On this spring episode of The Moos Room, Brad dives into the seasonal return of flies and shares results from a recent horn fly vaccine study conducted at the University of Minnesota’s WCROC. Horn flies—common in pasture-based systems—cause significant irritation, blood loss, and production losses in cattle, and their rapid life cycle makes them difficult to control, especially with increasing insecticide resistance.

The study evaluated a Medgene horn fly vaccine designed to disrupt the fly’s ability to take a blood meal, ultimately reducing reproduction. Researchers vaccinated about half of the cows and heifers across organic (pasture-based) and conventional (dry lot) systems and tracked fly populations throughout the summer. While no differences were observed for face flies or stable flies—as expected—the vaccine showed promising results for horn flies. There was little effect in conventional cows, but in pasture-based animals, especially heifers, vaccinated groups experienced a consistent 30–40% reduction in horn fly numbers compared to controls.

Overall, the findings suggest that horn fly vaccination could be a valuable new tool—particularly for grazing and organic dairy systems—to help manage fly pressure and improve animal well-being over time.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!

Linkedin -> The Moos Room
Twitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafety
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Brad shares a spring dairy update and breaks down newly released national performance metrics from the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, offering a snapshot of what the U.S. dairy herd looks like today. He also touches on a major industry headline—Zoetis’ planned acquisition of Neogen’s animal genomics business—and what that could mean for dairy genetics going forward.

A big part of the episode focuses on the red-hot calf market, especially for beef-on-dairy crosses. Brad highlights eye-popping prices from Minnesota sale barns, where Holstein bull calves and beef-cross calves are bringing in far more than producers would have expected just a few years ago. He reflects on how dramatically the economics of beef-on-dairy have changed and what that could mean for breeding decisions on dairies this year.

The second half of the episode dives into the new national herd data, including milk production, components, somatic cell counts, herd size, and breed distribution across the country. Brad walks through where Holsteins, Jerseys, crossbreds, Brown Swiss, Guernseys, Ayrshires, and Milking Shorthorns stand today, and which states are leading in cow numbers and herd size. It’s a practical, numbers-driven look at dairy trends in the U.S. and a useful update for anyone interested in genetics, herd demographics, and where the industry is heading.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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 explores a recent study comparing two common calf-feeding methods: open buckets and nipple buckets. While most U.S. dairies rely on open buckets because they allow calves to drink quickly and reduce chore time, the research looked at how these systems affect calf growth, digestion, and behavior.

The study followed individually housed calves fed six liters of milk per day until weaning at eight weeks. Calves fed with open buckets finished their milk much faster, often in under two minutes, while nipple-fed calves took about five minutes because the system mimics natural suckling. Despite the difference in drinking speed, both groups had similar growth rates and physical development.

However, behavior and digestion told a more interesting story. Calves fed with open buckets consumed more starter grain and spent more time ruminating, but they also showed more non-nutritive oral behaviors like sucking on pen fixtures or other calves—likely because their natural suckling drive wasn’t satisfied. Nipple-fed calves showed fewer of these behaviors, had slightly firmer feces, and exhibited metabolic signals suggesting improved digestion.

Brad breaks down the trade-offs for dairy producers: open buckets offer efficiency and faster feeding, while nipple buckets may better support calf welfare and natural behavior. The episode highlights how feeding systems can influence calf behavior, digestion, and management decisions on dairy farms.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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 shares results from a large national research project examining somatic cell count (SCC) and mastitis risk in U.S. organic dairy herds, using more than 2 million DHI test-day records from 430 farms across 31 states. The discussion highlights how SCC is influenced by multiple factors, including cow age, stage of lactation, milk production, breed, season, region, and herd size. Older cows, early-lactation animals, and lower-producing cows were most likely to have elevated SCC, while heat stress—especially during summer months—and larger herd size significantly increased risk. Because organic systems cannot rely on antibiotics, Brad emphasizes prevention strategies such as improved fresh-cow management, heat abatement, careful monitoring of chronic cows, and strong milking hygiene as key tools for controlling mastitis and maintaining milk quality.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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

In this solo episode, Brad shares a few recent herd-health case studies from his dairy, highlighting the value of diagnostics and transparency.

He walks through two calf losses—one at 60 days old and another at 9 months. Both animals had been treated for common issues but continued to decline. Necropsies revealed severe heart abnormalities in each case (thin, underdeveloped ventricles), pointing toward possible genetic or nutritional causes. The takeaway: without a necropsy, these would have remained unexplained losses.

Brad also discusses a recent abortion in a dry cow. Diagnostic testing ruled out BVD and IBR and identified Citrobacter sp., an environmental organism found in manure, soil, and bedding that can contribute to abortions. He suspects environmental exposure in wintered dry cows may have played a role.

Overall, the episode emphasizes investigating unexpected losses, using lab diagnostics, and learning from on-farm challenges as spring calving approaches.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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

Emily and Brad re-record this episode of The Moos Room after a technical glitch wiped out Emily’s audio—and dive into a big question: What does the dairy cow of the future look like?

Inspired by a recent Journal of Dairy Science paper, they move beyond the classic Holstein vs. Jersey debate to discuss a more balanced vision. Instead of selecting for maximum milk at all costs, the future cow will prioritize resilience, fertility, longevity, feed efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

They explore how genomics must be paired with real-world performance data (phenotypes), how precision technologies and robots are shaping breeding goals, and why moderate size and genetic diversity matter. From methane efficiency to beef-on-dairy and even gene editing, the episode highlights how breeding decisions today are shaping a smarter, more sustainable cow for tomorrow.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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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Calf prices are making headlines, and in this episode Emily and Brad are joined by UMN Extension beef educator Melissa Runck to talk through what today’s hot beef and beef-on-dairy markets mean for producers.

They discuss why newborn beef-cross calves are bringing record prices, how that cash can help dairy farms when milk prices are low, and what the latest Cattle on Feed report tells us about declining inventories and producers’ reluctance to keep heifers as replacements. The group then dives into beef-on-dairy sire selection, emphasizing realistic goals over the search for a “perfect” bull, the importance of calving ease and fertility, and when carcass traits and indexes matter based on how calves are marketed.

The episode wraps up with a practical look at facilities and management, underscoring that good management—more than perfect buildings—drives success with beef-on-dairy cattle.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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

On a warm-for-February day in Minnesota, Brad dives into two topics shaping today’s dairy landscape: changing dairy herd demographics in the Upper Midwest and new research on dairy cow preferences for grooming brushes.

The episode opens with a look at dairy farm numbers in Minnesota, where the state has lost nearly 37% of its dairy farms since 2019—dropping from 2,567 to just 1,622 operations. Brad breaks down herd size distribution, showing Minnesota remains dominated by small herds (especially 50–100 cows), even as the number of very large herds continues to grow. He also highlights where dairy farms are concentrated geographically, with Stearns County leading the state, and notes that seven Minnesota counties now have no dairy farms at all.

Brad then compares Minnesota to Wisconsin, which still has over 5,100 licensed dairy farms. Wisconsin’s dairy industry includes a notable number of goat dairies (nearly 400) and a small but interesting presence of sheep dairies. He walks through the top dairy counties in Wisconsin, illustrating how dairy production clusters in central, southwestern, and Green Bay–adjacent regions.

In the second half of the episode, Brad discusses a new Purdue University study examining dairy cow preferences for grooming brushes. Researchers compared three brush types—swinging and rotating, swinging only, and stationary—and found that more than 75% of cows preferred the swinging, rotating brush. Cows spent several minutes grooming their heads, backs, and rumps, with rotating brushes offering the most engagement and relaxation. While stationary brushes were used mainly for head scratching, the study suggests that offering a variety of brush types may give cows valuable choice and enrichment.

Brad wraps up by reflecting on what these trends mean for dairy farm viability, animal welfare, and management decisions—leaving listeners with practical insights and plenty to think about.

Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> themoosroom@umn.edu 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