🎧 Listen: Lameness affects up to 50% of dairy cows during their lifetime
Lameness issues impact every dairy herd in one form or another. Not only does lameness affect a cow’s health and well-being, but it’s also costly to the farm’s bottom line.
Animal Welfare & Herd Health
Explore research-based management strategies to enhance Animal Welfare and Herd Health, recognizing the relationship between optimal animal care and the success of dairy business.
Focus your search
Animal Welfare: Animal welfare aims to improve animal-human interactions, understand animals’ behavior needs, and improve the fit of animals with their environment.
Herd health: Herd health management involves preventing and managing common diseases in dairy cattle, to ensure well-being, productivity, and longevity of animals.
Articles
Feeding Zeolite A for Milk Fever Prevention in Dairy Cattle
Milk fever (hypocalcemia) is a common disorder than can occur is cows following calving. During this time, the demand for calcium in the body is high to support mammary function and milk production. When a cow is unable to meet these demands, she can develop milk fever.
🎧 LISTEN: Engaging Positive Animal Behavior
[Listen to this 3-minute podcast] Research has shown cows love using brushes. A study found that lactating cows were willing to push heavy gates to get access to an automatic rotating brush, indicating that having a brush was important to them.
▶️ Watch: Dairy Margin Coverage 2025 Signup Update
In this presentation, Leonard Polzin, Extension Dairy Markets and Policy Outreach Specialist, covers what producers need to know for the 2025 DMC sign-up. He walks through changes and discusses the DMC decision tool that helps producers decide on the level of coverage necessary.
Healthy Cows: Management Tips for Transition Times
Fresh cow diseases such as ketosis, milk fever, displaced abomasum, retained placenta, metritis, and mastitis have a huge impact on the overall health of an animal. In addition to the health of the animal there are other factors including lost milk production, longer days to cycle and get pregnant, plus the cost to treat these fresh cow diseases.
▶️ Watch: Preparing Calves for the Road Ahead
Dr. Catie Cramer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, discusses stressors associated with transport date (WI and US) from a fit-for-transport survey conducted by Colorado State University and offer some ways to mitigate transport stress.
Find Sick Cows Early to Ensure Dairy Health and Productivity
Early detection and treatment of sick cows are essential to minimize negative impacts.
Handling down cows
Dealing with a down cow can be frustrating, however with proper procedural practices in place, you will equip your team with the attitude and skillset to handle the situation.
Are my dairy cattle fit for transport?
This infographic will help you better understand if your dairy cattle are fit for transport.
Crowd gates done right: Best practices for cow comfort and welfare
Proper crowd gate functioning benefits both cows and dairy farm workers. For farm managers, effective staff training, regular crowd gate maintenance, and proper management are essential for ensuring successful crowd gate operation. While crowd gates help keep cows near the parlor entrance, it is crucial to avoid misusing them to promote positive animal welfare.
Top strategies to streamline your milking parlor
Ensuring a comfortable and safe parlor environment for both cows and workers, while efficiently using all available resources—including time—is crucial for the dairy business’ profitability. Milking time on a dairy farm is a balancing act between maintaining cleanliness and calmness while moving quickly enough to finish on time and get the cows back to their pens, where they can eat, drink, rest, and produce milk.
Estrategias para optimizar su sala de ordeño
Es crucial para la rentabilidad del negocio lechero, garantizar un entorno cómodo y seguro en la sala de ordeño tanto para las vacas como para los trabajadores, al tiempo que todos los recursos disponibles se utilicen de manera eficiente, incluido el tiempo. El ordeño en una granja lechera es un acto de equilibrio entre mantener la limpieza y la calma, mientras se mueve lo suficientemente rápido como para terminar a tiempo y llevar a las vacas de regreso a sus corrales, donde pueden comer, beber, descansar y producir leche.
