The first meal of their lives may well determine the fate of calves; if they don’t get what they need quickly, the newborns may not survive to weaning age, said two scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Colostrum is a vital nutrient that mothers provide in the first feedings that newborn farm animals must have within 24 hours of …

Dehydration in calves experiencing scours is often underestimated. A scouring calf can lose anywhere between 5 to 10% of its body weight in water within one day. Dr. Jennifer Trout, Western U.S. Calf and Heifer Technical Pro, offers her insight on properly diagnosing and rehydrating scouring calves. “Shortly after I finished vet school, I was talking with my father who …

There are clear signs that growth in milk production in China is leveling off and, recently, even declining, say a team of Chinese and international researchers, including from World Agroforestry (ICRAF), in a study published in the journal, Climatic Change.Heat stress is one of the main reasons for the recent reduction. In their study, the team computed the change in milk production …

An update to Jersey Performance Index that includes new Jersey-specific health traits and weights will be implemented April 7 when the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) releases the April official genetic evaluations. The new components of JPI2020 are the Jersey-specific health traits provided through the CDCB. The updates were approved by the Board of Directors of the American Jersey Cattle Association …

Roasted soybeans are a common ingredient in the diets of Pennsylvania dairy cows because they are a great source of fat and protein — including protein that escapes the rumen. Farm-grown and locally available soybeans and on-farm or local roasting make soybeans an economical ingredient in many situations.   Until recently, farmers only had to decide how to process soybeans …

Ranch owners and cattlemen recognize the need to care properly for the livestock. A primary goal includes accurately weighing the cattle and monitoring their weight gain or loss. Using livestock scales to measure animal performance is a common practice. Let us see how these scales help in maintaining healthy animals. Monitor Animal Health Maintaining healthy animals is a major challenge …

For the past two years, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have been studying six offspring of a dairy bull, genome-edited to prevent it from growing horns. This technology has been proposed as an alternative to dehorning, a common management practice performed to protect other cattle and human handlers from injuries. UC Davis scientists have just published their findings in the …