Priority Area: Ensuring animal health and welfare
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Management and housing practices related to bulk tank milk butterfat and protein concentration in WI dairy herds
Over the years, U.S. dairy farmers have significantly improved milk production and enhanced milkfat and protein levels, key components for high-quality dairy products like cheese. In Wisconsin, where dairy is…
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Ultracentrifuge enhances research capacity within Dairy Innovation Hub and teaching opportunities for UW-River Falls
Mastitis is one of the most common and costly diseases affecting dairy cows in the U.S., leading to significant losses for farmers due to treatment expenses, reduced milk production, and…
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Acquisition of a grinder-mixer to process high oleic soybeans
Palm fat, a by-product of palm oil production, is commonly added to dairy cow feed to increase energy levels, including at Mann Valley Farm (MVF). However, concerns about palm oil’s…
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Gene expression and sequence analysis to mitigate stress responses/outbreaks in dairy cows and increase alfalfa production.
Dairy production is a major economic driver in Wisconsin, generating 43.5% of the state’s total agriculture activity contributing $45.6 billion to industrial revenues and providing157,100 viable employment opportunities. Vital to…
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Development of online course on udder health: “Milk Quality from the Udder World (UW)
The dairy industry is evolving, creating a demand for research-based educational materials that promote best practices and support workforce development on dairy farms. Despite abundant research on milk quality and…
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Nutritional strategies to reduce early pregnancy loss in dairy cattle
The Dairy Task Force 2.0 recommended creating the Dairy Innovation Hub (recommendation #2) to address an urgent need for research and innovation to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage of Wisconsin…
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Assessing changes in the fecal microbiomes of neonatal dairy calves to enhance animal health
Diarrhea is one of the primary causes of mortality in neonatal dairy calves and results in financial losses to dairy farmers. Factors associated with birth seasons such as temperature, crowding…
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Replacement and improvement of video recording systems at the Mann Valley Farm Dairy Learning Center – Phase 3
This proposal is the final in a three-phase approach to replacing and improving the existing Network Video Recording (NVR) system at the Mann Valley Farm Dairy Learning Center. Phase 3…
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Using seed priming to improve alfalfa feed quality and value
Alfalfa Is a common source for livestock feed (as hay) owing to its high protein content. According to the USDA, there is a strong correlation between relative forage quality (RFQ),…
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Precision livestock farming: Harnessing data and machine learning for enhanced dairy calf health and welfare
This study proposes Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) to enhance dairy calf health and welfare. The traditional methods of periodic observations for monitoring animal health are deemed insufficient, leading to potential…
