The standing and walking surfaces that cows are exposed to between lying bouts have a significant impact on their well-being, especially when it comes to their risk for lameness. In this episode, we look at the variation between flooring types, the pros and cons of concrete and rubber, and how to ensure that the flooring isn't slippery, abrasive, or traumatic to cows' hooves.
Dr. Dörte Döpfer sits down with us for a conversation exploring the intersection of digital dermatitis (DD) and artificial intelligence (AI) in dairy cattle. We begin by talking about how not all lesions are created equal and ways to prevent and treat DD before discussing how we can leverage AI to enhance the detection and management of DD.
Depending on the situation and location, water can be an effective way to cool cows by enhancing cooling through soaking the cow directly or using a fine mist or evaporative cooling pad to cool the air before it reaches the cow. This episode discusses the various ways to cool cows with water and the pros and cons of each so that you can use water strategically and efficiently on farm.
Dr. Jennifer Van Os is back to help us bust some myths about using water to cool cows specifically focusing on the difference between soaking vs. misting, water droplet size, and how cows behave around water.
Is summer PPTV the next "hot" topic? Our opinion may be a bit "inflated," but we think you’re going to be a big "fan" of these systems! This episode highlights the latest heat abatement research using PPTV to provide fast moving air to calves with tips on how to design the PPTV system.
Heat stress in cows has long been recognized, but what about in calves? Dr. Jimena Laporta opens our eyes to the importance of cooling calves and discusses on farm heat abatement strategies and how to know if they're working.
Dr. Jennifer Van Os joins us to talk about dairy cow welfare as it relates to heat stress with specific focus on the limitations of using the temperature humidity index (THI) to assess individual cow responses. Understanding thermal comfort and how cows respond individually to heat stress allows us to intervene and better manage our cow cooling strategies.
Dr. Cook takes a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the days when herds were moving out of tiestall facilities and into freestall barns and expanding herd size. As herds got larger, mature cows didn't perform as well as relative to the heifers. But why? Poor cow comfort was holding these herds back so Dr. Cook got into the remodeling business. Hear how to remodel barns so that cow comfort doesn't hold back milk production.
Do cows need to live for five lactations? It's a question being asked around the world. We look for answers to that question by exploring current trends in cow longevity and turnover rates, and discuss the impact of breeding and management decisions on culling strategies.
It's time to give heifers their time in the spotlight! We cover all aspects of heifer facility design from stalls, bedded packs, flooring, feedbunks, and ventilation. You don't want to miss this episode if you're looking to build new facilities for your replacement heifers.
Farmers are noticing reverse corkscrew claw syndrome in their heifer populations. What causes it and how can we prevent it? We answer those questions and more with the help of a case study to solve a new twist on an old lesion.
How do you know which stall divider loop to purchase? In this episode, we discuss the design and functionality of various types of loops on the market, the pros and cons of each, and the importance of picking a loop that optimizes the cow's ability to rest without the risk of injury.
The freestall divider defines the lateral limits of the resting space, facilitates the lying direction of the cow, permits or prevents side lunge, and determines the height of the neck rail. Dr. Nigel Cook and Courtney Halbach talk about what makes a good stall divider loop.
We welcome our first guest, Dr. Terri Ollivett, to talk about troubleshooting respiratory disease in young dairy calves where she says characterizing the condition is crucial. We can do this by paying attention to who is getting sick, who is dying, and what the clinical and subclinical signs are. Then we can investigate the risk factors ranging from comorbidities, management decisions, and the environment.
We continue our discussion about stall design by talking about brisket locators and neck rails for positioning cows when lying and standing in the stall. While the brisket locator defines the front of the resting space, the neck rail positions the cow in the stall when she is standing. Hear about how to place these key stall components correctly in this episode.
We're diving in to the components of freestall design by kicking off with a focus on facilitating a cow's natural rising and lying movements. One goal of freestall design is to allow the cow to rise and lie down as naturally as possible without obstruction to the lunge and bob of the head or the forward stride of her forelimb. We discuss how stall length, width, and mounting systems influence how a cow can lunge and bob.
What's the ideal footbath and how do you implement footbathing on farm to control for digital dermatitis and foot rot? We cover the research that has shaped current best practices and discuss footbath placement in robotic milking herds.
Thoughtful design and management practices lead to increased milk production and labor efficiency in robotic milking herds. This podcast discusses the factors associated with high performing AMS herds, with topcis ranging from heifer and fresh cow management to pellet allocation and housing considerations.
How long do cows wait to be milked in a AMS? What factors influence how long cows wait to be milked? We look at the milking time behavior of cows in a guided- and free-flow AMS and discuss design strategies to minimize milk wait times.
There are a variety of ways to orient a robot within a pen, but the ideal robot placement will optimize visits to the automated milking system (AMS) by reducing traffic around the robot and providing plenty of space to minimize congestion and competition. This episode outlines the pros and cons of six common robot layouts with a focus on improving cow flow and labor efficiency.