Why farm data needs time, context and conversation to uncover the full narrative.
Your data is constantly flowing — from the milking parlor to the feed bunk to the breeding pen. This steady stream of data points has become essential for smart, profitable decision-making. But are you reading the whole story or making assumptions after only skimming the summary?
“Data doesn’t lie, but it also can’t tell the whole story unless you give it time and context,” says Meagan Young, voice of customer program manager at VAS. “When you understand the natural lag and momentum of certain management changes, you can avoid overcorrecting and begin making decisions that move the needle long term.”
Whether it’s a change in milking routine, new ration or breeding strategy, management changes take time to show results. Knowing when and how to evaluate performance can be the difference between abandoning a good idea or doubling down on a bad one.
Understanding data lag and momentum
When it comes to herd management, data lag refers to the time between implementing a management change and observing the results of that change in your data. For example, average days open and average calving interval are measurements that have inherent lag built into them.
Momentum specifies the time it takes for those results to materialize within the data. For instance, if a breeder of a 1000-cow dairy breeds 80% of all the cows and is hoping to increase their conception rate, it will take time to see an improvement on that statistic due to momentum.
Not all changes follow the same timeline. Some show effects in days, others in years. Knowing the difference helps set realistic expectations.
Nutrition: Quick feedback that requires context
Nutritional changes are among the fastest to show effects. Within 24 to 48 hours, signs like manure consistency and rumination may change. Milk production and components usually follow within one to two weeks.
“Context is everything,” says Young. “Weather, water and ingredient quality can all skew how a ration performs day to day. You have to look at the full picture.”
For example, you notice visible changes in your cows, like differences in their manure and less time spent at the feedbunk. Your data also shows an increase in weighbacks and a drop in milk production. It might be hard to pinpoint what’s causing these changes, but after chatting with your feeder, you learn they recently started feeding second-crop hay in the mix.
Without additional context, you might misread the situation and reformulate the ration or adjust cow grouping to free up bunk space. However, these time-consuming and potentially costly management changes likely would not solve the problem, as the real cause was overlooked.
Breeding and genetics: The long game
Reproductive strategies come with built-in delays. Decisions like sexed semen or beef-on-dairy may take three to four years to reveal their impact after calves grow and join the milking herd.
“Today’s technology allows us to test genomics and project future performance,” says Young. “But until that cow is producing milk, it’s just a forecast.”
Changes in breeding protocols and technicians will appear within your data faster than breeding strategy changes. Statistics like conception rate highlight the results of breeding protocols and breeder performance, but it’s important to avoid jumping to conclusions.
Best practice is to wait until you have enough data points before thoroughly evaluating a new breeding protocol. For breeding decisions, the more data you have the better off you are.
“Relying on a small data set can lead to poor decisions,” says Young. “Smaller herds will naturally take longer to reach the data threshold, while larger herds may get there faster, but in either case, you'll make better decisions with a complete data picture.”
For instance, if you’re managing a larger farm, about 100 services will give you a good idea of a bull’s performance. For smaller herds, it’s often more effective to lean on published fertility data and use a percentage strategy to gauge how he could fit within your herd.
Bedding and barn management: Comfort first, then performance
Changes to bedding or environment can quickly enhance comfort, as evident in increased lying time or altered behavior. However, ripple effects — like somatic cell count (SCC) shifts, mastitis rates or lameness — take longer.
After making barn management changes, keep an eye on SCC testing, health event reports and your cows’ activity to understand how those changes are impacting your herd and their flow through the parlor. For example, reducing stall-cleaning frequency may seem harmless at first with no change in cow flow or milk yield. Yet, a week later, SCC results and health reports may reveal rising mastitis cases, showing the hidden impact of that adjustment.
Aligning management with meaningful metrics
The key is knowing what data to look at and how often. Here's how Young recommends monitoring your data so the right metrics get reviewed at the right time:
- Daily: Rumination, milk stall reports, milk weights and compliance on vaccination or treatment programs
- Weekly: Milk production by pen, feed intakes, weather forecasts and event reports like breedings or dry-offs
- Monthly: Reproduction tracking with reports like those created by DairyComp and parlor performance metrics
- Quarterly: Pregnancy risk, conception trends, genetic progress and replacement forecasts
- Annually: Transition event tracking, age at first calving and overall herd productivity metrics
Herd management platforms like DairyComp provide robust analytics, trend reports and insightful information that Young emphasizes can help start conversations with your team.
“Reports can show you what’s been recorded, but involving your on-farm team can explain the why,” says Young. “The guy in the pen might tell you, ‘Oh yeah, we changed that feed two days ago,’ or ‘The breeder had to deal with high heat and humidity conditions over the last two weeks.’ The story behind the data matters.”
Empower your employees by granting access to herd management data and reports, so they feel a sense of ownership and responsibility in the herd’s performance. Meet with your entire team at least once a month to review findings and discuss any changes in management or protocols.
Let your data tell the whole story
Smart dairy management isn’t just about good instincts. It’s about listening to the full story your herd data is telling you — not just the parts you expect. That means knowing what to track, when to act and when to wait.
“As long as you’re tracking it, we can help you find the answer,” says Young. “The data might not always confirm your gut feeling, but it will tell you something. You must give it time to speak.”
Start seeing your dairy’s full story by analyzing and acting on the most meaningful insights using VAS herd management solutions. Learn how VAS can help – visit VAS.com.
VAS is the global market leader in connected farm management systems. For over 40 years, VAS has been the operating system of choice for the most innovative dairies. VAS' software and information solutions help collect and connect a farm's data – from herd management to feed performance, tracking and more. These insights are a source of truth, empowering producers and their trusted advisors to make profit-driven and sustainable management decisions. At the forefront of thought leadership within the dairy industry, VAS is trusted by the producers we serve and the greater dairy community.
