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Turning Hidden Challenges into Opportunity on a Dairy Farm

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By Teresa Marker, B.S.

As a nutritionist for Crystal Creek®, I get to work with many types of dairy production models (i.e. conventional, organic, grazing). In working with these different dairy production styles, I see that they all share some common challenges. The good news is that there is opportunity to address these challenges and subsequently improve both the health of the animals and the profitability of the farm. Many of these challenges are not obvious and may require some investigation to find out if they are affecting your farm. The biggest areas of opportunity I see on dairy farms include:

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Jack Frost Nipping At Your Beak

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By Julie Wadzinski, B.S.

When cold weather sets in, poultry need diet modifications, appropriate water access, and properly maintained litter to stay healthy, warm and productive. “Cold Stress” is a phrase not spoken enough in the poultry industry. For the backyard flocks, adding heat lamps as supplemental heat is often considered the end of the story. When it comes to managing cold stress in birds, there is more to consider. Cold impacts animals differently. For example, a cow’s rumen is a heating vat that assists in keeping her warm. Poultry do not have the same type of digestion as a cow and rely on increased calories from feed to keep warm.

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Ask the Vet / Ask the Nutritionist

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Lorrie

Every winter we have a number of animals who come in with chapped or cracked teats.  We would like to prevent this but we don’t know how?  Is there anything we can use to keep the cold weather from wrecking our cow’s teats?”

~ Chapped in Michigan ~

 

By Lorrie Meister, CVT

Winter poses many challenges for cattle and producers in general. Here at Crystal Creek® we have a number of products to help you prevent some of the most common problems seen with winter udder care.

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Cold Weather Care For Horses

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By Kaylee Viney, Livestock Specialist

When cold weather strikes what will your horse be telling you? Cold weather can be hard on horses and it is important that they are ready for the rigors of winter. Proper body condition and weight are crucial going into the cold weather season. The following article will provide cold weather feeding tips to maintaining your horse’s weight and overall health. Implementing these tips will allow more enjoyment for you and your horse during the snow covered season.

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The Importance of the Liver in Dairy Cows

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DrJohnPopp

By Dr. John Popp, PhD.

As I was researching the topic of liver function in healthy dairy cattle, I realized that the great majority of information available dealt with the metabolic diseases of the liver. It was almost impossible to find information that just discussed the function of the liver and how to keep it healthy. The intention of this article is to focus on what makes a liver healthy, not on the doom and gloom of hepatic lipadosis, fatty liver or ketosis, which is what we hear about the most.

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Inoc-U-Lock™ Provides Significant Returns To Livestock Producers

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2013Dan

By Dan Leiterman

Properly inoculating livestock feedstuffs with Inoc-U-Lock can provide many benefits to the producer. Benefits include reduced dry matter loss during storage, reduced nutrient loss (protein, energy) during storage, improved aerobic stability for less mold and yeast growth on storage face and a reduced risk of heating in the bunk. Inoc-U-Lock  also supports higher dry matter intake, improved production and stronger profitability; all key reasons why so many producers are using Inoc-U-Lock.

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The Case Of The Costly Calves

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By Julie Wadzinski, B.S.

Production agriculture can be a costly venture, but there are methods and strategies that can be implemented to help assure profitability. For the dairy farmer, having a barn full of healthy and efficient cows is one of the best assurances for a positive economic outcome. The making of those profitable and healthy cows starts with 1) good colostrum management and 2) using a cost effective feeding strategy that will promote rumen development and proper frame growth.

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Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics – How Dual Purpose Cattle Impact Your Farm

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DrJohnPopp

By John Popp, PhD.

In March, Big Bear Genetics hosted a trip for a group of dairy farmers to tour different areas of Germany to observe purebred and crossbred herds using Fleckvieh genetics. The question on everyone’s mind was: What will these animals do for us and the future of our farm? Are they efficient? Can they produce milk to the level that we need in order for us to have financial success?

To answer these questions we scheduled tours at several different types of  dairies. We visited larger dairies with 600 plus milking cows, a few organic herds and a high producing, purebred herd in Bavaria.

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