Consider Grazing Replacements

Maybe you’ve thought about grazing on your dairy farm. You may think your farm is too big or that grazing is just for organic farmers. Anyone at any scale or with any type of operation can graze. And the simplest and most cost-effective way to add grazing into your farm management is to graze your dairy replacements. Grazing dairy heifers is not new and has been researched. Besides positive anecdotal evidence from farmers and custom raisers who already raise dairy replacements on managed pasture, Wisconsin dairy farmers in general see benefits to this management style.

 

In the October 2015 Wisconsin Agriculturist article Consider Grazing Replacements, UW-Extension Dairy & Livestock Agent Jennifer Blazek shares the numerous benefits to raising dairy replacements on managed pasture that can translate into economic returns for the farm.

 

Video: Dr. Jay Johnson: Bioenergetics of Heat Stress in Sows

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Jay Johnson from the University of Missouri explores the bioenergetics of heat stress in gestating sows and how it affects growth and fat deposition. He discusses energy partitioning, thermoregulation, and genetic strategies to improve thermal tolerance without compromising productivity. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Gestating sows under heat stress grow faster than those in thermoneutral conditions, with much of that growth going into backfat."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jay Johnson earned his Ph.D. from Iowa State University and is now an Associate Professor of Animal Welfare and Stress Physiology at the University of Missouri. His research focuses on heat stress, swine productivity, and practical welfare innovations through physiology and genomics.