Dairy Research Center

The Dairy Research Center is located on the Tifton Campus and consists of a herd of approximately 290 cows and 280 replacement heifers. The current parlor and freestall barn was built in 1998 and other facilities have been renovated since. The facility has the capabilities of feeding 96 cows individually to provide daily intake data; electronic recording of milk yield and other management information at each milking; and individual and group calf feeding and housing facilities. Waste water is used for irrigating crops and recycling nutrients using management practices to minimize nutrient runoff which is monitored on farm and downstream in the water shed.

Faculty utilize these facilities to conduct research in the areas of nutrition, lactation and metabolic physiology, milk quality, animal health, heat stress abatement, production management, nutrient management and water quality. While the majority of research is applied in nature, allowing the results can be quickly communicated to and adopted by producers, basic research is also conducted to help develop products, provide additional information on metabolism and physiology function and response to heat stress. Faculty from the Department of Animal and Dairy Science collaborate with faculty from other departments in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Food Science and Technology), colleges (College of Veterinary Medicine), USDA, and faculty at other universities in the region to address issues facing dairy producers in the state and region.