Two Ontario-based dairy start-ups were recently named among the winners of a prestigious $3 million business competition in New York State. SomaDetect won $500,000 and Cattle Scan received a $250,000 prize in the fifth annual Grow-NY Food & Agriculture Competition. It is focused on growing a food and agriculture innovation cluster in Central New York […] Read more
Dairy — page 16
Ontario dairy start-ups win big in New York State
Winners receive mentorship and access to large herds as well as cash
Denfield Livestock Exchange gets new owners
The Middlesex County sales barn serves farms from surrounding counties
Stanton Farms and the Van Soest family have purchased the Denfield Livestock Exchange, giving new stability to the Middlesex County sales barn. “It’s a sale we’ve always sent our cull cows and drop calves to, and we knew it was a strong, successful sales barn,” says Jeff Stanton of Stanton Farms. “We were driven by […] Read more
Milk data project brings field and barn numbers together
John Deere and DeLaval are the first partners in the Milk Sustainability Centre
Two large industry players have come together to create a way for dairy farmers to consolidate data across their entire operations. John Deere and DeLaval have created the Milk Sustainability Centre, which will bring data from dairy farmers for evaluation and decision-making around sustainability impact and efficiency. Why it matters: The Milk Sustainability Centre system […] Read more
How individual cow personalities affect milking performance in dairy cows
Research shows there is a link between cow behaviour and how they perform in automated milking systems
This was first published by Dairy at Guelph. Some cows can be more curious than others, while others more shy and some may even be quite aggressive. Researchers at the University of Guelph are looking at the connection between a cow’s personality and her milking performance. Dr. Trevor DeVries, a professor in the Department of […] Read more
Canola meal shows benefits for milk production, lower emissions
New study reviewed 20 years of nutrition research
A new review in the journal Advances in Dairy Research indicates canola meal provides numerous dairy ration benefits. The international journal review examined 20 years of canola meal studies in dairy rations, revealing it’s a high-quality protein feed capable of boosting milk production and reducing dairy herd methane emissions. Why it matters: Decades of research […] Read more
Taking the bite out of cold-weather livestock care
Strategies for keeping calves warm and healthy
The youngest calves on the farm are the most sensitive to different environmental temperatures. In the case of cold weather and falling temperatures, producers can have problems managing morbidity, mortality and suboptimal growth rates, says Dr. Sarah Morrison, a research scientist with the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, N.Y. She was the […] Read more
Colostrum has value for sick calves
Colostrum testing and feeding frequency has risen on Canadian dairy farms
Researchers say Canadian dairy farmers are doing a better job of getting colostrum to their calves and measuring to make sure those calves have absorbed enough to create passive immunity. Now they are pushing the boundaries further on uses for colostrum and finding value in feeding transition milk. Why it matters: Heifers that don’t receive […] Read more
Cull cow protocol usage could be improved
Survey finds 62 per cent of Ontario dairy farmers have written cull cow procedures
This was first published by Dairy at Guelph. Ontario dairy farmers must regularly remove animals from their herd by culling. Through a provincial survey of 248 dairy farmers, researchers at the University of Guelph found opportunities for improvement of management of cows leaving dairy farms. Most (62 per cent) respondents had a written standard operating […] Read more
Lactanet to publish sexed semen fertility ratings
Farmers will now have access to information previously only sent to bull line-up owners
Canadian dairy farmers will soon have access to fertility ratings for sexed bull semen. Lactanet recently announced it plans to publicly release the ratings, previously provided to artificial insemination service providers only, in early 2024. Dr. Gerrit Kistemaker, the national organization’s manager of genetic evaluations, gave an update on the process during Lactanet’s Open Industry […] Read more
Many factors affect milk frothing problem
Lactation length, milking frequency, prechilling and filter replacement all contribute to higher free fatty acids
A frothy problem identified by Starbucks baristas in British Columbia does not have a simple solution. Elevated levels of free fatty acids in milk can result in cheese coagulation issues, milk with poor taste and shorter shelf life, and a lack of frothing ability, which is the big concern for coffee chains. Why it matters: […] Read more
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