In the news this week, Colorado is mandating weekly bulk tank testing for HPAI in milk for all commercial dairy herds. More than 500 organizations call for action on the new farm bill and reports are released for dairy markets and beef-on-dairy.

Learn common pathogenic and nonpathogenic causes of late-term abortions and how dairy producers, their herd veterinarian and veterinary diagnostic laboratories can work together to help find the cause of late-term abortions.

Unfortunately, cows don’t have a dashboard with gauges to tell us which minerals they are low on. Minerals may be considered when things aren’t going well, but how do we know if minerals aren’t adequate? Liver biopsies allow us to check the actual status of the cow without assuming they are OK simply because minerals were offered in the feed. In that sense, liver biopsies are the gauge to tell us how the cow is doing.

As we flip to a new month, here's a recap of the news announced last week regarding financial assistance for dairy producers facing HPAI, as well as testing and research updates. The news also highlights new versions of the FARM Program just released, grant funding for dairy initiatives, and corn and soybean planing reports.

Impacts of heat stress on dairy cows extend beyond immediate milk production. Maternal heat stress in utero affects fetal development, leading to compromised growth, immune function and long-term productivity in offspring.

The dry period, usually lasting 60 days before calving, serves essential roles in preparing cows for lactation, promoting mammary cell renewal and facilitating treatment for subclinical mastitis. However, shortening or eliminating this period has become a strategy to manage milk production, redistributing energy balance and mitigating the risk of metabolic disorders like subclinical ketosis.