There's no excuse for irresponsible drug use In today's media environment, the mistakes of a single farm can be rapidly broadcast. Understanding allowable drug usage, reading the labels and working with...

Heed the saying "measure twice and cut once" when designing or renovating your tie stall. If stalls are sized properly to meet their needs, your cows will thank you. Barn design and stall dimensions contribute

Prompt and proper care during this critical period in a cow's annual life cycle can be considered the foundation on which a cow builds a profitable lactation and provides a healthy replacement

Design facilities to optimize transition cow comfort Maximizing comfort and minimizing stress are the goals to keep top of mind when designing a transition cow facility

Transition pen design considerations are different than those for your typical lactating cow pens

Pinpoint cows with an unseen calcium challenge Diagnostic tools provide a window into cows' calcium status. Monitoring subclinical hypocalcemia at the herd and cow level allows for informed decision making....

With the right design, tie stalls can provide excellent cow comfort. If you're milking in an older setup, evaluate what changes could be made to foster comfort and production. by Emily Morabito and Jeffrey...

Spending a little more to design transition cow housing the right way can lead to financial and herd health successes. by Rebecca Brotzman, D.V.M., Nigel Cook, D.V.M., and Ken Nordlund, D.V.M. The authors...

What every transition cow barn needs These four features should be a part of every transition cow barn design. by Rebecca Brotzman, D.V.M., Nigel Cook, D.V.M., and Ken Nordlund, D.V.M. The authors are...

Solve your transition housing puzzle Well-designed transition barns should include space for cows to rest, eat and calve with minimal disruptions.There are four characteristics of excellent transition...

The FDA is tightening antibiotic use in food animal production with a voluntary request to pharmaceutical companies. I've received numerous questions recently from local dairy producers who have heard...

How do your hoof blocks wear? Wooden hoof blocks are commonly used in the treatment of toe, heel and sole ulcer-derived lameness. Traditionally, an epoxy glue is used to adhere a wooden block to the sound...

These four features should be a part of every transition cow barn design. Room to eat, a comfortable place to lie and a stress-free calving environment all contribute to fresh cow performance. Excellent...

The surgical correction of displaced abomasums is not only financially defensible, it's sound animal welfare. Mother Nature made two great mistakes when she designed the dairy cow. First, she placed the...

The emphasis of dairy stockmanship training has always been on humane handling of cattle, and with that comes a secondary benefit - enhanced safety on the farm. Little did we know just how significant...

Take a stand for cows that can't Down cows deserve special care to bring them back to health or, if necessary, to a humane end. by Geof W. Smith, D.V.M. The author is at the College of Veterinary Medicine,...

Hypocalcemia is more than a "low calcium" problem Milk fever cannot be overcome in a reactive fashion. Prevention programs must be in place to help cows successfully transition into lactation. To better...

From the moment of birth, calves learn how to interact with us. Make it a pleasant experience, and you'll have calmer cows when they enter the parlor. Let's face it: the long-term economic health of the...

People have known for a long time that rough handling and stress is detrimental to dairy cattle. Over 100 years ago, W. D. Hoard, founder of Hoard's Dairyman, wrote that people working with dairy cows...

Fewer social upsets during the transition period lead to healthier, more productive cows after calving. Even without completely new facilities, social stress can be managed during the transition