Testing milk by the babcock procedure

The Babcock test for butterfat is the legally recognized standard test for marketing milk and cream in Missouri. It employs the use of sulphuric acid to digest milk solids other than far and to increase the specific gravity of the serum. Far separates and comes to the top of the mixture when the specific gravity of the non-fat portion is increased; the butter fat is melted by heat from acid digestion of milk solids and by centrifugal force. All calibrated glassware used in making the Babcock test must conform to official specifications prescribed in USDA Circular 434, National Bureau of Standards, Testing Volumetric Glassware, 1941, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.Barry J. Steevens (Department of Dairy Husbandry), Robert T. Marshall (Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agriculture)Revised 1/7

Using a microwave oven to determine moisture in forages

"Harvesting and storing forage crops at the proper moisture is necessary to minimize forage losses and to maintain maximum nutritonal value. But it is difficult to determine the moisture concentration of forage crops prior to ensiling or baling."--First page.Barry J. Steevens, Ron Belyea and Richard Crawford (Department of Dairy Science)New 1/86/6

Body condition scoring of beef and dairy animals (1993)

Body condition scoring (BCS) of cattle allows cattle producers to assess the level of fat reserves of cows during various production phases. When regularly used, this information can be used to formulate management and feeding decisions.Reviewed September 1993 -- Extension website

Using the California mastitis test

"One of the best ways to detect mastitis is to use the California Mastitis Test (CMT). A four-compartment paddle and the CMT reagent are the only supplies you need to conduct the test. Conducting the CMT is simple, but before interpreting the results, you need to know what the test measures."--First page.Robert T. Marshall and J.E. Edmondson (Department of Food Science and Nutrition), and Barry J. Steevens (Department of Dairy Science, College of Agriculture)Revised 11/86/6

Whole soybeans for dairy cattle (1993)

Whole soybeans (WSB) can be used in dairy cow rations; they are palatable and have excellent feed value. WSB have lower protein content than soybean meal, but because of higher fat, have higher net energy content.Reviewed October 1993 -- Extension website

Preventing shocks to cows in milking parlors (1993)

A stray alternating electrical current of about 1/2 volt causes cows to be nervous and reluctant to enter parlor stalls; they also may shift around more and withhold milk

Using a microwave oven to determine moisture in forages (1993)

Harvesting and storing forage crops at the proper moisture is necessary to minimize forage losses and to maintain maximum nutritional value. But it is difficult to determine the moisture concentration of forage crops prior to ensiling or baling. This publication will discuss the method of using a microwave oven to determine moisture in forages.Barry Steevens, Ron Belyea, Richard Crawford (Department of Animal Sciences)Reviewed October 1993 -- Extension website

Using the California mastitis test (1993)

Reviewed October 1993

How to reduce heat stress in dairy cattle (1993)

Reviewed October 1993

Using NDF and ADF to balance diets (1993)

This publication shows how neutral detergent solution can be used to measure neutral detergent fiber (NDF). NDF represents the total plant fiber or cell wall including hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. This publication also shows how acid detergent solution can be used to measure acid detergent fiber (ADF), which contains cellulose and lignin. Both ADF and NDF data help to more accurately estimate feed intake, energy values and animal performance