Most farmers use firearms for euthanasia, but some methods are considered unacceptable, especially for younger animals. Farm owners typically make the euthanasia decision, with limited involvement from veterinarians or training. Many farmers feel emotional or anxious about euthanizing animals, and there are gaps in proper methods, training, and decision-making guidelines.
Feb 1, 2023
Overall, the combined treatment of insulin and glycol didn’t speed up recovery of dairy cows with low blood sugar and high ketone. However, first lactation cows treated with this combination recovered faster and produced more milk compared to those given the standard treatment alone (glycol).
Sep 1, 2022
Sep 1, 2022
Sep 1, 2022
Embryos were more likely to be of high quality when cows had lower progesterone levels at insemination and when more sperm reached the embryo. Younger cows and those with higher progesterone levels had lower chances of successful fertilization.
Sep 1, 2022
Cows with higher Genomic Daughter Pregnancy Rate scores were more likely to get pregnant and less likely to lose a pregnancy, suggesting that selecting cows with better genetics for fertility could improve reproductive outcomes on farms.
Jun 1, 2022
Cows with severe mastitis treated with pegbovigrastim, along with standard antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, were more likely to survive the first 30 days after treatment than those given a placebo. However, the treatment did not improve milk production or bacterial cure rates.
Nov 1, 2021
We developed a safe, in-house lab test to measure serum progesterone and compared it to both a commercial test and the standard method. The in-house and commercial tests worked well overall, especially at moderate to high hormone levels, and the in-house test proved to be a reliable alternative.
Feb 1, 2021
Research shows that cows showing stronger and longer signs of heat (estrus) are more likely to get pregnant and keep the pregnancy. Using activity monitors to track these signs can help farmers improve breeding success and even tailor treatments to individual cows. As technology advances, this data could help refine breeding decisions and may even influence future genetic selection for fertility traits.
Jan 1, 2021
About 13% of cows showed signs of past exposure to Coxiella burnetii, mostly older cows, while no active infections were found. Although no strong links were found between infection and reproductive problems, the results provide useful early data for larger studies exploring how this bacterium might impact fertility in dairy cattle.
Jan 1, 2021