Because of the importance of bred heifers to the future milk production of any dairy operation, it is critical that udder health be maximized to ensure that animals freshen free of intramammary infection (IMI). During the heifer’s first gestation, the presence of mastitis can compromise the development of milk-producing tissues, and in the case of Staphylococcus aureus, milk yield may be reduce...

Over the last 25 yr, extensive research has been conducted on the biology, nutrition, and management of dairy cows during the transition from gestation to lactation. The focus of this research has been to minimize the occurrence of health problems around parturition and to maximize subsequent milk production. Very little attention has been paid to potential effects of different nutritional prog...

#10 Seasonal breeding and calving is often used. Seasonal breeding and calving are not required to have a successful pasture-based dairy farm but cows bred to calve in one or possibly two compact seasons can simplify animal management. Use of two calving seasons allows more consistent year-round production of milk if that is of concern for cash flow or is a requirement for marketing milk. Poten...

Meyer's dysplasia strongly mimics Legg-Calve-Perthes' disease despite differing markedly in eventual outcome. This study presents the clinicoradiologi-cal features which differentiate it from Perthes' disease in a group of 178 children with a preliminary diagnosis of Perthes' disease, of whom nine were subsequently diagnosed with Meyer's dysplasia. All had a near normal development of the femor...

Introduction Reproduction efficiency of the herd is optimal when replacement heifers attain puberty as yearlings and calve at 2 years of age, and cows are able to become pregnant early during the annual breeding season (Bagley, 1993). Nutrition is the environmental factor that most influences reproductive efficiency of cattle (Bagley, 1993; Diskin et al., 2003); therefore, beef females should b...

Yak are crossed with Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle, including common local cattle breeds (via natural service) and via artificial insemination of frozen-thawed semen from improved breeds (e.g. Holstein Friesian). Female hybrids reach puberty and mate a year earlier than pure yaks. Nonpregnant F1 females usually have several estrus cycles in the same season and will generally calve every yea...

There are many reasons that we might wish to wean calves earlier than the traditional 205 days of age. Some of these conditions include: when forage supplies are low such as in a drought, when forage supplies are low quality like pure fescue pastures in mid summer, when you are having problems getting cows and/or first calf heifers bred, when you wish to market cull cows that have calved on a b...

Endotoxemia is a common and life threatening inflammatory condition in calves which can lead to shock, multiple organ dysfunction, and immunosuppression and biochemical dyshomeostasis. In order to correct peripheral perfusion and metabolic disturbances, hypertonic fluids are recommended as part of treatment. The aim of the present study was to determine the resuscitating effects of hypertonic s...

Veterinarians can serve some of their more progressive commercial cow-calf clients by introducing them to the option of becoming an embryo transfer (ET) contract recipient herd. Contract recipient herds receive embryos from owners of purebred herds, have those embryos transferred to their synchronous recipient cows, calve and raise those ET calves to weaning when they are sold back to the embry...