Animal Welfare

Working as a veterinarian means every day is different — and that’s what Taryn Pfeiffer really enjoys about her career.

Few states put on a show like the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, where 50,000 visitors from nearly 100 countries will see 1,800 owners exhibiting 2,500 or so of the best dairy cattle in the galaxy.

Dairymen have a new way to continuously monitor the health of their calves with the SenseHub Dairy Youngstock system.

The annual Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Ag Sciences Complex and Fred Bradshaw Learning Center at the John Wood Community College Agricultural Education Center.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition announced two upcoming grazing schools: Sept. 6-7 in Macomb and Sept. 13-14 in Creal Springs.

While the dictionary doesn’t include the word “stockmanship,” most livestock producers know what it means: handling livestock in a calm, quiet manner that results in animals that are healthier and gain faster.

Sheep and goats are a popular choice for youth and adults. Small ruminants are a good place for anyone to enter the livestock business on small acreage. Often, they develop into significant farm enterprises.

Demand for high-quality beef and a tight cattle supply has experts predicting historically high cattle markets for the next several years.

Small steps go a long way when it comes to protecting your cows, employees and neighbors against H5N1.

Proper ventilation plays a critical role in providing an ideal environment in swine barns.

The more we learn about H5N1, the more we understand that good biosecurity is a critically important path to containing the virus.

The earth provides an overabundance of food, but the distribution of that food is the struggle.

Wet and hot conditions in northern Illinois are impacting crop growth, as well as providing an opportunity for increased disease pressure this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture began accepting applications to provide financial assistance to eligible dairy producers who incur milk losses due to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program released new versions of the Animal Care and Workforce Development programs, benchmarks for best practices.

In the last two years, bird flu has been blamed for the deaths of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. But it seems to have hardly touched people.

As the Fourth of July celebrations come to a close, it’s a good idea to look out for your pets and livestock.

Berkeley Boehne and his brother, Vaughn, raise corn, soybeans and wheat on their DeKalb County farm, where they also feed pigs and operate a custom manure application business.

Teens from around the state gathered for the 95th Indiana FFA State Convention, where they took part in workshops, volunteered and were honored for their accomplishments.

Indiana Pork and Legacy Farms hosted two pork buyers from McDonald’s Japan on their recent visit to Fair Oaks Farms and Belstra Milling.

Five new officers elected by the delegates during the 96th Illinois FFA State Convention will be traveling throughout the state during the upcoming year engaging with members to inspire them to achieve their goals.

Last month I mentioned the long list of jobs and projects that needed to be done here at the farm. That list hasn’t gotten any shorter. Even though we have been able to cross off some of those tasks, we seem to keep adding to it.

Two years ago, the Masters of Beef Advocacy program managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hit 20,000 graduates. This year, the program celebrates an additional 5,000 graduates.

Kipster egg farm announced it will be one of the first U.S. egg brands to adopt in-ovo egg sexing this fall to end male chick culling.

Five district winners for the Star in Agribusiness award will be honored on the stage of the Illinois FFA State Convention.

The winner of the Star in Agricultural Placement award will be announced during the Wednesday afternoon session of the Illinois FFA State Convention starting at 2 p.m.

An excellent feed management program is one of the keys to success for dairy operations with a robotic milking system.

Nutrition as well as a clean, comfortable environment impact the average daily gain of dairy calves.

Brooding is the foundation for the life of chickens, ducks and turkeys.

Increasing profitability of sheep operations starts at conception.

One thing about having livestock on your farm, you always have job security. By that I mean there is never an end of something needing to be done.

April was an extremely busy time, mostly because we welcomed a new granddaughter. Her name is Brynlee and she is doing well. We were lucky to spend more time in Georgia in April than Illinois.

Many factors impact fertility and reproduction of dairy cows, including the nutrition of their rations.

Indiana Farm Bureau awarded scholarships to three young women pursuing careers in agriculture.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

Sheep producers can reduce the amount of labor needed to work with their animals with a Te Pari handling system.

Dairy cows that experience heat stress during the dry period have lower milk production in their next lactation.

I have the tremendous opportunity to work with some of the greatest employees in government and we have the pleasure to work for the American farmer — the original environmentalist, who cares for the land like no other.

We have some water standing on pastures and fields. I had almost given up seeing that this spring. Looks like some other events may follow. Ponds aren’t full, but have been improved.

Spring has arrived and it is good to see grass growing and greening up. I won’t say that grass growth is exploding, because over the last few weeks, winter has tried to hang on.

When word came out of Texas on April 1 that avian flu had made another unwelcome hop — this one from a dairy cow to a human — the news seemed like an April Fool’s joke. It wasn’t.

A poultry facility in Michigan and egg producer in Texas both recently reported outbreaks of avian flu.

I recently upgraded my phone with a newer model, and I didn’t realize how much the technology has improved. While I’m catching up with the latest innovations, pig farmers have already embraced it.

A total solar eclipse will travel through Indiana on April 8, providing a spectacular show for sky watchers. “On April 8, Indiana will be center stage for a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse experience,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu, U.S. officials said.

Recently, I was asked to describe myself without saying I was a wife or mother and that hit me a bit differently. After all, as parents, it is hard for us to see beyond that.

The official start of spring is today and Easter is right around the corner. Days are longer, hyacinths and narcissus are blooming and the grass is greening up in pastures and yards. It is my favorite time of the year.

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.

Early spells of warm weather mean that truckers who use rural roads in Illinois had an added challenge.

Cattlemen learned about options for their operations at the Illinois Beef Expo trade show.