Pasteurella, also known as shipping fever, affects the respiratory tracts of cattle and can cause pneumonia, permanent damage and eventually death in some animals.

The U.S. has high-quality data pipelines for the flow of production, fertility and health records, but there is not currently a pipeline of hoof health information. As an essential first step, CDCB, the University of Minnesota (UMN) and several collaborators are working to consistently identify and record hoof health traits.

When we look at calf health statistics for the U.S. dairy industry, it’s clear we have room for improvement. Data from the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) has calculated the national morbidity rate for female dairy calves at 34% and mortality at 5%, with digestive disease or scours as the leading cause of both sickness and death.

Automation and technology go far beyond relieving dairy’s labor pains.

When an operation has a culture of care, everyone from CEO to calf raiser understands how and why to provide exceptional animal care, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

Calf nutrition and care are paramount to the future success of a dairy operation. However, we often take a straightforward approach – only for growth and development – but do not realize the larger impact it can have on the calves' genetic potential and their ability to be optimal calves that will later become productive milk cows.

Coaching is not about giving you an endless supply of advice and telling you what to do. The goal of any coach is to help short-term and then not be needed anymore.