S1E480 - E480 Udder Edema Hits 86% of Fresh Heifers – A $3,500-$16,000 Hit in a $3,000–$4,000 Heifer Market (And a $40/Head Fix)

That swollen udder on your fresh heifer isn't "just how it is." It's a disease process — and in a market where replacement heifers cost $3,000–$4,000, it's bleeding money you can't afford to lose. Research published in the Journal of Dairy Science found udder edema in 86% of first-lactation heifers across commercial freestall herds. When you stack up milk loss, mastitis, slow-milkers, and early culls, the bill lands at $3,500–$16,000 per year on a 100-cow herd. This episode breaks down the economics, the biology, and the surprisingly affordable management fix that top herds are using to cut their edema rates in half.

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