The Dairyland Initiative

An integral part of controlling lameness in dairy herds is optimizing the cow's ability to rest. Four factors that impact how long a cow can rest are: ??? Stall surface ?? Opportunity to rest ?? Overstocking ?? Heat stress Find Dr. Cook's key discussion points in this Hoard's Dairyman article on how to lock in on lying time to limit lameness: https://lnkd.in/gCaR6zy4

We welcome our first guest, Dr. Terri Ollivett, to The Dairyland Initiative Podcast to talk about troubleshooting respiratory disease in young dairy calves where she says characterizing the condition is crucial. We can do this by paying attention to who is getting sick, who is dying, and what the clinical and subclinical signs are. Then we can investigate the risk factors ranging from comorbidities, management decisions, and the environment. Listen or watch the latest episode at https://lnkd.in/gZ39Y9ip #weanclean

Improved health through better cow comfort increases on farm sustainability. Addressing heat stress in cows and calves, preventing lameness, and combating respiratory disease through improvements in housing and management ensures animal health and productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This handout from DMI outlines the potential losses due to poor animal health and the impact of disease on GHG emissions, highlighting the importance of preventative health care for your dairy herd. What management changes have you made to improve cow health on your farm? https://lnkd.in/g8ie6rFy.

Some calves are better able to handle stressors, such as weaning, based on their personality. Precision technology may be able to help caregivers identify which calves are more resilient to change so that they can help calves that are more susceptible to changes during the rearing period. This article from Bovine Veterinarian summarizes research that looked at calf personality and a calf's response to stressors: https://lnkd.in/gVqyeQwa

Registration is now open for The Dairyland Initiative Workshops on May 14 & 15 in Madison, WI! View the brochure at https://bit.ly/4brONBA and register at https://lnkd.in/guc5mmPJ.

We continue our discussion about stall design by talking about brisket locators and neck rails for positioning cows when lying and standing in the stall. While the brisket locator defines the front of the resting space, the neck rail positions the cow in the stall when she is standing. Hear about how to place these key stall components correctly in this episode of The Dairyland Initiative Podcast. Find it here ?? https://lnkd.in/gZ39Y9ip

"Based on an individual first lactation yield, digital dermatitis can cost between $3 and $239 per cow." Prevent digital dermatitis in your heifers by scraping manure alleys often, provide them with clean bedding, and reduce stocking density. Learn how else you can improve heifer hoof health in this Hoard's Dairyman article: https://lnkd.in/gd5dBS5K

Although we know how to reduce and treat lameness, lameness is still a challenge. Focusing on the caregivers by cultivating a supportive and safe workplace can help us better tackle lameness and improve animal welfare on a broader level. Read how your farm can foster a culture of trust and autonomy among the hoof care team in this Progressive Dairy article: https://lnkd.in/g4iXt6Cg

A large portion of the ???? has seen significant snowfall in the last week, putting some barns at risk for potential failure due to significant snow load. Check out these resources from Cornell about how to assess snow load and how to properly remove snow from the roof. Snow load: https://lnkd.in/gRJ_Qhvj Snow removal: https://lnkd.in/gCretxN8

We're diving in to the components of freestall design by kicking off with a focus on facilitating a cow's natural rising and lying movements. One goal of freestall design is to allow the cow to rise and lie down as naturally as possible without obstruction to the lunge and bob of the head or the forward stride of her forelimb. We discuss how stall length, width, and mounting systems influence how a cow can lunge and bob in the latest episode of The Dairyland Initiative Podcast! https://lnkd.in/gZ39Y9ip