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Dairy Producers Raise Beef, Too

DAIRY beef is an important part of our food system. So dairy producers need to think like beef producers, too. The public is having more influence on how their milk and meat are produced, as evidenced by how they vote with their pocketbooks every day and ask specific c questions about how farm animals are housed, handled and treated.
 
Because 10% to 15% of a dairy farm’s income comes from the sale of cull cows and bull calves, Dairy Beef Quality Assurance becomes a more important part of the dairy farm operations.  In the April 2016 Wisconsin Agriculturist article Dairy producers raise beef, too, UW-Extension Columbia County Agriculture Agent George Koepp shares the recommendation for producers to reduce meat quality defects on dairy cull animals.
 
 

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Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Video: Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.