White Oak Veterinary Clinic

06/29/2025

This is a short read and an interesting article on a topic that I (and I'm sure many of you) have been wondering about- how to reconcile the high prices paid for calves with the potential return.

Spoiler alert- you can't.

A PhD student investigated a few areas related to raising these calves and put some numbers to it by calculating their break evens versus what they paid for calves. Take a look.

Specifically, it is looking at prices of beef-on-dairy steers vs. dairy steers, not newborn calves, but it does put some numbers to a market that seems like the return doesn't justify the cost. 🐮💡📊

Beef-on-dairy crossbreds show clear advantages in feed efficiency and carcass performance, but Michigan State University research reveals current market premiums often exceed their true economic value.

06/26/2025

Great interview, Rodney Parson and Ben Archer. We work hard to earn our clients' trust and we appreciate your confidence in our doctors and staff, and in our partners at Boviteq.

Thinking IVF could be a good fit for your herd? Not sure? Give us a call and we can talk through the process and whether or not it's right for you.

Ready to schedule? Call to set up a session at Rodney's or one of our other satellites close to you.

06/18/2025

Looking for something to do on Saturday? Check out the Feed the Cow Day at Dividing Ridge farm.

06/03/2025

Mark your calendars for White Oak's appreciation luncheon!

06/02/2025

4H trip opportunity

The Fayette Countywide 4H Dairy Club received an Ag Youth Education grant from PA Department of Agriculture and will be taking a bus trip June 10-11 to western NY.

Stops include: The Grape Discovery Center, Oakfield Corners Dairy (robotic rotary, show barn, and calf barn), Batavia Turf, Letchworth State Park, Easthill Creamery.

The bus leaves on 6/10 at 7am from Maple Bottom Farm. There is still room on the bus. If interested, contact Vickie Baker at 724-331-4814.

06/02/2025

🥛🌍 Happy World Milk Day! Today, we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and passion of dairy farmers and farm families who produce wholesome, nutritious milk for communities near and far. Your commitment to caring for your cows, your land, and your craft doesn’t go unnoticed. 🐄 Thank you for all you do — today and every day. 💙

05/08/2025

We offer drop shipping medications and we also have an online pharmacy where you can have your medications sent right to you. Check out the details below and take advantage of this convenient way of getting your supplies.

04/18/2025

The office will close at noon today in observance of Good Friday. As always, a vet will be on call for emergencies. We wish you all a happy and blessed Easter.

Some killdeer moved on to our clinic property and provided an opportunity for some pre-Easter egg hunting practice. They are really good at hiding their eggs but I did find one.

If you happen to stop by the office, be sure to peek at our new tenants.

03/29/2025

I haven't posted an ultrasound video in a while, so here's a recent video to answer a common question.

When we diagnose pregnancies by ultrasound, we also look for twins, fetal abnormalities, and fetal viability. Sometimes, I tell a producer that a cow has a dead embryo. Frequently, that triggers a question- how do you know?

I will post a few additional videos in the comments, but this one has the most clearly recognizable fetus. Watch the video. The breeding history indicated that this was a fetus at 60 days gestation, but the fetal measurements indicate a fetal size consistent with about 45 days gestation (likely when it died). Note that there is no heartbeat and the fetus is not moving. Finally, notice that there are a lot of fetal membranes that are not attached to the uterus at all and the uterine fluid is very cloudy. These are all signs of a dead fetus.

Without the ultrasound, this probably would have passed for a normal pregnancy because it would palpate normally. That could prove expensive because the cow might make it all the way to dry off check before the dead fetus was discovered and at that point, it would probably be too late to breed her back.

03/06/2025

𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
Congratulations to our partners at White Oak Veterinary Clinic on these fantastic results! They're smashing AETA averages, with 14 dairy embryos/donor and 10.5 beef embryos/donor. WOVC works hard to ensure their clients get the most from each IVF session!
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𝗕𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗤 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨:
🔵 The most embryos/donor
🔵 Industry’s highest frozen embryo conception rates
🔵 Customized donor/sire solutions
🔵 Experts give timely feedback that matters
🔵 Our latest R&D to give you the best results
🔵 The Semex Team helps you identify donors/recipients, simplifies genomics, and makes sure you raise the right heifers

02/04/2025

Avian influenza has not been found on PA dairies, but this is the second time recently that it has been found in poultry in the state. This is the strain that has been transmitted by wild geese in the Eastern Fly-way Zones, NOT the strain that has been infecting cattle, but under the Department of Agriculture control plan, it still has implications for the dairies nearby.

There is no restriction on milk shipping but farms in the designated infected zone are required to submit weekly bulk tank samples and must have a federal premise ID.

It seems very likely that sooner or later, this could happen in western PA. Now is the time to get prepared. Do you know your premise ID? We have biosecurity plan booklets and can help you create a plan. Or you can attend a workshop. Follow the links or give us a call to get started.

On February 2, the PA Department of Agriculture reported another preliminary H5, 2.3.4.4 result in a commercial layer poultry flock in Dauphin County, Lower Swatara Township, and a small mixed non-poultry backyard flock in Adams County. Samples will be sent to NVSL for confirmation. The layer flock...

01/27/2025

Long-term planning can be a big challenge for a farm enterprise, especially when pricing is uncertain and generational transition is involved. The Center for Dairy Excellence has resources to help!

Pennsylvania farmers, now’s the time to plan for success! The Farm Vitality Grant is designed to help you enhance your farm’s long-term viability through strategic planning, succession, and transition projects.

✅ Covers up to $7,500 in eligible planning costs
✅ Open to Pennsylvania farm families and businesses
✅ Focused on business planning, financial management, and preparing for the next generation
💻 Visit https://buff.ly/4gbPcc6 to learn more and submit your application!