What is the ideal age at first calving for Holstein heifers? Brad examines a Zoetis study of nearly 130,000 cows from 74 dairy herds. Although heifers calving at 26 months produced slightly more projected first-lactation milk, those calving around 23 months produced more cumulative milk through two lactations, remained in the herd longer, and generated greater modeled net income.

Replacement risk increased substantially as calving age rose, reaching about 35% for heifers calving at 27 months compared with 17% at 21 months. By 27 months, modeled net income was approximately $650 lower than for the 23-month group because the small milk-production advantage did not offset additional rearing costs and earlier removal from the herd.

The findings support targeting 22 to 23 months—but only when heifers are adequately grown. Brad explains why producers should monitor body weight alongside age, evaluate the costly tail of late-calving heifers, and consider cumulative production and survival rather than relying solely on projected 305-day milk.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
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Lameness can quietly reduce milk production, cow welfare, and dairy farm profitability. In this episode of The Moos Room, we examine how a difficult, wet spring prompted our dairy to make routine hoof trimming a priority for both its grazing and confinement herds.

Since 2019, every cow—including lactating and dry cows—has been trimmed twice a year, with hoof problems carefully recorded. The results have been substantial: the percentage of cows with hoof issues declined from 15.6% during the first whole-herd trimming to just 2–3% during the past two spring trimmings. Thin soles and toe ulcers have nearly disappeared, white line disease has declined, and antibiotic use for lameness has fallen.

Learn why grazing cows still benefit from routine trimming, how common hoof lesions affect cattle, and why partnering with a hoof trimmer to establish a consistent maintenance schedule can improve cow longevity, employee satisfaction, and farm profitability.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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After a busy week showing dairy cattle at the county fair, Brad explores research on the dairy cow’s 12-month biological clock. Using data from 332 Western U.S. dairy herds, the study examined how region, breed, housing, organic management, and BST use influence seasonal patterns in milk production, components, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency.

Despite differences among herds, annual rhythms remained remarkably consistent: milk components peaked in winter, dry matter intake peaked in February, and milk production generally peaked in spring. The findings suggest producers and nutritionists should compare herd performance across seasons—not just from one month to the next—and work with cows’ natural biological rhythms when evaluating production changes and planning diets.

 
Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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This episode previews new U.S. dairy genetic evaluations scheduled for release by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding on August 11, 2026.

Two new calf-health traits will measure genetic resistance to diarrhea and respiratory disease in Holsteins and Jerseys. Positive predicted transmitting abilities indicate greater resistance. Although these traits have relatively low heritability, they may help producers gradually improve calf health, reduce treatment costs, and avoid the long-term productivity losses associated with early-life illness. Continued, accurate recording of calf health events will be essential for strengthening these evaluations
.

The episode also explains revisions to several fertility traits, including daughter pregnancy rate, cow conception rate, heifer conception rate, and early first calving. The updated models better account for modern reproductive management, including longer and variable voluntary waiting periods, synchronization programs, sexed and beef semen, and automated monitoring systems.

A new trait, first service to conception, measures the number of days between a cow’s first breeding and conception. Unlike daughter pregnancy rate, it is independent of a herd’s voluntary waiting period and may be particularly useful on farms that establish breeding eligibility for individual cows.

The host remains skeptical about how dramatically the revised models change historical fertility trends—especially daughter pregnancy rate, which now appears to have improved rather than declined over the past 25 years. Producers are encouraged to examine how the August evaluations affect bulls they currently use, while considering calf-health and fertility traits as additional selection tools rather than replacements for sound management.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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After sharing how recent heat stress caused an average milk loss of four pounds per cow in his herd, Brad turns his attention to lameness and footbath management. He examines a study of approximately 250 Canadian dairy farms to explore how footbaths are being used, where management gaps exist, and what the future of hoof-health programs may look like.

Most farms sent lactating cows through a footbath one or two times per week, commonly after milking. Copper sulfate was the most widely used product, but Brad discusses its potential to accumulate in soil and affect crop production. He also addresses the health risks associated with formaldehyde and copper sulfate, noting that fewer than half of the surveyed farms reported using personal protective equipment while preparing footbath solutions.

Solution management is another important concern. As manure and other organic matter accumulate, footbath products become less effective—often after 150 to 300 cow passages. Keeping a solution too long may mean that cows passing through later receive much less protection.

The study also identified major gaps among nonlactating animals: 69% of dry cows and 82% of heifers never passed through a footbath. Because hoof problems in heifers can negatively affect first-lactation milk production and reproduction, farms may need to consider hoof health across the animal’s entire life cycle.

Brad concludes by discussing how automated footbaths could improve consistency, shorten solution-retention times, and reduce labor. The key is developing a farm-specific protocol that accounts for cow flow, herd size, chemical safety, solution replacement, and hoof-health challenges across every group of animals.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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Beef-on-dairy calves continue to bring strong prices, but producing calves that perform well from birth through harvest requires careful decisions about genetics and nutrition. In this episode, we look at current Minnesota calf markets, the factors influencing beef sire selection and recent research exploring how early feeding programs affect the long-term performance of Angus-Holstein calves.

A University of Minnesota study compared conventional 20:20 milk replacer with a higher-energy 24:24 formulation. Calves receiving the 24:24 milk replacer had greater starter intake, faster weight and frame growth, and improved feed efficiency through eight weeks of age. The results suggest that supplying more nutrients early in life may encourage—not suppress—starter consumption.

We also discuss an Iowa State University study that followed beef-on-dairy steers from the nursery through harvest. Although pelleted diets produced faster growth shortly after weaning, cattle raised on forage-based total mixed rations performed better later in the feeding period. The low-starch TMR group finished with heavier body and carcass weights, more Prime carcasses and greater carcass value, while the high-starch TMR group experienced substantially more liver abscesses.

The research highlights why early growth should not be the only goal. Rumen health, feed costs, finishing performance and carcass quality all matter when developing profitable beef-on-dairy feeding programs.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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AgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

This episode examines how heat stress affects water intake in dairy cows—and why farms must prepare their watering systems for increasingly hot weather.

A review of studies from 1985–2024 found that Holstein cows producing roughly 65–70 pounds of milk averaged about 24 gallons of water per day under thermoneutral conditions. During heat stress, intake increased by approximately 10 liters, or 2–3 gallons, per cow per day. Each one-unit increase in the temperature-humidity index was associated with another 1.5 liters of water intake. Although heat-stressed cows produce less milk, they drink more because the additional water supports evaporative cooling and body-temperature regulation.

Data from the University of Minnesota’s dairy herd revealed a more complicated picture. smaXtec sensors showed that cows averaged around 23 gallons per day, but estimated intake declined during summer. Possible reasons include warmer drinking water, pasture water access, competition at waterers, and changes in drinking behavior. Cows generally drank only four or five times per day, consuming roughly 14–20 liters at each visit. Peak drinking also shifted from midafternoon in winter to around 7 p.m. in summer, often after milking.

These patterns highlight the importance of examining when cows drink—not just daily totals. Farms should ensure adequate water flow, tank capacity, access, and cool water during peak-use periods. Sensor readings are most valuable when compared with each cow’s normal behavior and interpreted alongside weather, milk production, rumination, health events, and management changes.

The central message is that water intake can be a useful indicator of heat stress, but unexpected changes should prompt investigation rather than an automatic conclusion. As extreme heat becomes more common, dairy water systems must be designed for peak demand rather than historical averages.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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Brad shares preliminary results from a University of Minnesota study examining feed intake, methane emissions, and feeding behavior in Holstein and crossbred dairy heifers. Using precision feeders, methane-monitoring equipment, and activity sensors, the research team compared Holsteins with ProCROSS and GrazeCross heifers.

The early findings show that methane production generally increased with feed intake. Smaller GrazeCross heifers consumed less feed and produced less methane and carbon dioxide, while ProCROSS heifers had the highest feed intake. However, methane produced per unit of dry matter intake did not differ significantly among the breed groups.

Brad also discusses how often heifers visited the feed bunk, how much time they spent eating, and what sensor data revealed about rumination and activity. These preliminary results highlight how body size, breed, and feeding behavior may influence heifer management and environmental efficiency.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
Extension Website
AgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

Brad takes a closer look at heat stress in dairy calves and cows. This episode highlights several recent studies on how temperature-humidity index affects calf behavior, lying time, respiration rates, shade use, and growth performance.

Brad discusses research from the University of Guelph, The Ohio State University, and Mississippi State showing that heat-stressed calves spend less time lying down, stand more often, breathe harder, and may gain less weight when shade is not provided. He also reviews a Texas A&M study using precision livestock technology to monitor drinking behavior, rumen temperature, and heat stress responses in robotic milking herds.

The big takeaway: heat stress in calves deserves more attention. Simple strategies like shade cloth, better ventilation, and more thoughtful housing design may help improve calf comfort, growth, and long-term performance.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
Extension Website
AgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

Back from the ADSA annual meeting in Milwaukee, Brad shares highlights from several calf-focused dairy studies. This episode covers new research on colostrum management for beef-on-dairy crossbred calves, including how feeding practices differ between retained dairy heifers, beef-on-dairy calves, and calves not kept on farm.

Brad also reviews a study comparing fixed-age weaning with starter-intake-based weaning in Holstein and Angus-Holstein calves, plus new work using ear tag sensors to track calf behavior, rumination, eating, and activity through 150 days of age. The episode wraps up with research from the University of Florida on colostrum yield, quality, and genetics, including how season, parity, calf sex, gestation length, and days dry can influence colostrum outcomes.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
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AgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

Brad shares two studies He presented at the American Dairy Science Association annual meeting. First, he examines records from more than 150,000 lactations to compare genetic predictions for somatic cell score and clinical mastitis. The results suggest that PTA for somatic cell score is more useful for predicting and ranking cows by observed somatic cell count than PTA for mastitis.

He also discusses a study comparing Holstein and crossbred heifers for feed intake, methane emissions, rumination, and feeding behavior. Although methane produced per kilogram of feed was similar across breed groups, smaller crossbred heifers consumed four to five pounds less dry matter per day. The findings highlight how genetics, breed, sensors, and precision feeding data could help producers improve herd health and heifer management.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
Facebook -> @UMNDairy
YouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and Health
Instagram -> @UMNWCROCDairy
Extension Website
AgriAmerica Podcast Directory