Research Reports

Research Reports are designed to report applied aspects of research from the UBC’s Dairy Education and Research Centre recently published in refereed international scientific journals. Reports are two pages in length and are published three to five times per year.

If you would like to receive Research Reports as they are released, sign up for the mailing list here.

Preventing hock injuries (Vol 13-3)

August 20, 2013

Housing systems that cause disease or injuries to animals are clearly undesirable. Injury and disease compromise dairy cow welfare and can reduce longevity and production. Lameness, mastitis and transition cow diseases are now widely recognized as serious animal welfare and production issues in the dairy industry. Skin injuries on dairy cows should raise similar concerns […]

Posted in 2013, Research Reports | Tagged with

Lameness on BC and US dairy farms (Vol 13-2)

July 19, 2013

Producers spend millions of dollars building indoor housing for dairy cattle with the aim of providing a comfortable environment for their animals. Unfortunately, this housing does not always function well from the perspective of the cow – poorly designed and maintained facilities can cause injuries and increase the risk of lameness. Lameness is now widely […]

Posted in 2013, Research Reports | Tagged with deep-bedding, lameness

Why cattle graze the bunk: effects of variation in TMR quality on feeding behaviour

November 1, 2012

Why this matters… A total mixed ration (TMR) should provide a nutritionally balanced diet with all nutrients that cattle need to grow and function well. However, on farms the quality of the TMR may vary between days (in relation to inputs and mixing), within days (due to sorting by cows or environmental exposure), and along the feed bunk (due […]

Posted in 2012, Research Reports | Tagged with

Lameness: A Transition Cow Disease

February 1, 2012

Lameness is the number one animal welfare issue facing the North American dairy industry. Lameness is painful, and cases can last from weeks to months. Severe cases that do not improve can result in the cow being culled from the herd. Cows experiencing pain are less likely to show signs of estrus, such as mounting […]

Posted in 2012, Research Reports | Tagged with

Effect of Metritis on Intake, Milk Yield, and Culling Risk (Vol. 12-01)

January 1, 2012

Metritis is a common and costly disease that affects dairy cows during the early postpartum period. (Figure 1). Researchers at the UBC Dairy Centre have completed a number of studies investigating the relationships between health and behaviour of cows during the transition period and have found that both feeding behaviour and dry matter intake (DMI) can be used in the early detection of […]

Posted in 2012, Research Reports | Tagged with Metritis, milk, vol 12-1

Feeding Management Strategies for Growing Heifers (Vol. 11-2)

November 6, 2011

Replacement heifers are the future of the dairy herd, but very little research is focused on these animals. Researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Dairy Education and Research Centre have recently completed three experiments designed to determine the effects of different methods of feeding weaned 5-8 month old Holstein heifers. For all three experiments, […]

Posted in 2011, Research Reports | Tagged with devries, von keyserlingk

Effects of Regrouping Dairy Cows (Vol 11-1)

August 1, 2011

Dairy cows are often grouped according to age, days in milk, feed requirements and health status. To create these groupings cows, are often moved to new groups four or more times per lactation. At each regrouping, cows are mixed with unfamiliar herd mates resulting in changes in group composition and dynamics. In the new group […]

Posted in 2011, Research Reports | Tagged with schirmann, vol 11-1, von keyserlingk

Strategies to Improve Ovulation and Pregnancy in Ovsynch Treated Cows and Heifers

June 1, 2010

In response to poor estrus detection and low fertility in lactating dairy cows, reproductive management tools such as estrus synchronization programs are increasingly used on dairy farms. One tool, the Ovsynch timed artificial insemination (AI) protocol offers producers potential freedom from estrus detection difficulties. The Ovsynch protocol involves injecting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), followed 7 days later by injecting prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a), and then 48 hours later […]

Posted in 2010, Research Reports | Tagged with Gordon, Rajamahendran

What Cows Prefer: Pasture and Access to the Barn

May 1, 2010

Download full report [pdf]

Posted in 2010, Research Reports | Tagged with

Overstocking: at the stall and the feed bunk

April 1, 2010

Download full report [pdf]

Posted in 2010, Research Reports | Tagged with

Travel Directions

From Vancouver:

Travel east on Highway #1 (Trans Canada Highway)
Take Exit #135 (Highway #9) to Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs.
Follow Highway #9 across the Fraser River through Agassiz towards Harrison Hot Springs.
After crossing the CPR tracks on the north side of Agassiz, turn left onto Highway #7.
The Centre is on the immediate right. The Dairy Centre’s buildings and parking are located in the north-west corner of the building site.

All visitors must report to the manager’s office (located in the prominent white building with blue trim and cathedral windows) before entering UBC buildings.

Research Reports

Preventing hock injuries (Vol 13-3)

Lameness on BC and US dairy farms (Vol 13-2)

Why cattle graze the bunk: effects of variation in TMR quality on feeding behaviour

Lameness: A Transition Cow Disease

Effect of Metritis on Intake, Milk Yield, and Culling Risk (Vol. 12-01)

Feeding Management Strategies for Growing Heifers (Vol. 11-2)

Effects of Regrouping Dairy Cows (Vol 11-1)

Strategies to Improve Ovulation and Pregnancy in Ovsynch Treated Cows and Heifers

What Cows Prefer: Pasture and Access to the Barn

Overstocking: at the stall and the feed bunk

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Stock Images for Media Use

Animal Welfare Research at UBC Dairy Centre

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