Latest News From Housing - Facilities

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Facility Focus: The Best Way to Better Manage Group Maternity Pens for Calmer Calvings

Though maternity pens can sometimes feel chaotic to manage, there are additional ways to help minimize stress and create a calmer calving environment for both cow and calf.

The Plywood Guide (And 6 Other Helpful Calf Barn Tips)
The Plywood Guide (And 6 Other Helpful Calf Barn Tips)

Whether you’re building a new calf barn or retrofitting an existing structure, there are measures that can be taken to ensure the best possible calf comfort, welfare, and health.

Managing 8,000 Cows with Activity Monitors at Del Rio Dairy
Managing 8,000 Cows with Activity Monitors at Del Rio Dairy

A big question on the minds of many decision makers on the dairy is: Should one invest more heavily in hiring highly skilled cow people or in adopting technology that can perform tasks that good cow people could do?

Facility Focus: 4 Tips to Manage Ventilation During the Off-Season
Facility Focus: 4 Tips to Manage Ventilation During the Off-Season

Keeping cows, calves and employees comfortable during the winter months is a balancing act. However finding the right combination between keeping animals warm while also providing adequate air exchange is essential.

Facility Focus: Don’t Slip Up on Floor Resurfacing
Facility Focus: Don’t Slip Up on Floor Resurfacing

Dairy farms can often be a slippery place for both farmers and cows to work.

Cows Will Tell You What is Wrong with a Facility Design
Cows Will Tell You What is Wrong with a Facility Design

As we transition the cows into a new facility, take time to watch the cows' usage of the facility. Cow behavior in the facility will indicate what may need to be adjusted.

Six Straw Alternatives to Get You Through a Bedding Shortage
Six Straw Alternatives to Get You Through a Bedding Shortage

If you are experiencing a shortage in your straw supply, here are six bedding alternatives to consider.

When Stray Voltage Strikes
When Stray Voltage Strikes

This is the story of one dairy producer's struggle with the impact of stray voltage on her cows and family. She wants her family's experience to be something veterinarians and dairy producers can learn and benefit from.

5 Ways To Address Heat Stress And Keep Cows Cool
5 Ways To Address Heat Stress And Keep Cows Cool

Keep an eye on water intake and feedstuffs. Avoid vaccinations when heat levels are high. Address the environment for management steps you can take to improve cow comfort.

Six Ways to Help Preweaned Dairy Calves Succeed in Group Housing
Six Ways to Help Preweaned Dairy Calves Succeed in Group Housing

Factors for consideration include colostrum management, group composition and dynamics, bedding and space, nutritional management, early disease detection and the need for "real life" observations.

More Rest for Dry Cows May Equal More Live Calves
More Rest for Dry Cows May Equal More Live Calves

It appears that making sure dry cows are comfortable and encouraged to rest influences the survival of their newborns.

Sleeping With the Cows: A Unique Bed and Breakfast Experience
Sleeping With the Cows: A Unique Bed and Breakfast Experience

Dairy farming is a 24/7, 365-day commitment. At times it can even feel like farmers are literally with their cows nonstop. Nestled in the small Northeast Iowa town, Dan and Lynn Bolin offer an experience to do just that.

Consider a Danish Entry for Calf Biosecurity
Consider a Danish Entry for Calf Biosecurity

Want to keep disease out of your calf barn? If so, it might be prudent to take a page from the biosecurity measures of our pig-and-poultry-raising kin, and set up a “Danish entry.”

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Dry Cows Most Important Group to Keep Cool

While the milking herd is usually given top priority in management efforts, dry cows and springing heifers are arguably the more important groups to protect from heat.

Focus on the Pen, Not Individual Cows, to Deliver Profits
Focus on the Pen, Not Individual Cows, to Deliver Profits

Monitoring what's happening at the pen level, rather than for individual dairy cows, is proving to be the best approach for producers with more than 1,000 cows.

Pull Out All the  Stops for Cow Care
Pull Out All the Stops for Cow Care

The three priorities Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis set out to accomplish when they began their renovation remain the same – take care of the cows, take care of the people and keep the farm around for generations to come.

cows in freestall with fans
Facility Focus: Optimizing Resting Behavior

Just because a cow is resting does not mean that she is recovering properly. In order to maximize optimal rest on your facility, analyze these key areas.

Get a Better Handle on Digital Dermatitis
Get a Better Handle on Digital Dermatitis

While there may not be a cure for this lameness causing disease, digital dermatitis can be easy to manage if you know what to look for.