cows

Enlarge / Farm cats drinking from a trough of milk from cows that were just milked. On March 16, cows on a Texas dairy farm began showing symptoms of a mysterious illness now known to be H5N1 bird flu. Their symptoms were nondescript, but their milk production dramatically dropped and turned thick and creamy yellow.…

The Food and Drug Administration reported late Thursday that about 20 percent of retail milk samples from around the country tested positive for genetic fragments of the bird flu, aka highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1. While retail milk is still considered to be safe, the finding suggests that the spread of the virus…

Enlarge / Cows being milked The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced that genetic fragments from the highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 have been detected in the pasteurized, commercial milk supply. However, the testing completed so far—using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)—only detects the presence of viral genetic material and cannot tell whether the…

Enlarge / Greylag geese sit on a field and rest while a cow passes by in the background. Researchers around the world are growing more uneasy with the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in US dairy cows as the virus continues to make its way into new herds and states. Several experts say…

Wild migratory birds likely spread a deadly strain of bird flu to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, state and federal officials announced this week. It is believed to be the first time the virus, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has been found in cows in the US. Last week, officials in Minnesota confirmed…

The US cow population fell 3% last year while beef cows decreased to their lowest level since 1962, according to the Department of Agriculture. That fall in supply is likely to drive up the price of food like burgers and steaks. "Stronger prices will likely be the theme of the market over the next two…

China claims it's cloned three cows that make up to 18 metric tons of milk per year. "Super cows" are hard to breed since they're identified at the end of their lives, per state-affiliated media. The scientists say they plan to build a herd of 1,000 super cows in the next two to three years.…

Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures led a $12 million seed funding round into Rumin8. The Perth-based startup is developing a seaweed-based feed aiming to cut methane from livestock emissions — like the burps and farts of cows. A byproduct of the digestion process, methane, is the most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Loading Something…

An Idaho Republican said his experience milking dairy cows offered insights into reproductive healthcare. Idaho Rep. Jack Nelsen apologized for the comment, saying he respected women's "right to choose."  Earlier this month, US Supreme Court upheld Idaho's near-total abortion ban, which has few exceptions. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite…

Hans Meleman | Getty Images It's an oppressively hot morning in the barnyard, even in the shade of the long open-air structure where the cows come to feed. On a typical farm, they would gather around a trough, but here at UC Davis they chow from special blue bins, which detect when and how much…