The dairy business is a business where problems don’t disappear, they only get bigger. Most, if not all, of health and reproduction issues are a symptom of an issue that occurred weeks or even months before. Therefore, identifying potential problems when they are still small is very impactful on the bottom line. Early identification of […]
Cow Stress, Health, and Longevity
For decades the scientific community has tried to answer the question “What plays a bigger role in determining the propensity for improved health and longevity, is it genetics or is it the environment?” Research on human paternal (identical) twins clearly shows that the environment has a more significant role in determining health and longevity. It […]
What is TAI covering up?
Poor or inadequate heat detection is a major cause of reproductive inefficiency in dairy herds. Timed artificial insemination (TAI) results in improved reproductive performance, because all animals are inseminated in a timely manner, regardless of the farm’s heat detection efficiency. But the perceived freedom from the need to heat detect may have significant practical drawbacks. […]
The Importance of Cows’ Access to Feed
Feeding practices have a huge impact on herd health and performance, so the importance of delivering a consistent feeding program is paramount to herd profitability. Everything involved in a proper feeding program is of equal importance – what (from a nutrition point of view) is delivered, how feed is delivered and when feed is delivered. […]
Problem Solving in the Dry Pen
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 […]