Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Enrollment

Program Areas

  • Dairy Management
  • Farm Business Management
  • Field Crops
  • Livestock & Small Farms

Enrollment Benefits

  • Telephone / Email Consultations
  • Ag Focus Newsletter
  • Direct Mailings
  • Educational Meetings & Conferences
  • In-Field Educational Opportunities
  • On-Farm Research Trials

Enrollee Login

Password:

Log In To Access:

  • Issues of Ag Focus Newsletters
  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
      What's wrong with my crop?

Not an Enrollee? Enroll Now!

Online Enrollment Form

Clipping Heifers?

Jerry Bertoldo, Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops

Last Modified: June 25, 2013

Moderating air temperatures lend themselves well to optimum performance for both cows and people. The lengthening days trigger animals to shed their winter hair coats and replace them with short, silky hair that will more efficiently aid in the dispersion of heat in the rising temperatures.

What about those cows, generally two year old heifers, who fail to shed their wooly winter coats? These poor creatures are wearing a metaphorical banner that reads "I will have problems when I calve!". Without delving into whether certain pre-dispositions cause the failure to shed, or whether the failure to shed create the pre-dispositions to fresh cow problems, we probably can agree that these cows are generally going to be more challenged than those who have their warm weather hair coats. Maybe it's time to look at an old-fashioned way of disrupting the unfortunate cascade of stress events that lead to fresh cow problems: blow the dust off your Old Browns!

Just as that bottle of calcium is a great way to give older cows a boost after calving (even if they don't display obvious clinical signs of hypocalcemia), a quick clip job can help a wooly fresh heifer "hit the ground running", so to speak. It has been well documented that a cooler animal in warm weather will have a lower respiration rate, and uses less energy to thermo-regulate, and have more energy available for maintenance, involution, milk production, etc.

We're not talking about a show-time body clip with a top-line, but rather a quick buzz cut along the back, over the ribs, and for added cleanliness, the thighs (and if she'll let you, shave that udder too!). Using a well-maintained set of clippers, which can be obtained new for under $200, and a quick curry combing to remove blade-dulling debris, the entire procedure can be done in the same amount of time it takes to run a bottle of calcium. This short investment of time can potentially reduce time spent on treating an over-heated, ketotic heifer that has metritis and pneumonia in the future.


Dairy

Dairy

Livestock

Livestock

Grazing

Grazing

Forages

Forages

Grains

Grains

Upcoming Events

Agritourism Workshops Monthly! - U-Pick Agritourism Operations: IN's and Out's

December 18, 2023

Are you thinking of starting an agritourism business or are you currently operating one?

Join our monthly lunch-hour, workshop virtual series and learn how to grow your agritourism business!

Each session will focus on specific topic to help aspiring agritourism entrepreneurs grow their knowledge and profit through this exciting on-farm business.

Cost: Free to attend, but registration required!

View Agritourism Workshops Monthly! - U-Pick Agritourism Operations: IN's and Out's Details

2024 Corn Congress

Event Offers DEC Credits

January 4, 2024
Henrietta, NY

Participant Registration for the 2024 Corn Congress OPEN NOW! - January 4th 2024

NOW OFFERING 3.5 DEC Recertification CREDITS

View 2024 Corn Congress Details

Whole Farm Efficiency Webinar Series

January 9, 2024
January 16, 2024
January 23, 2024
January 30, 2024
February 6, 2024
February 13, 2024
February 20, 2024
February 27, 2024
March 5, 2024
March 12, 2024

Registration link coming soon!

Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell PRO-DAIRY are excited to announce our Whole Farm Efficiency webinar series. This 10-week webinar series will be offered online, free of charge to participants. 

It will take place Tuesdays from 12pm-1pm EST, Jan 9 through March 12, 2024. 

Topics for each week include precision feeding, labor management, feed management, labor on-boarding, milk quality, transition period, maximizing return on colostrum, targeted reproduction programs, reproductive evaluation, and replacements.

View Whole Farm Efficiency Webinar Series Details

Announcements

Follow us on Instagram

See photos and reels of our most recent events and programs!
Instagram


Join us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook to get up to date posts about events, workshops and everything NWNY!
Facebook


Add us on LinkedIn!

Connect with us on LinkedIn to get more information about upcoming workshops and programs!
LinkedIn


Watch us on YouTube

Watch instructional videos from specialists in the field!
YouTube


Subscribe for Emails about Events & Workshops!

Subscribe

* indicates required


NEWSLETTER   |   CURRENT PROJECTS   |   IMPACT IN NY   |   SPONSORSHIP  |  RESOURCES   |   SITE MAP