Dairy animals : article
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Centenarian Wilda Cox knows hard work. She’s built barns, lugged 110-pound cans of milk, picked and husked corn by hand and bucked hay bales.But Cox endured no harder day than Oct. 31, 2022, when she sold the farm that had been in her family for more than a century.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Prices paid in 2024 for dairy products should be similar to 2023, while net returns may be better, according to University of Missouri Extension economist Scott Brown.
Brown told attendees at the 2024 Missouri Dairy Expo that average weather and feed costs will be key factors for…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
SEDALIA, Mo. – Lexi Angelo earned high individual honors at the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held Aug. 17 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
SEDALIA, Mo. – Molly Archer earned high individual honors at the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest, Aug. 19 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Archer, the daughter of Robert and Jamey Archer of Falcon, was the high individual in Ayrshires, Guernseys and Jerseys. She was also second in Holsteins…
SEDALIA, Mo.—Many Missouri producers are asking if it is safe to use soybeans for livestock forage. The topic was brought up repeatedly by attendees at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Growing supplies of meat and dairy products apply pressure on farm prices through 2017 into 2019. With big supplies, strong consumer demand brings good news for producers.The offsetting result can be prices near or above last year’s prices.
MONETT, Mo. – Fourth-generation farmer Mike Meier knows change will help his family’s Century Farm survive.The rotational grazing and breeding system he uses for his dairy herd works. Now he wants to apply those principles to beef cattle. “At 56, I wanted to go in a different direction,” he says.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A winter cold snap arrives. Cow’s blood flow slows. Cows start limping. It’s time to check herds for fescue foot.The first report of the disabling disease has come to Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension fescue specialist.
Compost-bedded pack barns improve cow comfort, boost milk production, and support herd health with better bedding management.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new milk price safety net for dairy producers is in place. To take part farmers must rush to their local USDA farm service center.Milk producers must sign up for the first time or re-enroll by June 1, say University of Missouri Extension dairy economists.
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship offers a paid, two-year training program for future dairy farmers, providing hands-on experience in managed grazing systems.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dairy farmers may need a plan to offset production costs as demand for milk products drops due to COVID-19, say dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock of University of Missouri Extension.
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In the prolonged summer drought, farmers noticed that grass stayed green longer in their hayfields than in their pastures.While hayfields kept growing, pastures turned brown. Cows ran out of grass to graze.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In dry weather with short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.
Most people don’t think of grass as poison, but dry weather and drought can turn a pasture dangerous.
Dung beetles enhance pastures by recycling nutrients, improving soil, and controlling pests.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Breeding season will be here before we know it. Is your herd prepped for success? Here are steps you can take to maximize your breeding season.
Schedule pre-breeding exams
CLEVER, Mo. – Load ’em up and ship ’em out.
That’s the advice University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andy McCorkill gives on “crazy cows.” He spoke to livestock and forage producers March 7 at the Christian County Livestock & Forage Conference at Clever, Missouri.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain makes grass grow. That’s good for grazing livestock, but makes haying difficult.Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, sees unusual potential for cattle producers.
COLUMBIA. Mo. – Shortage of cattle forage forces some Ozark herd owners to chop trees to feed leaves. That method was used in big droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Newly made spring hay finally being baled in June may be toxic for cattle. Hold off on feeding new hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.The longer the hay can be stored after baling, the less toxic it becomes.
WASHINGTON, Mo. – Riegel Dairy in Washington, Mo., will host the Missouri Dairy Summer Social 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, June 30.Grade A dairy producers statewide are encouraged to attend this free educational event, says Reagan Bluel, University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist and educational…
STOCKTON, Mo. – Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cow performance, soil health and forage production, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Cedar County.
STOCKTON, Mo. – St. Clair County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Missouri Extension, and Missouri Forage and Grassland Council will hold a school on management-intensive grazing May 9-10 in Osceola.
CONWAY, Mo. – Like many dairy farmers, Lloyd and Jane Gunter are retirement-age. Jane is a retired home economics teacher and her husband has run Gunter Farms since 1963.Yet they are modernizing and expanding their dairy farm for the future.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain-delayed haymaking leads to poor-quality feed for livestock next winter. Supplemental feed will be needed to make balanced rations, says University of Missouri Extension forage specialist Rob Kallenbach.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – June is National Dairy Month, when we honor the hard work and dedication of dairy farmers. This cornerstone of American agriculture contributes to the economy and to the health and well-being of communities.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Surrounded by dairy farmers and industry leaders, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on June 8 proclaimed June as Dairy Month.
SEDALIA, Mo. – Whitney Yerina of Laclede County topped the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest, held Aug. 21 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
COLUMBIA, Mo.–While crop insurance has been popular for a long time, producers have largely overlooked similar safety nets for livestock. But that may be changing, says a University of Missouri Extension agriculture economist.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Missouri 4-H had a strong outing at the 2023 All-American Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, Sept. 17 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team finished seventh overall in the 13-team field, said Karla Deaver, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development…
The Missouri 4-H dairy judging team finished second overall at the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, held in October at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri 4-H had its best finish since 1998 in the 2017 National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest on Oct. 2 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Missouri 4-H’s dairy judging team finished first overall at the 2022 All-American Dairy Show Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held Sept. 19 in Harrisburg, Pa.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation inducted six members Feb. 2 during an awards ceremony at the University of Missouri Animal Science Research Center.Joe Horner, MU Extension dairy economist and executive secretary of the foundation, announced this year’s honorees:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors honored its 2024 winners in a special ceremony on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at the University of Missouri.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors announced its 2021 award winners during the organization’s Jan. 28 meeting.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors recently honored its 2022 winners in a special ceremony, according to Gloria Johnson, executive secretary for the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors has announced its latest award winners. Due to COVID-19, honorees will be recognized in 2022, according to Gloria Johnson, executive secretary for the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Dairy Association and Multimin USA will hold the 2018 Missouri Dairy Profit Seminar at five locations throughout the state Feb. 19-23, said MU Extension veterinarian Scott Poock.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri Holstein Dezi is a moo-ver and a milker.The Lawrence County cow outperforms most of her regional counterparts, producing just short of three times as much milk per day, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – With spring calving season underway, producers want as many healthy calves on the ground as possible.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialist Teng Lim advises poultry and livestock producers to be aware of a Nov. 15 deadline that could affect their operations.
A free webinar series will introduce graziers to technology that uses GPS collars on livestock to create invisible fences. Monthly sessions run June through October.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Good livestock handling practices can improve animal comfort and make livestock management safer for people and animals, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Brenda Schreck.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has received a $444,000 grant to create a mobile application to help farmers manage forage better.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has released its latest crop and livestock enterprise budgets tailored to help Missouri farmers and ranchers plan for a productive 2025.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Foremost Dairy developed a colostrum management system that helps it far exceed Gold Standards set by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, says MU Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new policy brief by the University of Missouri Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) weighs in on changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs).
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri veterinary students take campus research to parlors and pastures to help dairy farms improve.
MONETT, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel is a self-proclaimed “science geek.” She likes pawing through the latest science journals to keep on the cutting edge of dairy research that could improve the bottom line of Missouri dairy producers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Intensive targeted synchronization improves the fertility of late-calving dairy cows in seasonal pasture-based systems, according to a paper in the Journal of Dairy Science Communications.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – While explaining new requirements in the National Dairy FARM 5.0 program, a University of Missouri Extension specialist told dairy producers to be aware of what may be coming in 2027.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought is costing Missouri agriculture significant amounts of money.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Recordkeeping is important to make management decisions for optimum cattle operation productivity and profitability,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Davis urges cattle producers to consider purchasing the 2025 pocket-size “Redbook”…
HUMANSVILLE, Mo. – Martin Prairie Farms near Humansville treats dairy cows like guests.The family-owned dairy farm north of Humansville in Hickory County dedicates itself to top-of-the-line herd nutrition and care, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - High commodity prices provide an opportunity for landowners to increase their income by converting pasture to crop production. This has created urgency among cattlemen to secure grazing land for their cattle and other livestock, said a University of Missouri Extension…
LINN, Mo. – Livestock producers and horse owners can learn how to make “Hay That Pays” at the University of Missouri Extension regional hay school Oct. 14 in Linn.The event runs 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Community Christian Church, 1598 U.S. Highway 50, Linn.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When drought boosted corn and soybean prices, beef-herd owners faced new challenges. They can’t rely on traditional feeds as low-cost supplements for winter forages.“Producers must look at every alternative this winter,” says a University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist.
NEW LONDON, Mo.– Spring is here, but parts of Missouri still aren’t through with winter weather.A University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist notes that snow makes it harder for animals to find available forage, and cold weather increases their nutrient needs.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With high costs of feed for wintering cows, herd owners should consider adding monensin to grain supplements for winter forages. The additive, trade name Rumensin, controls coccidiosis, a disease caused by intestinal parasites.
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Brothers Dwight and David Fry remember the day that they decided to build bedded pack barns for their dairy cows.
ASH GROVE, Mo. – “Cows and horses think alfalfa looks like candy, smells like candy and tastes like candy,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andrew McCorkill.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock used to repeat one word to students and workers at MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center. “Intake. Intake. Intake” has given way to “Sanitize. Sanitize. Sanitize.”
In this video news story, University of Missouri researchers use GPS technology to understand the complexities of a cow's appetite. This knowledge may help livestock producers graze cattle more efficiently.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation recently awarded Caleb Ruether a $2,000 scholarship.Ruether, a senior at Truman State University, studies agronomy and bovine nutrition, reproduction and management. He hopes to be a large-animal veterinarian. He is the son of Michelle and…