There’s almost always a shortage of time and a lack of space on dairy farms. When deciding which animals get the most attention and best resources, the answer is typically the milking herd, and understandably...
As many of you know, we switched to a robotic milking system last November. When we made the change, we had a pretty good idea of how things would go initially
For the past week, our farm and family have found ourselves in the path of a wildfire. It’s one of those natural disaster situations you hope and pray you never have to deal with
Gary Oetzel, D.V.M., a professor for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, presented “Calcium and the transition cow”. Calcium is a key determinant of transition period success...
Most of us have heard the popular statement that cows have best friends. While I’m not one to anthropomorphize, this is a fact that I have seen countless amounts of anecdotal evidence for
I know you’ve heard it before: “‘So-and-so’ is a cow whisperer; they seem to know a cow is sick before the cow does!” If you’re the lucky recipient of such high praise,...
For the first time in many months, I’ve spent the last two weeks at home with my family. Normally, I am back at school by now, and aside from my normally abbreviated winter break, I don’t normally...
I think we can all agree 2020 has been a little rocky. COVID-19 has transformed what we think of as regular, day-to-day routines into unpredictable days, weeks, and even months
Bunching of animals is a common problem in dairy facilities during summer months. It can be very frustrating as it is often difficult to determine what is causing cattle to bunch
For the past seven years, I have volunteered at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair. When I get there, I promptly plop myself next to the calf pen, which is normally swamped with people
Dairy calf care broadly affects behavior, including social interactions and feeding patterns, which impact calf performance and welfare. Miller-Cushon will discuss how early life experiences further influence...