Fly control

By Jessica Bryan, Vita Plus Kennan dairy consultant
It is starting to look a lot like spring in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with the snow melt gone and the rainy weather bringing more moisture. It makes it a little easier to think about the coming summer.

By Brittany Stewart, Vita Plus Dodgeville dairy specialist
Here in southwest Wisconsin, the hot summer weather finally showed up, but the cooler summer months have brought on a few challenges.

Although spring came late this year, fly control was still a high priority. Fly control is key to keeping calves comfortable and reducing the incidence of disease. Using a combination of fly control products such as ClariFly , fly bait and insecticide ear tags helps to reduce the fly population...

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator

When heat stress hits on the farm, we often look to the cows first. But did you know that heat stress can hit calves as hard as all the other animals on the farm?

Heat-stressed calves may have reduced average daily gains or increased incidence of treatments. Worst of all, heat stress may cause higher death loss in your calf program.

Calves suffering from heat stress are more likely to become dehydrated...

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator

With fly season quickly approaching, have you thought through your plan of attack? Some places still have snow on the ground, but the weather can turn quickly and having an established plan can save you lots of time and energy this summer.

According to research from Purdue University , a fly can complete an entire generation – from egg to adult – within as little as 10 days. This is just another reason...