Inbreeding was once perceived as a significant threat to long-term stability of Canada’s dairy industry, and the dairy genetics sector worked to successfully tackle the challenge in the first decade of the 2000s. The advent of genomics over the next decade shifted the sector’s focus but at Lactanet Canada’s most recent Open Industry Session shows […] Read more
Tag Archives Dairy Cattle — page 11
Lactanet looking at new inbreeding tool
Company developing list of “diversity sires” for Compass management software
Bringing dairy data together in new ways
Researchers hope to establish Canada-wide network to collect and store records
Milk quality and heat detection are the top-of-mind benefits for dairy producers from the data that’s available when upgrading milking equipment to include sensors. But dairy geneticists can also benefit from on-farm sensor data to develop new tools for producers that can fine-tune breeding programs and make milk production more sustainable. Why it matters: The […] Read more
Setting dairy calves up for success
Calf research trifecta advances management recommendations to aid in animal health and production
Nutrition, health and welfare are three pillars of dairy calf research at the University of Guelph. Members of the cross-faculty Dairy at Guelph group are focusing on this trifecta and conducting rigorous research designed to help dairy farmers and industry advisors improve calf management. Nutrition Dr. Michael Steele, animal biosciences professor at the Ontario Agricultural […] Read more
Transition milk continues to show benefits
Improved gut health and reduced mortality are some benefits
A recent study shows that dairy farms are encouraged to feed transition milk to calves following the colostrum feeding. Transition milk is defined as the second to sixth milking after calving. “It’s low in IGG (immunoglobulin G) concentrations, but higher in other bioactive molecules like hormones and oligosaccharides and antimicrobials that have other benefits for […] Read more
Don’t wait until the last minute to order ear tags
Shortages, hoarding of ear tags lead to advanced orders, weekly caps
Backlogs on ear-tag orders have left some cattle producers with an ear to the ground, listening for distributors that have a supply. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) was alerted that a few approved RFID tag manufacturers had supply chain and labour issues that slowed production. “(The CCIA) has been keeping a close track of […] Read more
Editorial: Farmers will find a way
When I drove up the laneway to Adieu Farm near St. Jacob’s last month, the realization that it had been two years since I had been to any event or gathering with more than a handful of people, or stepped inside any kind of facility, hit me hard. Two years. The farm held an open […] Read more
VIDEO: Woolwich dairy farm bids “adieu” to memory of devastating fire
Adieu Farm rebuilds with efficiency and family future in mind
Stacy Frey received some sage advice while surveying the smoky remains of the Adieu Farm dairy barn fire on July 31, 2020. “My brother-in-law said, ‘you know, a year from now, you’ll be happy. It’s the year in between – all the planning and clean-up and everything (that’s tough)’,” said Frey. “It’s definitely true. […] Read more
Parlour versus robot financials prove systems are surprisingly similar
BDO’s national benchmarking data compares dairy farm profitability
Is it better to invest in a parlour or robots? It’s a question many dairy farmers are facing as they consider their next expansion and make future plans. The answer depends on labour availability and personal preference, according to a team of national accountants who have recently developed financial benchmarks for both milking systems. The […] Read more
Genomics have growing influence on dairy herd management
Identification of beneficial genes is leading to improved economic heifer traits
Dairy cow genetic performance has raced ahead since the advent of genomics, bringing dairy farmers more ways to select for higher profitability cows. More data gathering could create even more capacity for genomic improvement. Christine Baes, Canada research chair in Livestock Genomics at the University of Guelph, who is also a researcher and lecturer at […] Read more
New research effort to target dairy sustainability
Carbon footprint, feed efficiency, nutritional traits will all be studied
University of Guelph professor Dr. Gisèle LaPointe has secured $3.5 million in federal funding to lead a collaborative research effort into the future competitiveness and sustainability of Canada’s dairy sector. The project also leverages a $1 million commitment from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) marketing board. LaPointe’s Dairy Alliance proposal was among successful applicants for […] Read more
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