Normal does not equal Average

Normal does not mean Average

It would not be out of the ordinary or in any way surprising for us to hear of a dairy operation being described in the following manner: there are 500 cows on that dairy, producing an average of 95 lb of milk per day.  It is important to note that in this instance, the word average precedes a well-understood metric of milk production. All those who understand dairy operations would interpret “an average of 95 lb of milk per day” as meaning that some individual cows are likely producing 65 to 75 lb of milk per day, some 85 to 100 lb of milk per day, while others are producing 110 to 120 lb of milk per day, resulting in an arithmetic average of 95 lb. In contrast, it would be unusual and highly confusing for us to hear “there are 500 average cows on that dairy producing 95 lb of milk per day.” The statement is confusing and prompts skepticism, first because it’s nearly impossible to believe that 500 cows would all be producing exactly 95 lb of milk per day, and second, because no one could ever properly define an average dairy cow: would she be at 138 days in her second lactation or at 75 days in her third lactation or what?

Now, for arguments sake, please consider the following description: there are 500 normal, healthy cows on that dairy, producing an average of 95 lb of milk per day. We contend that “normal, healthy cows” is immediately interpretable. These animals would be generally free of observable abnormalities or deficiencies and would be functioning in a normal, natural, expected way.  They might also be called “good” cows or “productive” cows, terms that in our view equal “normal”, but surely not “average” cows. We would further suggest that having 500 out of 500 normal, healthy cows would be an extremely satisfying and remarkable accomplishment for any dairy producer. More typically, there would be at least a small percentage of abnormal and relatively unhealthy animals within a modern production facility; i.e., those that take up a disproportionate amount of time, effort, and money relative to their value. It is the job of responsible business owners and operators to reduce the presence of these economically unattractive animals by either culling cows or employing management practices that support “normal.”

On the list of best practices would be:

·  Using science-based, research-proven silage inoculants to ensure that their animals have normal, well-fermented, clean forages as a source of nutrition.

·  Managing the environment to reduce potential stressors: temperature, humidity, availability of feed, etc.

·  Daily feeding of effective probiotics to support all normal GI functions of the cows in their herd.

The rewards for such behaviors are many and include, but are not limited to, financial success, peace-of-mind that you’ve done all that you can to support the animals in your care, and, perhaps most importantly, time; in short, a normal life.  

Please feel free to share this post. We would be delighted if you would share your opinion on the concept of supporting normal with effective probiotics.