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.

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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

Managing Animal Mortalities with Respect, Compliance, and Responsibility [Video] ▶️

This webinar presented a systems-based approach to transforming mortality management into a consistent five-pillar process: confirm, move, dispose, document, and monitor.

Manejo de mortalidades con respeto, cumplimiento y responsabilidad [Video] ▶️

En este webinar se presentó un enfoque sistémico para transformar el manejo de bajas en un proceso consistente de cinco pilares: confirmar, mover, disponer, documentar y supervisar.

Preventing, Monitoring, and Managing Diseases During the Transition Period [Video] ▶️

Dr. Barragan discussed the latest preventive strategies for common diseases during the transition period, and even during the dry-off period, including hypocalcemia, ketosis, mastitis, and metritis.

Prevención, Monitoreo y Tratamiento de Enfermedades durante el Periodo de Transición [Video] ▶️

En este webinario el Dr. Barragan discutió las estrategias preventivas más actuales para enfermedades comunes durante el periodo de transición, e incluso durante el secado, como la hipocalcemia, la cetosis, la mastitis y la metritis.

Adding Weight to Cull Dairy Cows Affects Value

Proactive cull cow management boosts dairy farm income and animal welfare, while finish-feeding thin cows improves meat quality and profit.

La Ciencia de Manejar Vacas Llevada a la Práctica

El manejo bovino de bajo estrés protege a los trabajadores, reduce el miedo de los animales, aumenta la producción de leche y utiliza principios sensoriales como la zona de fuga y el punto de equilibrio.

Setting Transition Cows Up for Success [Video] ▶️

The transition period is one of the most challenging times for dairy cows, in which they experience several physiological and behavioral stressors. These challenges can be detrimental to cows’ success on the dairy and their welfare.

The Science of Cow Handling Made Practical

Low-stress cow handling protects workers, reduces animal fear, boosts milk yield, and uses sensory principles like flight zones and point of balance.

Voices from Across Wisconsin, Workplace Dynamics and Herd Health [Video] ▶️

Learn how Wisconsin dairy teams and vets use teamwork to improve farm efficiency, employee relationships, and cow health.

Ensuring the Health and Marketability of Dairy Cattle

Research-based strategies to improve dairy cattle health, welfare, and marketability through proactive herd management and animal care standards.

A Clearer Picture: Using Ultrasound to Detect Calf Respiratory Issues [Video] ▶️

Dr. Theresa Ollivett, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, dives into the hidden challenges of respiratory disease in young dairy calves.

How Lung Ultrasounds Are Changing Calf Care

By looking beyond visible symptoms, this technology equips farms with the insights needed to make proactive, data-driven decisions that support long-term calf health, productivity, and welfare.