Many dairy cows in the developed world are now housed exclusively indoors with fewer than 5% of the 10 million lactating cows in the United States having access to pasture during the grazing season. Indoor housing systems are designed to meet biological needs for food, water, hygiene, and shelter, but surveys of public and farmer opinion suggest that people think that pasture access is also imp...

The objective of this study was to characterize opinions and practices of Wisconsin dairy producers about biosecurity and animal wellbeing. Wisconsin dairy producers were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire and responder herds were categorized based on the number of lactating cows: very small herds (< or =50 lactating cows; n = 279); small herds (51 to 100 lactating cows; n = 202); medium her...

First cut red clover-grass mixture sward were ensiled in two pits with inoculant (Lactobacillus rhamnosus + Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. Shermanii) and without any additives. Fermentation quality, nutrient losses and aerobic stability of silages were determined. The inoculated silage had no butyric acid, nutrient losses were lowered by 19.4%. In inoculated silage organic matter digesti...

In normal use, milking parlor can cause the release of oxytocin through neuroendocrine reflex, but the use of milking parlor sometimes cause stress and lead to a decrease in milk production. In Indonesia at this time, traditional milking by hand is still widely used by dairy farmers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of milking parlor to the physiological and behavioral respon...

Introduction Throughout the world, the business of dairy farming is rapidly evolving. Consumption of dairy products remains strong but fewer farms are producing more milk using less labor and more purchased services. In the United States, the number of dairy farms dropped from 192,700 in 1990 to 92,000 in 2002 (Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics, 2003). The productivity of these larger farms has...

Objectives were to evaluate effects of feeding a calcium salt rich in linoleic and trans-octadecenoic acids (LTFA) on synthesis of prostaglandin F(2alpha) based on its metabolite (PGFM), uterine involution and pregnancy rates in lactating dairy cows. Five hundred and eleven Holstein cows were blocked according to parity, body condition score and milk yield in the previous lactation. Primiparous...

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of linseed oil or whole linseed supplementation on performance and milk fatty acid composition of lactating dairy cows. Thirty six Holstein Friesian crossbred lactating dairy cows were blocked by milking days first and then stratified random balanced for milk yields and body weight into three groups of 12 cows each. The treatments consist...

four hundered and ninety five (495) smallholder dairy farms active in 52 villages of different cities in chaharmohalo bakhtiari province, keeping 1321 lactating within a total of 2811 mature cows (lactating and dry) were used. these herds were taken during winter 2009 to summer 2010 to assess some of the production, reproductive and economic performance traits under smallholder management syste...

1. Circulating concentrations of glucose, propionate, lactate and pyruvate, and net exchange of these compounds across the liver and gut, were measured in lactating and non-lactating dairy cows (a) in the normal fed state, (b) before, during and after intravenous infusion of an aqueous solution of glucose, propionate or lactate (lactating cows only) in fed animals, and (c) before and during 6 d...

Despite substantial advances in milk production efficiency of dairy cattle over the last 50 years, rising feed costs remain a significant threat to producer profitability. There also is a greater emphasis being placed on reducing the negative impacts of dairy production on the environment; thus means to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient losses to the environment associated with ...