Dairy Content

Study Examines Environmental Footprint of California Dairy Cows Over 50 Years

Amy M Quinton — March 11, 2020 - 9:00am

Producing a liter of milk in California emits less greenhouse gas and uses less land and water than it did in 1964, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.

“We compared 1964 through 2014 and found a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases to produce the same quantity and quality of milk,” said senior author Ermias Kebreab, professor and Sesnon Endowed Chair in the Department of Animal Science at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis. “The magnitude of change is surprising.”

Can Seaweed Cut Methane Emissions on Dairy Farms?

Katherine E Kerlin — May 24, 2018 - 11:30am

Seaweed may be the super food dairy cattle need to reduce the amount of methane they burp into the atmosphere. Early results from research at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis indicate that just a touch of the ocean algae in cattle feed could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions from California’s 1.8 million dairy cows.

Keeping Cows Cool With Less Water and Energy

Katherine E Kerlin — September 06, 2017 - 1:34pm

Innovative cooling technologies tested on dairy cows at the University of California, Davis, are addressing the long-standing challenge of keeping dairy cows cool in heat-stressed California.

How a Genetic Mutation From 1 Bull Caused the Loss of Half a Million Calves Worldwide

Andy Fell — October 13, 2016 - 9:34am

Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief was one of the most prolific bulls in the history of Holstein cattle breeding — but he also introduced a lethal gene into the population, responsible for an estimated half million spontaneous abortions worldwide. Now researchers at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have identified the mutation responsible, enabling ranchers to test for and avoid it.

Protein-Trapped Sugar Compounds Nourish Infant Gut Microbes

Patricia Bailey — April 15, 2016 - 10:47am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis researchers have shown that it is the sugar part of a sugar-protein compound found in both human and cow’s milk that feeds the health-promoting microbes in babies’ intestines.