeezing producers.
Nutrition in Dairy Reproduction
A lot goes into achieving a successful calving rate in your herd-including, of course, what goes into your cows. University of Minnesota Extension dairy nutritionist Noah Litherland says one of the biggest challenges in dairying is getting cows back into positive energy balance after calving; he says strong feeding strategies for both dry and fresh cows are part of the solution, and it's important to ensure there's adequate macro- and micro-minerals in the diet.
The U.S. dairy industry is in the process of figuring out its carbon “Hoofprint”
Coops and producer groups are teaming up with others up and down the dairy marketing chain, in an effort to gauge the industry’s impact on the generation of greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming. Part of the program involves a comprehensive survey being sent to about 8,000 dairy farmers, which asks questions about practices like on-farm energy use, feeding practices, and pasture, manure and water management.
Merial: New Data Finds Parasite Control Critical To Cattle Profitability
DULUTH, Ga. — March 9, 2009 — Researchers at Iowa State University concluded that of all the pharmaceutical technologies examined, parasite control in cow herds had the greatest effect on breakeven prices — providing a value of $201 per head.1 This represents a 21 percent increase from similar data reported in 2007.1 “The original data was based on feed and cattle prices prior to the recent increase in these areas,” says Dr. John Lawrence, professor, economics department, Iowa State University. “Now, the question is, does the increase in feed and input costs make a difference in the effect of efficiency-gaining technologies? The answer is yes.”
More Livestock Infected with MRSA
US - A strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is reported to be becoming increasingly prevalent in pigs, dairy cows and chickens, according to a recent survey. Although this strain rarely causes illness in humans, Food Animal Concerns Trusts is calling for greater restrictions on the use of antibiotics for livestock. Livestock herds could become a vast breeding ground for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a formerly rare bacteria found mostly in hospitals but now spreading beyond health care settings, reports Oregon Live.
