Handling cows is necessary to harvest milk and provide animal care, but these interactions also present a risk of injury to personnel. Research has shown with proper training on cow handling, dairy farmers have seen many positives when it comes to training including:
- Reduced personnel injuries
- Reduced cow injuries
- Minimized cow stress levels
- Increased parlor efficiency
- Increased milk yield, and
- Increased consumer confidence or public trust.
However, as of 2018, only 55% of US Dairy Farms provided training on moving or handling cows. Limitations and challenges in providing training include lack of time and resources, and language barriers. Inappropriate cow handling threatens animal welfare, milk production, and public trust in dairy farming. But how can the industry best teach these skills?
Interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training. Interactive training methods, such as group activities, simulations, games or other hands-on methods, keep employees engaged in the learning process and create a safe space for questions. In this recorded Badger Dairy Insight webinar, UW-Madison Department of Animal & Dairy Science and Division of Extension Dairy Welfare Specialist Jennifer Van Os shares “The importance of proper cow handling and a revolutionary way to practice”.
In collaboration with Wisconsin dairy stakeholders, Jennifer created an innovative learning tool for people to practice the appropriate handling of dairy cows. “Mooving Cows” (TM) is a digital “serious game” where players practice appropriate cow-handling skills in the routine milking parlor and free-stall pen environments, without the cows. With the digital “serious game”, learners practice moving cows in simulated dairy farm environments. Like a flight simulator, the game is a way for participants to “learn by doing” to understand how human actions affect cow behavior, stress, productivity, and workers’ safety.
