-
Sidney L. Spahr and Ephraim Maltz
Despite no change in the producer price for milk for the past 15 years, and an outlook that the price of milk will become increasingly tied to the national and international supply - demand balance of dairy products, U.S. milk production is continuing to increase about 2 percent annually.
-
Karen J. Losnedahl, Hong Wang, Mueen Aslam, Sixiang Zou, and Walter L. Hurley
Milk is an established and healthy food source of energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to its value as a nutrient source, interest has arisen in the ability of milk to kill bacteria and in how this knowledge can be applied to mastitis control, human health, and functional foods for people. A number of proteins found in milk under various conditions exhibit antimicrobial activity.
-
Patricia A. Gentry, Katrina M. Overton and James L. Robinson
Factor XI is one of more than a dozen proteins involved in blood clotting. An inherited deficiency of Factor XI results in a bleeding disorder that has been documented in humans, dogs, and cattle. The bovine form of the disease was first discovered in Holstein cattle in Ohio in 1969.
-
Dick Wallace
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) has caused much confusion among producers, veterinarians, and researchers. Within the last decade, many obscure aspects of this pathogen have been unravel- ed.
-
David W. LaCount and James K. Drackley
Diets for high producing dairy cows typically are supplemented with fat to increase energy density, but responses to fat supplementation are variable. Ruminant animals such as dairy cows have a lower capacity to oxidize (burn) fat then nonruminants.
-
Dawn E. Morin, Gene C. McCoy, and Walter L. Hurley
The requirement for colostral immunoglobulins by the newborn calf is well known, as are the principles of passive transfer of immunity from cow to calf. Calves are born with no or extremely low blood immunoglobulin concentrations.
-
Douglas D. Lueking, Neal R. Merchen, James K. Drackley, and Michael F. Hutjens
Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a by-product of the packing and rendering industries and is often incorporated into ruminant diets as a source of "bypass" protein. Because MBM is produced from different combinations of raw materials and under different processing conditions, guidelines need to be developed from compositional characteristics to predict maximum digestibility and production from this animal by-product.
-
David B. Fischer
During the past few years there has been increased interest in contract heifer raising. Every dairy producer needs to rely on a good supply of well grown, genetically superior heifers to replace the culled cows or expand the current milking herd.
-
David E. Grum, R. Steven Younker, and James K. Drackley
Current recommendations are that cows should not gain body weight during the dry period, except for weight associated with growth of the fetus and fetal membranes. Furthermore, it is generally recommended that cows should end lactation with the same body condition score as desired at the start of the next lactation (3.5 to 3.75 on a 5-point scale).
-
David B. Fischer
The ability to make a profit in the dairy enterprise has been nearly impossible
during 1995. Reasons include lower milk prices, poor quality forages, extreme
summer heat stress, low cull prices, and higher feed costs.
-
Wael G. Fahmy, Ali O. Bahaa, Michael R. Murphy, Siyabulela W. Nombekela, Robert N. Corley, III, and Jin S. Zhu
The role of ciliated protozoa in the rumen has been the subject of many studies. It has been established that ruminants can survive with or without these organisms; however, manipulating their population may affect protein metabolism in the rumen.
-
Richard L. Wallace, Gene C. McCoy, Thomas R. Overton, and Jimmy H. Clark
High producing dairy cows are most susceptible to metabolic diseases during the periparturient period. During the first few days of lactation, milk production increases more rapidly than dry matter intake (DMI).
-
Rial A. Christensen, Thomas R. Overton, Jimmy H. Clark, James K. Drackley, Dale R. Nelson, and Steve A. Blum
During early lactation, cows often are in negative energy and nitrogen balance because maximal dry matter (DM) intake does not occur until after peak milk production. To overcome the effects of negative energy balance, fat has been added to the diet to increase caloric density.
-
Neal R. Merchen, C. Gregory Aldrich, and James K. Drackley
Whole full fat soybeans are a readily available source of protein and energy for cattle in the midwest. Improvement in the utilization of soybean protein has been demonstrated when the whole seed is roasted.
-
Lance D. Ruppert, James K. Drackley, and Jimmy H. Clark
Tallow has become a popular supplemental fat source for high producing dairy cows because of its availability and low price relative to more extensively processed commercial fats. Furthermore, recent research at a number of sites, including the University of Illinois, has demonstrated that tallow is relatively inert in the rumen when fed at 4 percent or less of dietary dry matter.
-
W. Scott Boston, Gregory T. Bleck, Matthew B. Wheeler and David J. Miller
Lactose production is proposed to be a major factor in regulation of milk secretion because of its ability to draw water into the mammary gland. The secretory cells in the mammary gland synthesize lactose, and lactose draws water into milk by osmosis.
-
Gregory T. Bleck and Matthew B. Wheeler
Molecular genetics and genetic engineering have made it possible to modify the proteins produced in milk and alter the composition of milk. One of the suggested modifications to milk is the reduction or removal of lactose. Lactose, the main milk carbohydrate, is also a major regulator in milk causing the movement of water into milk.
-
Richard L. Wallace
Staphylococcus aureus has long been recognized to be a cause of contagious mastitis. This organism can spread from cow to cow during the milking process and remain in a herd indefinitely due to a chronic carrier state.
-
Michael F. Hutjens
Dietary protein continues to be a "hot" topic on the dairy farm. Protein is an expensive nutrient ($0.22 per pound of crude protein based on soybean meal at $185 per ton), several forms of protein are balanced in the field which are difficult to measure (UIP, DIP, and SIP), and amino acid balancing is here. Dietary protein levels are increasing for several factors.
-
Lance D. Ruppert, Gene C. McCoy, Nancy R. Bower and Michael F. Hutjens
Probiotics are used to control or maintain a constant state of intestinal bacteria. When the bacterial populations are altered by stress or antibiotic therapy, animal health and performance may decline. Probiotics should be most effective when fed to animals that are undergoing stress.
-
Mueen Aslam and Walter L. Hurley
Milk contains a number of proteins. The major proteins are in cow milk are the caseins which have three subclasses including as-casein, ß-casein, and k-casein.
-
Douglas J. Weigel, Jeffrey P. Elliott, and Jimmy H. Clark
A problem often associated with feeding fat to dairy cows is a decreased percentage of protein in milk. This problem is of economic significance because the fat and casein contents of milk determine the quantity of cheese that can be obtained from milk and a large percent-age of milk is used for cheese production.
-
Michael F. Hutjens
Rumen acidosis is the number one metabolic disorder diagnosed by the University of Wisconsin Veterinary College. Two type of acidosis is reported in the field: acute and subacute acidosis. Acute acidosis is less common and severe.
-
Ali O. Bahaa, Siyabulela W. Nombekela, Michael R. Murphy,T. El-Newahy, James K. Drackley, and Sidney L. Spahr
The most important metabolic disease lowering milk production in early lactation is ketosis. Synthesis of milk in early lactation requires dairy cows to adjust their metabolism to balance high energy and protein requirements, for milk production and sometimes growth, with their feed consumption.
-
Sidney L. Spahr
Identification is a necessary key to advanced livestock management. Animals need to be identified for many of the routines of daily management, for health and disease management, for reproductive management, and for genetic improvement.
-
Roger D. Shanks
A healthy calf is born with a good appetite but then in a day or two the calf bloats, loses appetite and becomes lethargic. The calf has not defecated. Although the calf appears normal on the outside, the calf may have a constriction or blockage in the intestine.
-
Dennis R. Campion
For more than 125 years, the University of Illinois has been conducting studies on the handling of dairy animals and their products.
