Pasture stocking density ranged from three cows per acre in spring to .5 cows per acre in mid-September during a year with normal rainfall in south-central Wisconsin. Scientists at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center and UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences studied mixed-species pastures, dominated by cool-season grasses.

The UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course dairy cattle judging team took first place in the last judging team competition of the season at the Southwest Exposition and Livestock Show. The team, all short-course students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences with a strong interest in dairy science, placed first in Holsteins, second in Jerseys and Guernseys, and third in Brown Swiss and Reasons. There was a large spread of 17 points between UW-Madison and second-place Kansas State.

With Valentine’s Day approaching and winter sluggishness sinking in, nothing may sound better than a big box of chocolates. Researchers at UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences are discovering new ways of using milkfat to make those chocolates keep better.

Wisconsin dairy farmers may soon have to find a replacement for meat and bone meal in their rations. A proposal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would ban most meat and bone meal from ruminant diets. Ruminant-derived meat and bone meal in cattle diets is blamed for the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) in Great Britain. The FDA has not set a date for implementation of the ban.

The use of pastures on Wisconsin dairy farms has increased dramatically in recent years. Based on a series of statewide surveys, UW-Madison researchers estimate that almost half of the dairy farms in Wisconsin now use pastures to some degree, and the number of farms using management-intensive rotational grazing practices (in which cows get most of their forages from pastures during the grazing season) has doubled in recent years.

Neal Jorgensen, David Wieckert and Delma Woodburn will be honored for their contributions to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course at its annual alumni reunion Jan. 25 in Madison. The reunion begins with a seminar at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and a buffet luncheon at noon all at the Heritage House Restaurant, 3855 E. Washington Ave.

The United States, Australia and New Zealand will move to displace Europe in the world trade of dairy products in the next 10 years, says William Dobson, an agricultural economist at UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Cows fed extra fermentable carbohydrates pre- and post-calving produced 5 pounds more milk per day than herdmates on standard diets in a study at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Your herd’s mileage may vary, but it’s a good idea to make sure your dry cows are getting plenty of fermentable carbohydrates starting two to three weeks before calving. Proper carbohydrate nutrition before and shortly after calving may also help prevent metabolic disorders during lactation, according to dairy science grad student Doug Minor and Ric Grummer, a dairy nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

High school students and their parents have a chance next month to visit the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and see if the Farm and Industry Short Course will meet their needs.

Wisconsin, historically a leading state in apprenticeship training, may look to New Zealand to help revitalize dairy farming as a career, according to a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.