Manure management plans require knowing the amount of manure produced, collected, and available for land-spreading. Whereas much information is available to calculate manure production, little is known about the types and amounts of manure actually collected on typical dairy farms. This study of 54 representative Wisconsin dairy farms showed significant regional, housing, and herd size differen...

Two hundred sixty-four crossbred heifers (initial BW = 354 kg ± 0.5) were used to determine effects of corn processing method and wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) inclusion in finishing diets on animal performance, carcass characteristics, and manure characteristics. The study was conducted as a randomized complete block with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Dietary treatm...

Two hundred sixty four yearling heifers (781 ± 35 lb) were blocked by weight in a 2X2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine effects of 20% corn wet distiller’s grains plus soluble (WDGS) on animal performance in steam-flaked corn (SFC) and dry-rolled corn (DRC) based finishing diets. No corn processing method by WDGS inclusion interactions were detected (P ≥ 0.29). Heifers consuming ...

Reproductive performance was evaluated in composite heifers born over a 3-yr period that were randomly assigned to control (fed to appetite; n = 205) or restricted (fed at 80% of that consumed by controls adjusted to a common BW basis; n = 192) feeding for a 140-d period, beginning about 2 mo after weaning at 6 mo of age and ending at about 12.5 mo of age. Heifers were fed a diet of 67% corn si...

Our objectives were to describe and test refined procedures for quantifying excreta produced from whole pens of dairy heifers. Previous research efforts attempting to make whole-pen measurements of excreta output have been complicated by the use of organic bedding, which requires cumbersome analytical techniques to quantify excreta apart from the bedding. Research pens equipped with sand-bedded...

Our objectives were to describe and test refined procedures for quantifying excreta produced from whole pens of dairy heifers. Previous research efforts attempting to make whole-pen measurements of excreta output have been complicated by the use of organic bedding, which requires cumbersome analytical techniques to quantify excreta apart from the bedding. Research pens equipped with sand-bedded...

Escalating energy and fertilizer N prices have renewed farmer interests in methods that reduce manure management costs and enhance the fertilizer value of manure. At the same time, air quality legislation seeks to mitigate ammonia loss from animal operations. We compared two dairy heifer management practices on manure N capture and recycling through crops: the conventional practice of barn manu...