Agriculture Commons^™

G86-783 Complete Rations -- Should You Feed Them?, Foster G. Owen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the advantages and disadvantages of feeding complete rations to dairy herds.

Using the complete ration system for feeding dairy cows has become increasingly popular. Nutritionists generally consider it the ideal method of feeding dairy cattle. Milk production per cow can be maximized, and feed and labor costs minimized, with this system. However, the necessary equipment is expensive and may be excessive for loose-housed herds of less than 100 cows.

G86-778 Do You Practice Good Milking Procedures?, Gerald R. Bodman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide outlines good milking procedures to follow to assure high quality milk production while minimizing mastitis and other health problems.

Milking, or harvesting the milk crop, is a critical step between planting crops, building facilities, and paying bills on a dairy farm. While highly productive cows and a properly functioning milking system are essential, how the cows are handled and the milking system is used are equally important. Proper milking procedures are necessary to assure a bountiful harvest of high quality milk.

The nature of milk-secreting tissue and the anatomy of the udder make harvesting the milk crop impossible …

G86-820 How To Maximize Income By Managing Days Dry, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This guide discusses the benefits of maintaining the optimum calving interval and offers suggestions for accomplishing this reproductive management technique.

Most dairy producers are aware that an optimum calving interval is 365 days. This is a normal lactation length of 305 days with a dry period of 60 days. This interval is often looked at as a goal to strive toward rather than a goal that must be reached to maximize income from the sale of milk.

G86-799 Health Management And Recommended Vaccinations For Dairy Replacements, Duane Rice, R. Gene White

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the importance of having a good vaccination schedule, and provides recommendations on which vaccinations to give, depending on variables. Correct management decisions are necessary to realize maximum returns on investments in any dairy operation. Dairymen sometimes assume there is a quick remedy for health problems, but the prevention of disease is by far less expensive. Preventing health problems in the dairy herd goes much further than using a veterinarian to treat individual animals with emergency problems. A veterinarian with experience and a genuine interest in dairy cattle is essential to assist the dairyman with herd health problems. …

G86-819 At What Weight Should Holstein Heifers Freshen?, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This guide offers research findings on the appro-priate weights for Holstein heifer freshening and sug-gests producers be aware of economic considerations involved in heifer freshening.

Most producers realize that the weight of a heifer at freshening affects the amount of milk produced during the first lactation. Heifers not fed balanced nutritional diets before freshening will not produce at an optimum level since they do not have the body reserves to maintain peak produc-tion. Likewise, a heifer that freshens very heavy will not pro-duce as much as she should because she is too heavy. There must be a break-even point at …

G86-822 How To Estimate A Dairy Herd's Reproductive Losses, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Remedies for herd losses caused by calving interval, dry periods, A.I. performance, and age at first freshening.

One of the major areas of lost income to the dairy producer is in the reproductive performance of the dairy herd. These losses are often overlooked because they are indirect costs. If producers could be given a monthly bill indicating the amount of money that improper reproductive management has cost them, then drastic changes would occur.

The majority of reproductive losses occur in the following areas:

1. Calving interval too long or too short.

2. Dry period too long or too short.

3. …