Urbana, Ill. – In the last several years, consumers have become increasingly interested
in not only the nutritional value of their food sources, but also the standards by which
it is grown or raised. It is more important than ever
Category Archives: Newsletter Issues
Improve milk quality and economic gain with the Dairy Focus Team’s Somatic Cell Count Calculator
Russell Pate, Kelly Ryan, and Dr. Phil Cardoso
July, 2016
The Dairy Focus Team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed the Dairy Focus Somatic Cell Count Calculator, which allows producers to analyze their test day milk numbers
Summer is around the corner—make sure your cows don’t get stressed
Ines Rivelli and Dr. Phil Cardoso
May, 2016
The principal functions of ventilation systems are to remove stale, moist air and bring in clean and fresh air. An adequate ventilation system needs a pressure differential to move air and must …
Milk quality and antibiotic residue avoidance
Dr. Phil Cardoso
March, 2016
Dairy producers are constantly looking for ways to increase profitability, especially in times of low milk prices. Milk volume and quality are directly associated with dairy farms’ gross income. Minimizing health problems is one of …
A simple technique to detect metritis
Stephanie Stella, Anne Rosi Guadagnin, Angelica Petersen Dias, and Dr. Phil Cardoso
February, 2016
It is no secret that giving birth is a stressful situation for both the cow and her reproductive tract. As a result, the cow’s immune system …
Nutritional management before calving can improve fertility in dairy cows
Dr. Phil Cardoso
December, 2015
During the transition period from late gestation through early lactation, the dairy cow undergoes tremendous metabolic adaptations. The endocrine changes during the transition period are necessary to prepare the dairy cow for parturition and milk …
Are your cows drinking enough water?
Megan Wetherly and Dr. Phil Cardoso
October, 2015
It is well known that water is the most important essential nutrient for living organisms. For the lactating dairy cow, water is not only important for maintenance of life, but is also …
Bedding Quality is Associated with Milk Quality in IL Dairy Farms
Ines Rivelli and Dr. Phil Cardoso
July, 2015
Last summer, the Dairy Focus Team visited 20 dairy farms in Illinois. One of the objectives of these visits was to investigate the association between bedding material and milk quality in dairy …
Feeding Strategies With Lower Milk Prices
Mike Hutjens, Professor of Animal Sciences Emeritus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
June, 2015
Dairy farmers are realizing that 2015 will be a challenging year to maintain profitability. Milk prices have dropped 30 percent compared to 2014. Because feed costs …
Focus on Forages — 2015
Dave Fischer
University of Illinois Extension Dairy Educator, retired
March, 2015
Forages have always been an important source of nutrients for the dairy cow. Feeding high quality forages can increase dairy efficiency and help reduce the feed costs associated with …