Bad milk is bad business for dairy producers and consumers. So Idaho researchers help them reduce mastitis in the herds to improve milk quality. Eighty-seven percent of Idaho dairy operators have adopted critical milking procedures promoted by the Extension Service. So Purdue animal scientists are breeding kinder, gentler chickens. Purdue's docile chickens showed dramatic vitality with a 16- percent mortality rate in 56 weeks, compared to 73 percent for a commercial group of chickens.
Cows can sleep comfy in Georgia.
A new kind of mattress helps cows sleep happy and well-rested. As herd sizes increase and pastures get harder to maintain, cow mattresses in free stalls or barns control the environment around the cow between milkings. The research breakthrough will allow hog producers to change the genetics in their herd quickly and easily without risk of diseases and without surgical facilities. It should also improve the quality of hogs and the uniformity of pork cuts. The program is going nationwide.