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Tag Archives Dairy Cattle

Cameras provide base for dairy automation and monitoring
Dairy Focus: Companies are using the cameras to measure everything from feed intake to body condition
Cameras are helping attach milking machines to teats, monitor body condition score, heats and feed consumption on dairy farms, making it one of the base technologies of the dairy data […] Read more

Dairy services partnership not yet finalized
The new name for the partnership has not yet been released and groups ask for patience
Board members and staff from Can West DHI, Canadian Dairy Network and Valacta continue to work toward finalizing their new partnership and collective new name and service delivery model. CanWest […] Read more

Choosing calf housing options
Dairy Focus: There are strengths to both individual and group housing facilities for calves
Individual housing in hutches remains “the gold seal for health,” said a dairy farmer who recently switched to group housing for calves. But he insists the health drawbacks are manageable, […] Read more

Getting more milk per cow nets environmental bonus
A study shows that increasing productivity on dairy farms decreases their environmental impact
Dale and Aaron Smith started focusing on improved herd health and feeding efficiency to boost milk production on their Mt. Hope, Ontario dairy farm — and they succeeded. Milk production […] Read more

Looking ahead to dairy farming in 50 years
Genetic advancement, whole herd DNA management and new farm collaborations could be coming
Specialization, attention to the whole-farm biome, and moving genetic advancements away from individual animals toward the herd as a whole — these are some of the transformations in the dairy […] Read more

Dairy Direct Genomic Value publication could be eliminated
Parent averages tied with genomic evaluations have proved to be a more accurate measure
The Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) board of directors is expected to decide soon whether or not to officially eliminate the publication of Direct Genomic Values (DGV) for bulls, cows and […] Read more

Milking new consumer trends
Tapping into consumers’ thirst for new ways to drink milk is spurring investment in processing and changing production practices on the farm
A national standard is being developed for grass-fed milk because of demand. Coca Cola committed to spending $85 million on a new plant in Peterborough for its specialty milk product […] Read more

Clay supplements boost cow immune systems
Science Notes: Clay binds to aflatoxin allowing it to be excreted through feces
In the fight against aflatoxin, dairy producers often turn to sequestering agents such as clay to reduce transference of the toxin into milk. It’s an effective tactic, but a new […] Read more

Ontario youth clean up in World Dairy Expo showmanship
The competition drew 337 young people to Madison, Wisc. for the competition
Ontario young people won the top two placings in each category in the youth showmanship competition at the World Dairy Expo. The competition brings together youth from across North America […] Read more

Editorial: It all starts with the feet
Hoof health: For the sake of the animals and long-term health of our farms, we need to do better
I’ve heard for years that the foundation of livestock health is the foot. I haven’t needed studies to tell me that, as I’ve seen it many times myself. See an […] Read more