The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.
As we begin a new year, the Center for Dairy Excellence is once again offering free copies of Animal Care Protocol Record-Keeping Books to Pennsylvania dairy producers and veterinarians. With more than 5,700 books distributed to date, they have been created to help Pennsylvania dairy farm families comply with National FARM requirements associated with record keeping. The latest version of the record-keeping books have been updated to match FARM Version 5.0’s standards related to animal care. One book should cover three program years for a smaller-sized herd. To request a free copy of the book, visit //www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/request-book or call 717-788-0304.
“With the start of 2025, it’s a great time to request a copy of this record-keeping book for your dairy operation to establish a good system for managing animal care efforts and protocols. We continue to keep these record-keeping books updated over time as the National FARM program revises their requirements,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Program Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Each book should hold three years of FARM records and the books include a family cow care agreement, pages to help producers document standard operating procedures and treatments of their dairy animals, dry cow protocols, and more.”
Over the past year, the Center for Dairy Excellence has updated the record-keeping books with the following changes and additions:
- Each book should hold three years of FARM records.
- A dry cow protocol is added.
- Diarrhea is added to the list of common illnesses.
- Updated 5.0 information is added to the colostrum and euthanasia sections.
- The treatment log is now one running log.
- A blank medication list is now included for farmers to complete with their veterinarians.
- The medication list from the FARM Drug Residue Prevention Manual is now included for reference.
“I personally love the books and have told my veterinarian about them when they sign. I keep a separate log for my cow records, but I keep this book in the front. I love that it has all the requirements for the FARM program listed, and it made it easier when our co-op did our FARM inspection,” said Maurica King, a dairy producer.
Veterinarians and consultants can order free copies of the books for their dairy clients, and dairy producers can order copies directly for their farm. Blank, fillable protocol sheets and additional record-keeping templates are available on the National FARM website at //www.nationaldairyfarm.com/producer-resources/herd-health-and-protocols/. The National FARM Program also requires that any family or non-family employee have a record documenting training in stockmanship, calf care, non-ambulatory, euthanasia or fitness to transport.
“The record-keeping books are great for dairy producers who don’t know where to start and like to have everything conveniently in one spot. It helps to be able to walk through it with the producer, and they can also walk through it with their veterinarian. It drives a little bit of consistency,” said Alyssa Snyder, a dairy field representative from Land O’Lakes. “There’s also a lot of great built-in information. Producers don’t have to come up with the protocols out of nowhere. It’s a huge benefit to give them the book and go through it with them and have everything captured that they can refer back to.”
The record-keeping books were compiled by the Center for Dairy Excellence, using resources from the National FARM Program, AllTech, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Mid-Maryland Dairy Veterinarians, and Valley Mobile Veterinary Services.
The National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management works to set the highest standards when it comes to animal care, workplace settings, and environmental and antibiotic stewardship. Created by the National Milk Producers Federation in partnership with Dairy Management Inc., FARM helps ensure the success of the entire industry by demonstrating that U.S. dairy farmers are committed to producing the best milk with integrity. FARM is open to all farms, milk processors and cooperatives and program components are guided by their respective advisory groups.
To request a free copy of the Animal Care Protocol Record-Keeping Book, visit //www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/request-book or call Allen Hess at 717-788-0304.
The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the Center’s mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources. Learn more at centerfordairyexcellence.org.
