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Streptococcal Mastitis
Sep 12, 2016
By: Kelly Whitcomb
Streptococcus is a bacterium commonly causing mastitis in dairy cows. This organism comes in numerous species, placed into two separate categories: Streptococcus and Streptococcus agalactia…
Fair Season and Livestock Stress
Aug 23, 2016
By: Kelly Whitcomb
As we continue through fair season and face the last few hot and humid weeks of summer, it is wise to keep in mind the risk of heat stress in livestock and the ways in which it can…
ELISA Testing: How It Works and Why It’s Important
Aug 03, 2016
By: Kelly Whitcomb
The lab at Alternative Dairy Initiative strives to help farmers produce safe, quality milk while managing healthy, sustainable herds. Though milk samples arrive weekly to screen for…
Coccidiosis in Goats
Jul 12, 2016
With expected changes in the ADI lab, and wanting to offer fecal testing to our farmers, I thought it would be helpful to talk about a common illness found in dairy goats: Coccidiosis.
By: Kelly Whitcomb
Coccidiosis…
Roughage: Essential for Rumen Function
Jul 05, 2016
By: Kelly Whitcomb
Dairy cow nutrition is constantly analyzed by its contents of protein, energy and minerals. We rarely take notice of the fiber we are feeding, whether it’s adequate, and the key role…
Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Dairy Cows
Jun 20, 2016
By: Kelly Whitcomb
Recently I have been questioned about the differences between a grass-fed or grain-fed dairy cow. People want to know which feeding regime is going to be more beneficial for their…
Toxic Plants and Herd Animals
Apr 15, 2016
By Aaron Agnew
For the past few weeks my focus has been on specific animals, goats, sheep, etc… For this week’s article I thought I’d discuss a topic that is relevant to any herd animal, the potential…
Sheep milk, the other other milk
Apr 08, 2016
By Aaron Agnew
Let’s continue our discussion of milk by looking at the other, other milk… An “udderly” fine alternative to the conventional options that we see in the grocery store. A milk that not…
How to Choose Cows for a Micro or Small Herd Dairy
Apr 05, 2016
By Steve Judge
In a previous blog post, I made it perfectly clear that I believe Jersey cows are the best breed of cow for a micro dairy. However, that is my opinion. Other breeds will work as well,…
The Basics of Starting a Goat Farm
Mar 29, 2016
By Aaron Agnew
In continuing the discussion from last week I thought it would be nice to talk briefly about what it means to raise goats. Not specifically the process of milking, but, instead, some…
VT Farmer Opts Out of Regulated Beef Slaughter
Mar 29, 2016
By David Gumpert
Original Article written March 25, 2016
Many sustainable farmers have privately railed against state and federal rules that require cattle to be slaughtered in regulated beef slaughtering…
