The dry period is the most important stage of the lactation. It prepares the cow and her udder for the upcoming lactation as well as delivering a healthy calf. These are two important components of generating revenue for the dairy. Yet, typically dry cows get less attention than they deserve. In most farms, dry cows […]
Don’t Lose it Over Labor
Robotic milking is a hot topic as labor shortage weighs heavily on dairy owner’s minds. Robotic milking is proven effective in reducing demands on labor, but it only solves a part of the labor reliance equation. Even if the need for people to bring cows into and out of the parlor and physically milk the […]
Early Detection of Health Issues
The overall goal of herd health management programs is to ensure the optimal care and well being of dairy cattle. The two key aspects of a successful health management program are 1) timely intervention, and 2) the administering of effective treatments. The earlier a sick cow is identified and effectively treated, the lesser the negative […]
Assessing Effectiveness of Veterinary Treatments
There are two aspects to the management of a dairy’s health program. The first is the management’s ability to identify sick cows in a timely manner. The second is administering the proper treatment effectively. Much has been written about electronic animal monitor’s ability to “find” sick cows early without disturbing the daily routine of healthy […]
Negative Energy Balance and Activity
Proper cow care is the basis for good milk production and reproduction. Yet, despite all the effort towards a high level of cow care, the quality of care cows actually get tends to be lesser than the quality of care herd management believes the cows are getting. Let’s unpack this. As the herd responds to […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 3 of 3
Once these first two stages have been successfully implemented we would expect that improved cow welfare, improved nutritional control, and improved health of the herd have a positive impact on both milk production and reproductive performance. When cows are provided with the best possible conditions to perform in, management focus shifts to maximizing the economic […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 2 of 3
On average, the first six to eight months following the installation of an electronic animal monitoring system is the time span needed for a user to master the challenges of running efficient reproduction and health programs on a Basic User level. Operationally, the benchmarks for attaining Basic User level are: About 80% of inseminations are […]
Implementing an Animal Monitoring System – Part 1 of 3
In the hands of an advanced user, a monitoring system goes far beyond heat detection and health monitoring. It can help the herd manager implement a highly efficient, cow friendly and economically coherent management approach on their farm. But reaching “Advanced User” status certainly doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an evolutionary process. It consists of three […]
Let Your Cows Help With Your Heat Abatement Strategy
Finally, Spring is here… Which means that Summer is just around the corner along with Summer’s unique challenges to herd management. We’re sure one of your goals that you have set your sights on for this summer is minimizing heat stress. Heat stress is calculated to cost US dairy farms approximately $900 million annually (read […]
Stress and Profitability
Cows are creatures of habit. Inconsistencies in their daily schedules are bound to cause stress. Like humans, cows are exposed to stressors every day. The chronic effects of built-up stress may lead to negative metabolic changes in the cow and can have significant effects on their health and productivity. In a conventionally managed dairy, consistency […]