Dairy Resources - Environment

November 2023

Winter is coming and with it, snow and wind. Cattle and farmsteads both can benefit from proper windbreaks. There are two main types of windbreak function on a farm: livestock wind chill protection and snow windbreaks.

Winter is coming fast and with it, snow and wind. Cattle and farmsteads both can really benefit from properly placed windbreaks. There are two main types of windbreak function on a farm: livestock wind chill protection and snow windbreaks. The rest of this article will discuss how to use each one to its greatest benefit.

October 2020

NOTE: Although this article is written about beef cattle, it also applies to dairy cattle.

Cattle on a ranch. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS photography. Photo taken 03-07-19.

Ranching helps your life in ways you may not be aware.

April 2020

ABSTRACT:

Records of late-gestation heat stress studies conducted over 10 consecutive years in Florida were pooled and analyzed to test the hypothesis that maternal hyperthermia during late gestation impairs performance of the offspring across multiple generations and lactations, ultimately impeding the profitability of the US dairy sector. Dry-pregnant multiparous dams were actively cooled (CL; shade of a freestall barn, fans and water soakers, n = 196) or not (HT; shade only, n = 198) during the last 46 d of gestation, concurrent with the entire dry period. After data mining, records of 156 daughters (F₁) that were born either to CL (CL_F1, n = 77) or HT dams (HT_F1, n = 79) and 45 granddaughters (F₂) that were born either to CL_F1 (CL_F2, n = 24) or HT_F1 (HT_F2, n = 21) were used in the analysis. Life events and daily milk yield for 3 lactations of daughters and granddaughters were obtained. Milk yield, reproductive performance, and productive life data were analyzed using MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures, and lifespan was analyzed using PHREG and LIFETEST procedures of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Milk production of HT_F1 was reduced in their first (2.2 kg/d), second (2.3 kg/d), and third lactations (6.5 kg/d) compared with CL_F1. More HT_F1 were culled before first calving, and the productive life and lifespan of HT_F1 were reduced relative to CL_F1 (4.9 and 11.7 mo, respectively). The granddaughters (HT_F2) born to HT_F1 produced less milk in their first lactation (1.3 kg/d) relative to granddaughters (CL_F2) born to CL_F1. More HT_F2 were culled before first breeding relative to CL_F2; however, productive life and lifespan were not different between HT_F2 and CL_F2 animals. An economic analysis was then performed based on the number of heat stress days, dry cows per state, and the aforementioned impairments on daughters’ lifespans and milk production. Collectively in the United States, the economic losses for additional heifer rearing cost, reduced productive life, and reduced milk yield of the F₁ offspring were estimated at $134, $90, and $371 million per year, respectively. In summary, late-gestation heat stress exerts carryover effects on at least 2 generations. Providing heat abatement to dry-pregnant dams is important to rescue milk loss of the dam and to prevent losses in their progeny.

J. Laporta¹, F. C. Ferreira², V. Ouellet¹, B. Dado-Senn¹, A. K. Almeida¹, A. De Vries¹,and G. E. Dahl^1
1Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
²Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Tulare 93274
J. Dairy Sci. 103:7555–7568 https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-18154

January 2020

Compost-bedded pack barns have grown in popularity in many areas of the world as an alternative to stall-based housing systems for dairy cows. Compost-bedded pack barns are loose housing barns that rely on composting manure and organic bedding to provide resting space.

June 2019

Heat stress abatement has long been deemed important to support dry-matter intake and milk production in lactating cows. But dry cows, too, suffer challenges from heat stress, and the impact of it can be much longer-term. ( Maureen Hanson )

Not all the negative effects of heat stress take place in lactating cows, according to University of Florida researcher Geoffrey Dahl.

February 11, 2018 02:15 PM

On-farm research performed last winter in upstate New York provides new insights into how to keep calves healthy in even the most brutal cold-weather conditions. ( Maureen Hanson )

Research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has identified cold-weather strategies for attention by dairy calf managers.

Published on: 9/30/2016

It is difficult to present scientifically defensible definitions and specifications for what constitutes "cow comfort", but there is no doubt those good managers "know it when they see it".