by Phoenix Feeds Staff | May 17, 2018 | Dairy, Farmer Spotlight
Family farms in Vermont come in all varieties and sizes, but there aren’t many that can boast the pedigree of the Pine Valley Farm in Shrewsbury. Standing in the kitchen of her 1800s farmhouse, Julanne Smith Sharrow is proudly displaying a genealogical chart she’s...
by Phoenix Feeds Staff | Jan 15, 2018 | Dairy, Nutrition
It is understandable how proteins—or more specifically amino acids–impact milk production, since they make up a portion of the milk protein fraction. When the supply of amino acids is inadequate, we observe not only lower milk protein yield, but also milk fat yield...
by Phoenix Feeds Staff | Sep 12, 2017 | Dairy, Farmer Spotlight
“I start at 5 a.m.” “I’m usually here at 5:30.” Chris Lourie and Jeff Grennon are used to early mornings and the 12 to 14 hour workday. As herdsmen for Pleasant Valley Farms in Richford, Vermont, they’re responsible for the health of the dairy’s 3,000 cows. Forget...
by Phoenix Feeds Staff | Apr 12, 2017 | Dairy
You find a cow that calved last night lying down with her head back over her flank. She can’t stand and her ears are cold. She has milk fever! If you treat her before muscle or nerve damage has occurred, an I.V. injection of calcium will get her on her feet in...
by Phoenix Feeds Staff | Mar 9, 2017 | Calf & Heifer Care, Dairy
It’s cold outside, and your calves can feel it. Calves under three weeks of age can begin feeling cold stress much earlier than most people think. Even at ambient temperatures of 60 degrees F and below, cold stress can hinder calf growth and performance. Cold stress...
by Philbro Animal Health Corporation | Oct 10, 2016 | Dairy, Nutrition
The transition period, the weeks leading up to and following calving, are the most stressful in a dairy cow’s life. One of the major determinants of whether a cow transitions successfully is her ability to maintain adequate blood calcium status during this time. It is...
