Dealing with Hot Weather in Grazing Systems
To minimize heat stress, there are three key things farmers can do to help cows on pasture stay healthy, productive, and comfortable during hot spells.
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
Using DHI Herd Summary Report to Assess Potential Impact of Heat Stress on a Dairy
Farmers enrolled in DHI receive several reports regarding herd performance. The Herd Summary Report (HSR) encompasses three main sections: Milk Production, Reproduction & Genetics, and Inventory. The milk production section has eight blocks—the focus related to heat stress will be on Blocks D, F, and G. The Reproduction & Genetics section has five blocks—the focus for heat stress will be on Block L.
▶️ Watch: Impact of Bedding Choice on Udder Health of Freestall Herds
UW-Extension Milk Quality Veterinarian Pam Ruegg shares in this UW-Extension Dairy Science Webinar series research findings associated with the recently published Impact of Bedding Choice on Udder Health Freestall Herds.
Deciding when a dairy cow starts her second career
Body condition is an important consideration when deciding when a dairy animal retires into her “second career”. Thin cows with poor condition are often discounted at sale barns, so evaluating which cows may be candidates for improving condition is an important consideration prior to shipping a cull cow to get the most value. It is also important to note that adding condition may be necessary for animal well-being prior to transport.