Housing - Facilities

Clearing the Air About Ammonia in Calf Hutches

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:52:43 GMT

Most calf hutches look fine from the outside. But what’s happening inside the hutch, especially at calf level, is not always as obvious.

When wet bedding and manure break down, they release ammonia. In hutches, it builds up right where calves are breathing. Even at fairly low levels, it can affect intake, growth and overall performance.

During a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, David Casper, a dairy nutritionist and owner of Casper’s Calf Ranch in Illinois, explains how ammonia develops in calf hutches and what it means from a management standpoint.

Airflow is a Strength

Calf hutches continue to be widely used across dairies because they naturally provide strong ventilation and keep calves in individual spaces that are easy to manage. They also offer flexibility as herds grow and do not require the same level of infrastructure as enclosed barns.

“In my opinion, the hutch would still be the gold standard as far as having the best environmental quality you could have, especially air quality, and not have to deal with ventilation problems,” Casper says.

Even so, ammonia can increase as bedding becomes damp. By the time it’s noticeable, calves have already been exposed.

“When we started using soy hulls, I started noticing ammonia in the hutches,” Casper says. “I could smell it and really picked up on it. And that’s when we started getting concerned.”

That realization prompted a closer look at ammonia levels in hutches and how they relate to calf growth and health.

Measuring Ammonia

To better understand the issue, Casper evaluated ammonia levels in 90 calf hutches. Calves were placed in alternating hutches assigned to either a control or treatment group, and ammonia was measured weekly.

“Once a week, we come through with a personal ammonia detector that’s digital, and we would turn that with the measuring system face down on the bedding,” he says. “After 30 seconds, you get a stable reading, and that was the ammonia reading in the hutch.”

Control hutches averaged about 10 parts per million, while treated hutches averaged around 1.5 parts per million, an 85% reduction.

“We actually reduced the ammonia levels in the hutches by 85%,” Casper says.

That difference was significat, as performance challenges can begin once ammonia exceeds about 4 to 6 parts per million.

“Basically the range is four to six parts per million,” he says. “Above that, you will actually start seeing performance losses or performance challenges.”

Ammonia levels varied widely between hutches. Wetter bedding, scours and older calves were all associated with higher readings.

“Some hutches would have values up to 100 parts per million and other ones would be very low,” Casper says.

Ammonia also tended to increase later in the preweaning period as calves consumed more starter.

“For our studies, week seven and eight were probably the higher ammonia readings,” Casper says. “The first week had almost no ammonia readings because they’re on freshly bedded straw and fecal output is very minimal.”

Impact on Calf Growth

Lower ammonia levels were also tied to better performance. Calves in lower ammonia environments gained more weight during the preweaning period.

“We actually picked up on a growth response as well,” Casper says. “We got .14 pounds more average daily gain.”

Milk feeding remained the same, pointing to differences in intake and environment.

“The calves that were in the lower ammonia levels in the hutches ate more calf starter and had better growth rates,” he says.

Calves in lower ammonia hutches also showed greater increases in heart girth, indicating more overall body development.

Managing Ammonia in the Hutch

While most dairies are not measuring ammonia regularly, several management areas influence how much builds up in hutches.

Bedding is the biggest driver. Keeping bedding dry and well maintained helps limit ammonia. Deep straw provides insulation and absorbs moisture, but it needs to be refreshed regularly, especially later in the preweaning period.

“A calf can take a lot of cold weather if they’ve got deep straw bedding that they can nest down into and stay warm,” Casper says.

Moisture control is also important. Hutches with scours or poor drainage tend to have higher ammonia levels, so identifying problem hutches early can help target extra bedding or cleanout.

Smell is another indicator. If ammonia is noticeable when checking calves, levels are already elevated.

Timing matters as well. Ammonia tends to increase as calves get older and consume more starter, so bedding management often needs to be more aggressive in the later weeks before weaning.

A few practical hutch-specific steps producers can use include:

Add fresh straw more often in the back third of the hutch, where moisture tends to build first
Pull wet bedding away from the calf’s resting area instead of just layering on top
Pay close attention to hutches with scouring calves and re-bed them first
Check bedding depth at the calf level, not just at the front entrance of the hutch
Clean or fully reset hutches between groups when possible to reduce carryover moisture

Paying attention to these areas can help keep ammonia levels lower and support more consistent calf performance through the preweaning period.

The Top Three Biggest Mistakes When Using Crowd Gates

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:47:51 GMT

Crowd gates are often one of the most used tools on a dairy. Not only do they save significant time for employees, but they also help reduce the stress associated with moving cows.

However, just like any tool, crowd gates can be used incorrectly and can sometimes negatively impact cow comfort and welfare. Carolina Pinzon, a Dairy Outreach Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, highlights the three most common mistakes she sees in crowd gate usage and provides practical strategies to avoid them.

Overcrowding the Holding Area

Occasionally, overcrowding the holding area happens, but Pinzon warns that prolonged overcrowding can negatively impact cow health, production, and welfare. This is especially concerning during summer when cows generate extra body heat and require sufficient airflow.

“Signs of an overcrowded holding pen include cows with their heads up, unable to plant their four feet on the ground, and looking restless and uncomfortable,” Pinzon says. “Short-term overcrowding can also result from misuse of the crowd gate, by employees pushing it too far forward and smashing the cows.”

To prevent overcrowding, Pinzon recommends balancing parlor and pen sizes, so cows spend no more than one hour away from their pens during each milking. Holding areas should allow at least 20 square feet per cow.

“If needed, a large pen can be divided into smaller groups,” Pinzon suggests. “While this means more trips to the parlor for workers, it significantly reduces the time cows spend in the holding pen. Additionally, short-term overcrowding can be alleviated by moving the crowd gate backward to provide more space for the cows.”

Being Careless

While dairy cows are typically gentle giants, they can be stubborn and slow to move. This, however, doesn’t justify using force. Moving crowd gates too quickly or applying electricity can cause unnecessary stress and fear for the animals.
Instead, Pinzon emphasizes the importance of calm and gentle handling. She advises guiding cows to the parlor without pressure or haste.

“Once the cows on one side of the parlor have exited, the crowd gate can be moved forward,” Pinzon says. “This regular adjustment is crucial to accommodate the changing number of animals and available space in the holding area. Automating crowd gates to move forward every time exit gates are open/lift can help reduce misuse.”

Pinzon recommends keeping crowd gates at least three feet from the cows to avoid pressing against their backs. She suggests using sound cues, like bells or ringing, to train cows to move forward, rather than relying solely on gate movement. If the gate gets too close, pull it back to give the cows more space before resuming forward movement. These practices promote a stress-free and productive environment for both cows and workers.

Workers Entering the Holding Area

Crowd gates are valuable tools for safely and efficiently moving cows toward the parlor entrance. However, when employees enter the holding pen to push cows, it can create unnecessary stress for the animals and put workers at risk of injury.

Pinzon highlights the importance of regularly training employees on proper cow handling and the correct use of crowd gates. She stresses avoiding the practice of entering the holding area to chase cows and instead maintaining a calm and consistent environment for the animals.

“Except for when loading the last cows of a pen and fresh cows, the door from the parlor pit to the holding area should remain closed during most of the milking process,” she adds. “This physical reminder is to discourage workers from entering the holding area. In addition, regular maintenance of crowd gates, prompt reporting of issues, and swift resolution of problems by management are crucial for proper gate function.”

Spotting these three common mistakes in crowd gate use and taking proactive steps to address them can significantly improve cow welfare, employee safety, and your herd’s operational efficiency. Regular maintenance, clear protocols, and proper training go a long way in preventing overcrowding and keeping things calm and stress-free for both cows and workers.

Calves Prefer Their Pals, Even in the Heat

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The effects of heat stress on calves has been the topic of a good share of research in recent years. So, too, has been the study of social versus individual calf housing. Now, University of Wisconsin researchers have published a first-of-its kind study that examined the two factors together.

The research project, published in the Journal of Dairy Science , studied the behavior and physiological characteristics of pair-housed preweaned calves as they navigated competing motivations for social contact and thermal comfort.

A total of 50 Holstein heifer calves were housed in 25 pairs in adjoining hutches with a common outdoor run. In each pair of hutches, one was ventilated with 2 open windows at the rear base and the rear bedding door propped open. The other hutch had no ventilation.

Calves were exposed to and evaluated under 4 conditions for 1 daytime hour each – individually or in pairs confined to a ventilated or non-ventilated hutch. The experiment took place from later spring to fall.

The observations were conducted on 2 consecutive days during weeks 4, 6, and 9 of life. Immediately before and after the hutch confinement, respiration rate and rectal temperature were recorded while calves were outside.

On the subsequent third day in the test weeks, the location of each calf was recorded in 15-minute intervals using time-lapse cameras. They were able to move freely among the two hutches and outdoor run without confinement.

Findings included:

Calves had no hutch preference in week 4 of life, but significantly preferred the ventilated hutch in week 6 and 9 of life.
The temperature-humidity index (THI) within the ventilated hutches remained constant throughout the study, regardless of the number of calves in them. The unventilated hutches saw a rise in THI when calves were confined inside, which became more pronounced with 2 calves versus 1, and as the calves aged, grew larger, and began ruminating.
Not only did ventilation mitigate THI increase, but it also produced a significant reduction in respiration rate of calves when they were confined inside. The greatest reduction in respiration rate was observed in paired calves in week 6. Respiration rate inside and outside the hutch remained relatively the same for the non-ventilated hutches for calves of all ages.
No significant effect on rectal temperature was observed under any of the conditions.
Regardless of location, calves in the unconfined portion of the study preferred being together about 80% of the time.

The preference for staying together was true even inside the unventilated hutches. The researchers cited previous research indicating that calves have a strong desire to access and maintain physical contact with another calf.

They speculated that, when considering social contact versus physical comfort, calves were willing to endure higher temperatures and potentially poorer air quality to be with their partner.Even though evidence in the study indicated the ventilated hutches were more comfortable, calves were willing to forego that comfort to stay with another calf.

Your Next Read: The Hidden Cost of Heat Stress on the Unborn Calf

Cool Calves Live Longer

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:18:50 GMT

The average number of lactations of a U.S. dairy cow currently rests at about 2.8, or around 5 years of age.

That’s a fairly shocking statistic, considering a cow’s natural lifespan can be up to 20 years or more. And, on average, it takes about two full lactations before heifers begin to generate return on investment for their rearing or purchase cost. Given today’s robust heifer values, that time before young cows begin to pay the bills may be even greater.

So, how can we help cows live longer, more productive lives? Researchers at the University of Florida assessed one factor: birth season. They predicted that cows that entered the world during seasons of heat stress would have shorter lifespans. And they were right.

The study, led by researcher Izabella Toledo and published in the Journal of Dairy Science , examined the DairyComp records of more than 10,000 cows in Florida and 8,000 in California that remained alive and productive for more than 5 lactations.

The data were sorted to identify animals born over a period of 10 years (2012-2022) in the cool season (December, January, February, and March) and the hot season (June, July, August, and September). Cows born in the more temperate months of April, May, October, and November were not included in the dataset.

In Florida, 14.5% of cows (1,567) born in the test months were still alive and milking after 5 lactations. Of them, more than double (1,129, or 72%) were born in the cool months compared to the hot months (438, or 28%). In California, 20.4% (1,669) of the dataset made it 5 lactations or longer, with 56.% of them born in the cool months, versus 44% born in the hot months.

The Florida dataset also was analyzed for the number of cows born in the tests months that were dead or sold for beef in the first 4 lactations, and the reasons why. A total of 1,454 were sold and another 238 died. Selling reasons included breeding, foot and leg, digestive, and respiratory issues, along with mastitis.

Significantly more cows born in the hot season (53%) compared to the cool season (47%) were sold for beef.On-farm deaths also were significantly higher for cows born in the hot (54%) versus cool (46%) season.

Toledo and her team concluded that the results give even more credence to the deleterious impacts of heat stress on dairy productivity. Previous studies – many also conducted by University of Florida researchers – have shown that heat stress during late pregnancy affects dams’ milk production in the next lactation, immune function, and calf birth weight.

Further, they have found that calves exposed to heat stress in late gestation had 19% lower milk production in their own first lactations, and even passed that lower milk production potential on to their offspring.

Toledo said the results of the current study suggest a potential two-pronged approach to protecting the productive life integrity of newborn heifers: (1) implement heat-stress abatement measures for dams, including shade, fans, soakers, and misters; and (2) alter breeding decisions to avoid births in seasons of peak heat.

Your Next Read: A New Kind of AI for Dairy Calves

Five Easy Maternity Pen Moves for Better Calves

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 21:47:47 GMT

What happens in the maternity pen, does not stay in the maternity pen. Rather, the events and environment there can impact a newborn calf for the rest of its life, particularly when it comes to respiratory disease.

Because lung damage in calfhood can impact lifelong health and performance, researchers at the University of California-Davis conducted a multi-phase, large-scale population study examining various management factors and their influence on calfhood bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

On a recent episode of the “ Have You Herd ?” podcast from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Dr. Sherif Aly, veterinarian and epidemiologist at the UC-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center at Tulare, Calif., discussed the results.

Aly said the first portion of the study was a survey with more than 40 questions issued to dairies throughout California that helped narrow down the management factors that affect BRD. The next phase, dubbed the “BRD 100” study, drilled deeper into those issues on 104 cooperating dairies. Finally, the resulting information led to the “ BRD 10K ” study, which gathered health and performance data on more than 11,000 calves from birth to weaning on 5 dairies located in the 3 major milksheds in California.

In that study, management practices were assessed by risk factors that contributed to BRD in varying degrees. A score of 1.0 or higher indicated a risk factor. Of particular interest was the maternity pen, where the following risk factors were identified:

(1) Cows and heifers calving together – Commingling first-calf heifers in the same maternity areas as multiparous cows resulted in a BRD offspring risk factor of 1.4, meaning there would be a 40% greater likelihood of calves contracting BRD.

(2) Bedding changes – Changing the maternity pen bedding 6, 7, or 8 times per month significantly reduced the risk of calves contracting BRD. Interestingly, changing the bedding 9 times per month actually produced an uptick in BRD risk to calves.

(3) Bedding materials – Compared to dried manure solids mixed with gypsum, both dirt and plant-based bedding materials (rice hulls, almond hulls, straw, and wood shavings) showed higher risk factors for BRD. Dirt had a whopping 4X odds ratio compared to a manure solids/gypsum base.

(4) Pasture calving – Calving on pasture produced a higher risk factor for BRD compared to enclosed maternity pens.

(5) Dam separation – Removing calves from their dams within 1 hour of birth produced a significant reduction in BRD risk.

The study also examined the association of BRD incidence related to herd demographics, colostrum delivery, vaccination, nutrition, and housing.

Aly said BRD is a complex, multi-factorial disease, lamenting that the incidence in dairy calves has not improved significantly over several decades. His team’s work revealed that 22-23% of calves contract BRD in the preweaning period, which leaves much room for improvement.

By drilling deep into the management practices and related BRD incidence on California dairies, Aly is hopeful the data and knowledge gleaned from their work can help dairies reduce their struggle with the disease. “BRD in preweaning period sets the stage for the success of these cows later on in life,” he declared.

5 Must-Do Steps for Raising Healthy Beef-on-Dairy Calves Before They Leave the Farm

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:36:27 GMT

With beef-on-dairy calves in high demand and day-old prices sky high, ensuring these crossbred calves get off to the best possible start has become a must for dairy producers. Not only does proper care improve calf health, but it also maximizes their market value and long-term performance. During the I-29 Moo University Dairy Beef Short Course, Dr. Gail Carpenter, state dairy extension specialist and assistant professor at Iowa State University, says those first few days are make-or-break for setting these calves up for success.

Here are her top five priorities dairy producers should focus on:

1. Breed the Right Calves in the First Place
Before a beef-on-dairy calf is even born, Carpenter notes that the right breeding decisions make all the difference. Choosing the best cows and bulls helps ensure easy calvings, healthy calves, and animals that bring top dollar down the road. For her, this means creating calves who hit the ground strong, grow well, and meet market demands—whether through feedlot performance or carcass quality. Therefore, a little planning upfront goes a long way in setting up both your dairy and beef programs for success.

“Beef-on-dairy is an inventory management practice first and foremost,” Carpenter says. “It’s easy to be pulled towards making a lot of beef on dairy calves. But don’t forget, you also have to keep milking cows, so make sure that you’re protecting your replacement numbers as well.”

Beyond determining the ideal number of beef-on-dairy calves, she emphasizes the importance of selecting the right dams and bulls.
“Whether it’s using [tools like] genomics, health data, or parent averages, it’s essential to breed the right number of calves and select the right cows for beef semen,” she adds. “Make sure you’re choosing for traits like calving ease and conception rate. I think we’re going to see a bigger drive toward breeding for more carcass traits and producing a high-quality product.”

2. Prioritize Maternity Management
Next on Carpenter’s list is a clean and well-managed maternity area.

“Keeping calving pens clean, ensuring cows have access to clean water, and avoiding overstocking are fundamental practices,” Carpenter notes. “Whatever your maternity system is—whether it’s just-in-time calving or a designated maternity pen—manage it well and keep a close eye on those cows.”

Beyond cleanliness, attention to detail in maternity care makes a difference.

“Make sure you’re cleaning your tools, using them productively, and maintaining calf housing and bedding properly,” Carpenter adds. “Bottles, nipples, and all feeding equipment should be kept clean to ensure the best start for your calves.”

Producers should be mindful of monitoring cows closely for signs of labor and assisting when necessary. Using clean equipment for calving assistance, ensuring newborns receive immediate care, and minimizing stress in the maternity area all contribute to better outcomes. Carpenter notes that a well-managed maternity area helps reduce disease risk and ensures calves are born into a safe, healthy environment.

3. Ensure Proper Colostrum Management
Colostrum is the foundation of a calf’s immune system and is crucial for setting the stage for good health. Without enough high-quality colostrum, a calf’s ability to fight infections and thrive early in life is compromised.

“Colostrum is going to be critical whether it’s for your replacements or your beef-on-dairy calves-use the same high-quality colostrum across the board,” Carpenter says. “If volume is an issue, colostrum replacers can be a valuable tool to make sure calves get the antibodies they need.”

Providing colostrum quickly after birth is essential, as the calf’s gut is most open to absorbing antibodies within the first few hours. The sooner you can get it into them, the better their chances are for developing a strong immunity and preventing future health issues.
Key colostrum practices include:

Ensuring calves receive high-quality colostrum within the first few hours of life. This is crucial for the calf to get the right amount of antibodies.
Using a Brix refractometer to confirm colostrum quality (ideally 22% or higher). This helps you ensure the colostrum is rich in immunoglobulins, which are vital for the calf’s immune system.
Feeding colostrum at the correct temperature to maximize absorption. Warm colostrum (around 100¬∞F) ensures that calves can properly absorb all the beneficial nutrients.

4. Implement a Solid Pre-Transport Health Plan
Before a calf leaves the farm, it’s crucial to ensure it receives all the necessary health interventions to set it up for success in its next stage of life. Having a solid pre-transport health plan in place not only supports the calf’s health but can also help meet buyer requirements and avoid any issues during transport.

“Vaccination protocols vary, so it’s essential to work with your vet and buyers to develop a plan that suits your operation,” Carpenter notes.

Beyond vaccinations, several other practices can help ensure calves stay healthy during their move:
Common pre-transport practices include:

Administering vaccinations based on the farm’s disease risks. Vaccinations should be tailored to protect calves from the most common diseases in your area or based on specific risks your operation faces.
Navel dipping to prevent infections. Newborn calves are especially susceptible to infection, so dipping the navel in an antiseptic solution helps prevent bacterial infections from entering through the umbilical cord.
Ensuring calves are well-fed and hydrated before transport. Well-nourished, hydrated calves are less stressed and more resilient during transport. Make sure they’ve had a good meal and are drinking before leaving the farm.

5. Maintain a Clean, Comfortable Environment
Creating a comfortable environment for your beef-on-dairy calves is one of the simplest yet most impactful ways to ensure their health and long-term performance. A calf’s first few days are crucial, and the conditions they are raised in directly affect their growth, immunity, and overall well-being.

“Keeping the calf’s environment clean and well-ventilated, ensuring calves stay warm and dry, and minimizing stress are all things within a producer’s control,” explains Carpenter.

To truly optimize calf comfort, producers should focus on several areas:

Provide deep, dry bedding to help regulate body temperature. Bedding plays a big role in keeping calves warm and comfortable. Fresh, dry bedding such as straw or shavings shavings can help calves maintain their body temperature. Change bedding regularly to ensure it stays clean and dry, as damp bedding can lead to problems like pneumonia or scours.
Maintain proper airflow to reduce respiratory disease risk. Good ventilation is essential for calf health. Poor air circulation can lead to respiratory issues, which are common in calves and can impact their long-term health. Make sure the housing area is well-ventilated but free from drafts, which could cause chilling.

Setting Calves Up for Success
Managing beef-on-dairy calves isn’t just about checking off a few boxes—it’s about paying attention to the little things every step of the way. By focusing on these five key priorities, farmers can give their calves the best start possible, making sure they stay healthy and strong for their next chapter of life.

Your Next Read: 5 Key Areas that Dairy Producers Need to Mindfully Protect in 2025

How to Create a Winning Winter Feeding Playbook

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:24:35 GMT

Cold, snow, wind, and more – winter in the northern climates brings extra challenges for dairies and their animals.

“We think a lot about heat stress, but cold stress also is a factor on many dairies,” stated Dr. Heather Dann, President of the W.H. Miner Institute, Chazy, N.Y. on a recent episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt podcast.

Fortunately, lactating cows produce a lot of heat. Dr. Bill Weiss, Professor Emeritus at Ohio State University, said on a recent episode of the Dairy Podcast Show, that a cow producing 100 pounds of milk per day will generate 40 mcal of excess heat per day. How much is 40 mcal in relatable terms? About the same amount of heat energy as 1.5 gallons of gasoline.

“In the summer, that’s a problem, because that excess heat must be dissipated,” said Weiss. “But in cold conditions, it can help keep cows warm.” In fact, he said the lower critical temperature – at which their body needs to make adjustments to maintain core body temperature – may be as low as -20°F in good shelter.

But while the rumen may act as a terrific furnace for lactating cows, that’s not the case for dry cows and young stock. Weiss said their lower critical temperature is more likely in the neighborhood of 10-20°F. Accommodations that should be made for them include:

Housing and shelter – Preweaned calves need deeper bedding and the ability to nest to stay warm. Older heifers and dry cows, too, can endure winter conditions more successfully with better shelter. “There’s a lot of cost to poor facilities,” declared Weiss. And even though lactating cows in free stalls are less susceptible to cold, Dann noted the importance of maintaining and utilizing curtained sidewalls to better shelter cows in harsh conditions and protect the function of equipment like waterers.
Body condition monitoring – Fat is an excellent insulator, and Weiss cautioned against heifers and dry cows losing condition through the winter. “We know losing body condition in the dry period definitely puts cows at risk for metabolic problems,” he said. “For heifers and dry cows, you might have to improve forage quality and reduce fiber a little bit to get the energy they need to stay warm. But as soon as it turns warm, we’ve got to lower energy intake to keep body condition steady.
Increased nutrients – Lactating cows often naturally consume more dry matter in cold conditions. Dann said calf nutrition needs can be accommodated by increasing feeding frequency or adjusting the type and/or quantity of milk replacer. For dry cows, Weiss advised their energy requirements will typically increase by 10-20%, requiring a bump of 1-2 mcal net energy/head/day. “The source of the nutrients, as long as it’s digestible, doesn’t matter that much,” he stated. “You’re not going to make those dry cows fatter or produce a bigger calf. It’s just going into metabolic cycles to produce heat.”

Additionally, Dann cautioned that one of the dangers of extremely cold weather is frozen silage. If big chunks find their way to the lactating ration, sorting and TMR inconsistency can result. She advised defacing silo faces 6 inches or more at feed-out to prevent frozen chunks, and managing plastic covers on silo faces to prevent snow melt that creates frozen patches.

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Keep Replacement Heifers Thriving this Winter: Three Expert Tips You Need to Know

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:51:20 GMT

When dairy farmers think about animals impacted by cold stress, calves are often the first that come to mind. Their smaller size and limited fat reserves make them especially vulnerable to harsh winter conditions. However, it’s important to remember that cold stress doesn’t just affect calves—it can also significantly impact heifers.

Younger animals, like post-weaned heifers, are particularly susceptible as they have less developed coats, and higher energy needs to maintain their core body temperature. For dairy farmers, understanding the signs of cold stress and implementing preventative measures across all age groups in the herd is essential for maintaining health, productivity, and growth during the winter months. While calves often receive extra attention, ensuring proper care for heifers and older animals can make a big difference in the overall success of the operation during the colder seasons. For these replacements to grow and thrive, dairy farmers must take proactive steps to prevent cold stress and minimize associated health issues.

Daniela Roland, dairy extension educator at Pennsylvania State University, provides the following tips for providing adequate care to replacement heifers during frigid temps.

Understanding Cold Stress

While lactating cows are relatively tolerant of cold temperatures and can handle conditions below 18°F when equipped with a heavy winter coat, young heifers face challenges at temperatures below 32°F.

“Normally, a heifer’s winter coat, plus their natural metabolic processes, like rumination, can keep them warm,” Roland says. “But during extremely cold temperatures - especially if there is inadequate housing, lack of dry bedding, insufficient nutrition, or a combination of these - heifers may experience cold stress.”

Housing and Bedding

Dry, well-bedded pens are essential to help heifers tolerate winter conditions. Bedding materials like straw, shavings, or corn fodder should be clean, dry, and absorbent to retain body heat.

“One way to test the dryness of heifer pens is the knee test,” Roland says. “To do this, try dropping to your knees in several areas around the pen. If your knees are still clean and dry after 10–15 seconds of kneeling on the bedding, then the bedding is sufficient. But if your pants are dirty or damp, more fresh bedding should be added.”

Wet or muddy coats reduce the insulating properties of a heifer’s hair, also increasing their susceptibility to cold stress. Excess manure or mud buildup should prompt farmers to add fresh bedding or clean pens more frequently.

Additionally, heifer housing should allow for adequate air exchange without creating drafts. Insufficient ventilation can increase the risk of respiratory diseases like bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which costs farmers an average of $252 per case and can delay a heifer’s growth and first calving, according to Roland.

Proper heifer housing is another critical factor to consider during cold weather. Housing should shield heifers from environmental extremes such as harsh winds, heavy snow, and freezing temperatures while maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment.

One key aspect of housing is ventilation. While barns and shelters must prevent drafts, they should also allow for proper air exchange to reduce humidity and prevent the buildup of harmful gases like ammonia. It’s essential to monitor heifers for signs of respiratory distress, such as coughing, labored breathing, or nasal discharge, as these could indicate inadequate airflow or other health issues. If respiratory problems are detected, improving ventilation should be a priority.

Heifers housed outside also need special attention.

“Heifers housed outdoors need to have access to either natural or constructed windbreaks,” Roland adds. “Wind significantly reduces the actual temperature, increasing cold stress on heifers.”

Nutrition for Winter Growth

In colder weather, heifers expend more energy to stay warm, making proper nutrition vital. Farmers should aim for daily growth rates of 1.75 pounds for large breeds and 1.3 pounds for smaller breeds to ensure heifers reach optimal breeding size.

“Data has shown that undersized heifers may calve later than the desired age range of 22 to 24 months. These smaller heifers tend to be more prone to calving problems and less productive,” Roland says. “Farmers should work with their nutritionist to make sure that their heifers have enough energy in their diet to help protect them from the cold weather and to ensure proper growth.”

Water Access

Water availability is another critical factor in winter care. Frozen or excessively cold water can limit intake, reducing feed consumption and energy availability.

“Dairy heifers between the ages of 5 and 24 months will drink about 3.8 to 9.6 gallons of water per day,” Roland adds. “Monitoring for frozen waterers is important during the extreme colder temperatures.”

Why It Matters

Investing in proper heifer care during winter ensures these replacements grow to their genetic potential and transition into productive lactating cows. By focusing on housing, bedding, nutrition, and water, farmers can safeguard their herd’s health, prevent growth setbacks, and optimize future productivity. Taking these steps helps ensure your heifers thrive, even in the coldest months.

Four Keys to Autofeeder Success

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:54:00 GMT

Thinking of installing an autofeeder to raise your calves? If so, a steep learning curve awaits you, which hopefully will result in a successful system that you – and your calves – will love.

Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor in Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University, warns the transition must be a highly intentional process. On a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show , Cantor shared her advice, based on years of research with autofed calves.

“It’s a very complex social housing system for calves,” she declared. “In my opinion, it’s probably the hardest one to implement. But once you get it right, it’s awesome, and you can really reap the benefits.”

Cantor shared her personal “keys to the kingdom” of autofeeders and group housing, which included:

Health excellence already in place – All the boxes must be checked in terms of calf health, in terms of “perfect colostrum management” and low disease prevalence. Cantor advised that passive transfer of immunity should average 90% or higher – above the industry standard -- to avoid respiratory disease. “You shouldn’t have any major problems in your hutch calves before you make the switch,” she advised.
A willingness to feed more milk – “If you want to invest in this system, and then only feed 6 liters of milk a day, you’re probably going to want to rip it out in a couple of years,” she declared. Calves in group pens are more active and use more energy, so thus need more nutrients to both grow and build immunity to fight disease challenges. Daily allotments and meal size both are huge behavior components of the systems. “Meal size matters more than anything,” Cantor added. She said if calves are only allotted .5 liter per meal, they’re not satisfied and will be motivated to cross-suck other calves. Her advice on meal size: 1.5 liters or more.
Strategic progression – One of the beauties of autofeeders is their customizable feeding capability for each individual calf. Cantor advised long, gradual step-down weaning over the course of several weeks. “You can tell the calves that have been weaned really slowly on an autofeeder,” she stated. “They’ve got that really nice, open rib shape and the rumen is primed and ready to go.” Staging stressors -- like castrating and dehorning -- rather than doing them all at the same time, also can keep calves eating and growing consistently.
The right comforts and care – “Who is going to be your calf manager?” posed Cantor. “It’s got to be someone who knows how to see sick calves, because you can’t rely on the calf feeder anymore to spot them. That new person needs to be willing to look at both the calves, and the autofeeder data, to make decisions.” Facilities also are critical, including excellent ventilation and bedding management. Cantor advises strongly against slatted floors in calf barns, because they don’t accommodate calves’ natural instincts to nestle, especially in winter. “Unfortunately, those calves get sick the minute they’re stressed by anything,” she said. “I see a lot of farms pull out autofeeders that have slatted floors, because the combination just doesn’t work all that well.”

Group size also matters. Cantor said studies from Europe – where autofeeders have been in use the longest – have indicated that housing calves in groups larger than 15 calves per pen/nipple increases the risk of respiratory disease, even with adequate bedding and resting space.

To promote smaller groups, Cantor advises producers to sell off their bottom-end heifers before they ever go on the autofeeder. “Instead of putting all that money into that calf that increases the risk of everyone else getting sick, sell her,” she suggested. “Then, put all your resources into the top end, and keep them healthy.”

Your Next Read: Play Offense on Clostridia in Calves

Six Straw Alternatives to Get You Through a Bedding Shortage

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:20:06 GMT

Weather conditions certainly took a toll on this years wheat crop, leaving straw in short supply for some farmers. This commonly used bedding material is the ideal choice for calves during the winter time. However, here are six bedding alternatives to consider when straw supplies get tight:

Chopped Corn Stalks - If you’ve just harvested a field of corn, consider saving the leftover stalks for bedding. They are widely available and very absorbent.

Chopped Soybean Hulls - Similar to corn stalks, this bedding alternative can be found soon after harvest and can be used to help keep calves clean and dry.

Wood Shavings - One of the most common alternatives to straw bedding is wood shavings. This material performs similarly to straw and provides a clean spot for calves to nest.

Almond Shells - Ground almond shells, usually found out west, can be used to help soak up excess moisture and keep dry and clean.

Peanut Hulls - Down south, this absorbent organic material can be ground to make a fine bedding similar to wood shavings.

Shredded Paper - Chopped recycled newsprint can be used for bedding and is relatively inexpensive. Consider reaching out to a nearby recycling facility to see if they can custom chop used paper.

For more on bedding materials, read:

5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Robotic Batch-Style Milking Technology

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:39:16 GMT

Robotic milking is certainly nothing new in the dairy world. However, a new approach to automated milking is gaining traction in the industry – robotic batch-style milking.

With reliable labor availability on a downward slope, this milking style has become an enticing option for producers to stay competitive and sustainable while relying on fewer employees. By automating the milking process and allowing for more precise herd management, this technology not only reduces labor costs but also helps enhance overall farm productivity.

“Automated batch-style milking combines the labor savings and technology benefits of a robot with the management style of a parlor,” says Julie Whitmer, automated milking system (AMS) business development manager for GEA.

This innovative approach involves milking cows in groups at scheduled times using a row of box robots, effectively replicating a conventional parlor setup.

“Built on our box robot’s proven technology and performance, this milking style gives dairy farmers another option to milk their cows with more data and consistency,” says Whitmer. “It also gives dairies the flexibility to upgrade their milking facilities while using existing barns, holding pens and sorting areas.”

Whitmer outlines five ways dairy farmers can benefit from batch-style robotic milking.

Enhanced Safety

According to Whitmer, batch-style milking helps reduce the need for several well-trained people to perform cow prep and milking tasks during every milking shift. Instead, the robots allow employees to be more flexible with their responsibilities, keeping them out of harm’s way when it comes to milking and treating animals.

“Batch-style milking enhances safety and comfort for the cow and employee,” Whitmer says. “You can minimize the chance for injuries by reducing the potential of risky interactions between people and cows in the parlor – all while making the milking experience quiet, consistent and more enjoyable for the cow.”

Streamlined Maintenance

Compared to traditional box-robot operations, batch-style milking systems allow producers to place robots closer together instead of spreading them out throughout various pens. This allows the robots to be more centrally located, streamlining maintenance tasks.

“Since you have downtime between milkings, you have more time to service the robots without disrupting daily routines,” Whitmer adds.

Efficient Cow Flow

Another advantage to robotic batch-style milking is reducing the time spent handling cows. In traditional robotic setups, producers will often have to fetch cows who don’t show up to the robot on their own. Batch-style systems operate more like a parlor with cows being brought to the robot in groups.

“You don’t have any fetch cows since you’re bringing the cows up to the boxes to be milked,” Whitmer says. “With all cows exiting the boxes at a fixed milking time, it’s easy to sort out cows that need attention instead of looking at a fetch list and finding them hours later.”

In addition to better cow flow, Whitmer says other tasks like running cows through a foot bath or hoof trimming can be completed just like with a traditional parlor.

Specified Nutrition

Cows milked with automatic milking systems are typically incentivized to enter the robot by feeding a specialized pellet. The same is true with robotic batch-style milking. Unlike a parlor system, producers can feed individual cows a certain amount of specialized feed based on their individual needs.

“We can top-dress the bunk ration by feeding more energy and protein in the robot,” Whitmer says. “This helps you push individual cows while controlling costs more at the bunk.”

Consistent Milking

Different from traditional robotic systems where cows determine when and how often they want to be milked, batch-style milking allows cows to stay on a consistent milking schedule without the need of designated milking employees.

“This streamlined process maximizes the milk letdown effect from the cow for faster milking times, which leads to better box times and more cows milked per hour,” Whitmer adds.

By reducing the risk of human error and setting specific times for groups to be milked, animals in batch-style systems have the benefit of a consistent routine in a non-traditional, data-driven setup.

“You can expect consistent milking by delegating the milking process to automation,” Whitmer says. “GEA’s milking robots are built on proven technology, providing a strong foundation for this style of milking.”

Choline: A Transition Staple that Helps Calves, Too

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 19:04:59 GMT

It’s a bit of a “wonder nutrient” in dairy nutrition. Choline is neither a vitamin nor a mineral, but an essential element in dairy nutrition, nonetheless.

This water-soluble micronutrient it commonly grouped in the B-vitamin family. Nearly all mammals synthesize choline, but must also consume it in their diets to ensure adequate levels.

Feeding choline to ruminants was challenging until rumen-protected formulations became available a few decades ago. Without protection, choline is quickly degraded in the rumen before it can be absorbed for benefit. Encapsulation of choline allows it to pass through the rumen into the small intestine, where it can be absorbed and utilized.

Since the advent of rumen-protected choline (RPC), dairy researchers have explored its effect on lactating dairy cows in great depth. Dr. Jose Santos, researcher in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, has declared RPC a vital nutrient for transition cows, due its positive effects on liver function, phospholipid synthesis, and nutrient transport as cows need to pull out all the metabolic stops to launch successfully into lactation.

In a retrospective analysis of published studies examining RPC supplementation to more than 1,300 transition cows, Santos and his colleagues found that the practice led to: (1) an increase in average energy-corrected milk of 4.85 lb./day; (2) a significant increase in milk component yield; and (3) significant deceases in the incidence of retained placenta and mastitis.

Santos and his team have continued to study choline in greater depth, including its beneficial effects on helping cows cope with heat stress. Along the way, they discovered another interesting finding – for calves.

“We’ve shown that male calves born to dams supplemented with rumen-protected choline and fed colostrum from similarly treated dams displayed improved immunoglobulin absorption,” he stated. “These same calves exhibited reduced inflammatory responses when exposed to bacterial compounds simulating infectious disease.”

As they followed those calves from choline-supplemented dams through life, the University of Florida researchers found that they grew faster than their herd mates not exposed to choline in-utero, at a rate of 0.11 lb./day. As a result, they were 79 lb. heavier at first calving. What’s more, they produced an average of 1,155. more milk in their first lactations.

Dr. Heather White, researcher in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recently published a study that looked specifically at the outcomes of calves in the beef production chain after their in-utero exposure to choline.

The Wisconsin team examined the effect of the feeding of RPC to pregnant Holstein dams on the resultant growth, feed efficiency (FE), metabolism, and carcass quality of their Holstein X Angus offspring. Of the 47 calves born in the study, 17 were male and 30 were female. The dams were divided into 4 feeding groups – a control group receiving no supplemental choline, and three supplemented groups with RPC fed at various doses.

White and her colleagues found that RPC supplementation to dams produced calves – regardless of sex – with significantly higher daily gain; hip and wither height; kidney, pelvic, and heart fat at slaughter; and marbling score. The calves from choline-supplemented dams also had improved gut integrity markers when facing bloat challenges.

These benefits were realized despite the calves having never been fed RPC themselves.

“Considering the importance of marbling in carcass quality, the potential of RPC to positively influence offspring performance could be beneficial for further enhancing value of beef X dairy cattle at slaughter,” observed White.

Facility Focus: Five Strategies to Reduce Calf Heat Stress

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:39:37 GMT

Excessive heat can take a toll on every animal on the farm – especially the lactating herd. But one group that’s typically overlooked when it comes to heat stress are often the youngest members of the herd.

“When we think of the effects the environment has on calves, cold stress is often the more common concern, especially in more temperate climates. However, soaring summer temperatures, hot sun, and high humidity can cause heat stress in calves and heifers just as in the milking herd,” said Coleen Jones and Jud Heinrichs, a former research associate and professor emeritus of dairy nutrition, respectfully, at Pennsylvania State University.

While calves are often better at coping with heat compared to their adult counterparts, it’s important to know what methods help combat heat stress. As temperatures begin to creep their way higher, the duo recommends the following five strategies to help keep calves cool and healthy during the heat of the summer.

Provide Shade – Just like sitting under a tree during the heat of the day, shade provides relief from direct sunlight, helping to prevent overheating. Studies have shown providing shade reduces the temperature inside hutches and lowers calf body temperature and respiration rate. Consider installing shade cloth above outdoor hutches to calves combat the heat.

Keep Air Moving – Even a slight breeze can help make a stifling day more bearable. When air moves across the skin, it helps carry away the heat your body generates. The same can be said for calves. According to the duo, calf housing should be positioned to utilize prevailing winds and should incorporate as many openings as possible to take advantage of natural air movement. Air movement can be enhanced by opening vents on hutches and placing a block under the back wall.

Keep ‘em Hydrated – With increased temperatures comes increased respiration. In turn, this can cause calves to become dehydrated more quickly. To combat this, be sure to offer clean water to calves early on. In addition, water buckets also may need to be filled more frequently in the summer, particularly for calves nearing weaning and those who have recently been weaned.

Make Sure Grain Stays Fresh – According to Jones and Heinrichs, calves will naturally tend to eat less grain during periods of heat stress. To keep calves eating, consider offering only small handfuls of started at each feeding until calves begin to eat. Remove uneaten starter and clean out wet or moldy feed daily to maintain freshness. A divider between the grain bucket and water bucket can help keep starter fresh longer by limiting the amount of transfer between the two buckets.

Work Calves in the Morning – Throughout the summer, the early morning hours are typically the coolest part of the day. To help reduce heat stress for both calves and employees, the Jones and Heinrichs recommend completing strenuous tasks during the early hours of the day.

“As with other classes of cattle, it is wise to handle calves in the morning so that stressful activities, such as dehorning, vaccinations, pen moves, or transportation, can be completed when both calf body temperatures and environmental temperatures are at their lowest point for the day,” the duo state.

For more Facility Focus stories, read:

VES-Artex Unveils New Cow Cooling Technology: Intelligent Soaker 2.0

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:43:10 GMT

While the weather has certainly been mild this winter, thermometers will soon begin to boil as summer temperatures make their way across the country. With the warmer temperatures comes the increased risk of heat stress, which can contribute to a wide array of health and production setbacks for dairy cattle.

To combat this, VES-Artex has recently unveiled a new soaking system, Intelligent Soaker 2.0, which is designed to help alleviate heat stress while significantly reducing water usage on dairy farms. The system utilizes intelligent sensor technology to spray water when a cow is present based on temperature setpoints.

VES-Artex says that key features of the Intelligent Soaker 2.0 include easy installation, compatibility with existing systems and durable stainless-steel nozzles. In addition, the system’s cow-friendly LED light indicator simplifies monitoring, signaling when units are active and when they are in dwell mode.

The Intelligent Soaker 2.0 behaves similarly to a traditional soaker with both on and off intervals. Upon sensing a cow, the unit will begin soaking for 45 seconds, then it will enter a dwell mode where it won’t soak, even if a new cow comes within its range for 5 minutes.

“The Intelligent Soaker 2.0 addresses the dual challenge of animal welfare and sustainability,” says Dr. Mario Mondaca, Senior Technical Applications and Research Engineer at VES-Artex. “By minimizing water waste, farms can achieve a more sustainable operation while providing much needed heat abatement for the herd.”

According to the company, the new technology can help reduce water usage by 50%-70% when compared to traditional soaking systems. Unlike conventional soakers that operate continuously even after temperature thresholds are met, the Intelligent Soaker 2.0 optimizes water usage by delivering targeted cooling precisely when and where it’s needed.

“If you look at how the cow spends her day, she is feeding and in the alleys around 28% of the time,” Dr. Mondaca says. “This is why we are seeing reductions close to 70% on some days when compared to a system running all day long on a timer.”

With water conservation becoming a key focus for many dairy producers, the high-tech soaking system could be a compelling solution to conserve water and increase sustainability all while maximizing cow cooling.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

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

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 21:32:27 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

It’s no secret - winter weather can be a bear to deal with. The extreme temperature swings and harsh wind chills tack on extra work dairy farmers just don’t have time for. Couple that with the possibility of heavy snow and you’ve got the recipe for a massive headache.

Keeping cows, calves and employees comfortable during the winter months can often feel like a balancing act. However, according to Mike Wolf, DVM and consulting veterinarian for VES-Artex, finding the right combination between keeping animals warm while also providing adequate air exchange is essential.

To help avoid the winter ventilation woes, Wolf says producers should focus on the following four areas for off-season ventilation success.

4 Focus Points

Even Fresh Air Distribution – Stale, stagnant air is a recipe for poor respiratory health. Therefore, it’s critical to provide adequate ventilation and effectively remove warm, humid, contaminated air from the building.

“We want to make sure that we are bringing fresh air in and that it’s being distributed evenly throughout the facility,” Wolf says.

Prevent Freezing – If you’ve ever had to scrape frozen alleyways, you know just how not-so-fun of a job it can be. Additionally, it can be uncomfortable and unsafe for both animals and employees to walk on. Wolf recommends keeping a keen eye on barn thermometers to ensure temperatures don’t drop below freezing.

“Watch areas in the barn where fresh air is coming in,” he adds. “Temperatures tend to drop in those spots and can freeze alleyways or stalls.”

Control Dew Points – Managing moisture levels is another key piece to keeping cows healthy and comfortable. According to Wolf, it’s important to keep dew points lower than the external ambient temperature to help prevent condensation.

“Controlling dew points and humidity levels helps prevent dampness and dripping within the barns,” he adds. “This dampness adds discomfort to cows as well as the people working with them.”

Even during subfreezing temperatures, low level air exchange must occur to help remove the moisture continuously produced by animals.

Maintain Air Quality – Without good air quality, cow health is bound to suffer. That’s why maintaining adequate air exchange is a necessity. As a rule of thumb, facilities should have a minimum of 4 to 8 air changes per hour to help lower respiratory disease risk.

“In terms of ammonia, we want less than 25 ppm for cows and 5 ppm for calves in our facilities no matter the time of year, but especially during winter,” Wolf adds. “This ensures the barn environment remains free from noxious gasses, promoting respiratory health and overall animal well-being.”

Bonus Tip - Conduct Fan Maintenance

Despite the bitter temperatures and blustery winds, the summer heat will soon be knocking on our doors. According to Wolf, winter is a good time to give ventilation equipment a detailed inspection and provide thorough cleaning.

“Take time to conduct fan maintenance such as inspecting motors, belts and tensioners and replace any damaged elements,” he says. “At minimum, fans should be cleaned at least twice a year.”

For more on Smart Farming, read:

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

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:46:57 GMT

Maternity pens can often feel like a merry-go-round for dairy producers to manage. New calves are born then moved, cows and heifers are constantly being shuffled in and out, and farm employees are routinely checking in to monitor herd health. To put it simply, maternity pens are chaotic.

According to Emily Fread, extension educator at Pennsylvania State University, cow comfort should always be at the forefront of every producer’s mind, and the maternity pen is no exception. She notes that the best way to keep animals within the maternity pen calm and collected is by working to minimize stress and provide privacy. To do so, she recommends the following tips.

Plan Ahead

Every dairy producer has experienced a calving boom. These events can be described as a period when it seems like every cow on the farm calves at once. According to Fread, it’s important to not only design maternity pens to handle a typical calving month, but also a pen that can withstand these booms.

“It’s common for farms to experience swings in calving. For example, farms may have more cows calve in late spring or early summer because of reproductive troubles during heat stress. Because of this, calving areas should accommodate at least 120% of the regular calving rate,” she notes.

Minimize Movement

Group maternity pens are convenient for housing a large number of expectant cows at the same time. However, they don’t allow for much privacy, which can add unnecessary stress when an animal begins to calve. To minimize this, it may be necessary to move the cow to an individual pen for more peace and quiet, but it is important to do so in a timely manner.

“With group maternity pens, it is essential to minimize social stress as much as possible, as competition can occur in this setting,” Fread says. “Ideally, if a farm moves cows to a new pen for calving, this should be done before labor starts. Moving the animal during labor can extend labor time, which could increase the risk of dystocia.”

Cows have been shown to begin seeking privacy from herd mates around 4 hours before calving. Ideally, cows should be moved to an individual pen before labor begins. If an animal begins to calve beforehand, she should be moved during the early signs of labor. Moving cows once labor has started to progress delays calving and reduces lying time, increasing the risk of dystocia.

Manage Stocking Density

Overcrowded maternity pens can present a major problem when it comes to creating a calm calving environment. Too many animals can lead to increased levels of stress, poorer pen conditions and enhance the risk of injury to both the cow and newborn calf.

“Stocking density in the pre-fresh pen is very important,” Fread says. “Dry matter intake naturally decreases before calving, so it is essential to give cows adequate space at the feed bunk so feed intake does not fall even more. It is recommended that the feed bunk be stocked at 80% or less, meaning when every cow is eating, there should still be 20% of space left; this should equal about 0.76m per cow.”

In addition to providing adequate space, it’s important to also consider which animals are grouped together. According to Fread, it may be necessary to separate first calf heifers from older cows to create a calmer environment.

“Mixing heifers and cows in a close-up dry or maternity pen can cause unnecessary stress for the heifers,” Fread says. “One study showed that in mixed-group housing during the transition period, first lactation animals are displaced from the feed bunk more frequently. Separating heifers and cows for the entire transition period, meaning three weeks before and three weeks after calving, can help alleviate added stress for the heifers.”

Additional Tips

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. Some of these tips include:

Utilizing technology, such as activity monitors or video cameras, to watch for signs of labor.
Minimize noise and foot-traffic disturbances.
Creating a secluded area within the group pen where a cow can feel more isolated from her penmates.
Have clear calving management protocols set in place.
Consulting with your farm’s veterinarian or calf consultant for design recommendations or advice on how to update facilities.

For more on facilities, read:

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

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:27:28 GMT

In either group or individual pens, preweaned dairy calves need 30-32 square feet of resting space – about the size of a sheet of plywood – according to animal housing consultant Harold House with Dairy Logix , a firm based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.

On a recent episode of The Healthy Calf Podcast from the Veal Farmers of Ontario, House shared this and other insights based on his many years of experience as an agricultural engineer working with calf housing and ventilation systems.

He advised when applying the “plywood rule” to group pens, be sure that square footage is allowed in the actual pen where the calves reside, not the entire room. “It’s important consider that’s the bedded area; don’t include the scrape alley,” he said. “More [resting space] is always better, but that’s a good place to start.”

Whether you’re building a new calf barn or retrofitting an existing structure, he shared additional tips for excellent calf housing:

Choose your ventilation method carefully – Calves need 4 air exchanges per hour to maintain good air quality. That might be possible with natural ventilation like curtained sidewalls if a building is situated to capture prevailing winds. If not – which is often the case with existing buildings – mechanical ventilation might be the best option, even though it can be a bit more expensive to install and operate.

You probably need a PPV tube – Both naturally and mechanically ventilated barns can benefit from the additional ventilation support of a positive pressure ventilation (PPV) system that draws fresh air from the outside and distributes it evenly through the building via a hole system in the tube. House said PPV systems are especially helpful in the winter in cold climates because they help facilitate air movement without creating drafts.

Use heat sparingly – With adequate nutrition, bedding, air quality, and possibly calf coats, calves can do very well in cold barns that have little to no supplemental heat. House advised making heating decisions in the interest of the calves, not the comfort of their caretakers. He said an ideal temperature target for the interior of heated calf barns in the winter is 4-10°C [40-50°F]. “Use the heat as a ventilation tool to dry out the air so we can achieve our fresh air exchanges,” he stated.

Think at the calf level – Remember that calves reside at a lower level than the humans who care for them, especially when they are lying down. Get down to their level to check air quality. Use the “knee test” by kneeling in their bedding to see if is dry. Observe calves’ behavior – are they coughing or huddling together to avoid drafts?

Offer solid surfaces – House said calves prefer to rest against solid surfaces, which could explain why calves in group pens tend to rim the exterior walls when they’re lying down. He advised using solid partitions between individual pens, which provide the extra advantage of preventing drafts. In group pens, he suggested surrounding each pen with a walkway, so calves are not resting against exterior walls that could draw out a lot of their body heat in wintry weather.

Ask for help – When you work daily in the same building, you become accustomed to its odors, humidity level, and overall air quality. Inviting a third party to evaluate your barn can provide an outside assessment of those factors. House said many veterinarians are well-trained in ventilation and housing systems. Assistance from consultants and university Extension specialists might also be available. Another excellent source of information is The Dairyland Initiative website from the University of Wisconsin.

While he specializes in ventilation systems, House said raising healthy, thrifty calves depends on a combination of factors, that also include nutrition and other management factors. “Ventilation is just one piece of the puzzle,” he stated. “All the pieces have to fit together.”

For more on calf health, read:

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

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:45:29 GMT

A big question on the minds of many decision makers on the dairy is this: 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?

On the Uplevel Dairy Podcast , Nathan Moroney from Del Rio Dairy explained how leveraging technology has revolutionized cow flow, cow health and efficiency, while allowing his best cow people to focus their time for the greatest impacts.

Streamlining Cow Flow and Workflow

Del Rio Dairy, located in Friona, Texas, has experienced significant growth over the years, expanding their herd from around 3,000 cows to over 8,000. With three parlors on-site, including a recently built 90-stall rotary, the management team faced the challenge of managing a larger herd efficiently. To tackle this obstacle, they transitioned from capturing basic data from milk meters to implementing sort gates to adopting real-time rumination and activity monitoring using GEA Cow Scout activity monitoring collars.

“So we’re capturing not only that ID, not only the activity information, but we’re getting rumination and feeding time data,” Moroney says.

The implementation of these collars allowed the Del Rio Dairy team to focus their time and attention on cows that truly needed it. By monitoring rumination, feeding time, and activity data, the team members could identify cows at risk and intervene before the situation escalated. As a result, they have been able to reduce the number of cows in the hospital pen by a staggering 30%.

Additionally, Moroney sees the benefits to not only efficiency, but also animal welfare, saying, “There’s also a lot of value in not having to just lock up a cow that doesn’t need to be locked up.”

Don’t Skip the Close-Up Heifers or Dry Cows

Del Rio Dairy is continuously exploring new ways to enhance their management practices through technology. They have expanded the use of collars beyond the milking herd to include pre-fresh heifers, and cows maintain their collars all through the dry period. This gives the team access to the baseline data that can be collected for each animal before they enter stressful periods at calving and into the first few weeks post-calving. With this information in hand, deviations to a heifer or cow’s normal patterns can be identified and responded to promptly.

Enhancing Efficiency and Time Management

Besides improving cow health, the adoption of technology at Del Rio Dairy has had a transformative impact on the farm’s overall efficiency and time management. By leveraging real-time data from the collars, team members can focus their efforts and prioritize tasks more effectively. The collars allow them to isolate individuals in need of attention, minimizing the need for lockups or unnecessary examinations. This streamlined workflow not only saves time but also enhances the well-being of the cows by reducing stress and handling.

Employees are less stressed as well. Moroney says that no one looks overwhelmed. Cow flow and workflow are steady, and they don’t have to stop the deck or cause a backlog on the rotary.

For Moroney, having this dashboard of data at the fingertips of his crew at Del Rio Dairy has allowed them to streamline cow flow and workflow. It’s been good for the cows, the people, and the bottom line of the business.

Listen to the full episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast featuring Nathan Moroney here:

Facility Focus: Don’t Slip Up on Floor Resurfacing

Mon, 01 May 2023 13:24:52 GMT

Dairy farms can often be a slippery place for both farmers and cows to work. Between the wet concrete and slick manure, it doesn’t take much for accidents or injuries to happen. For farmers, a good set of high-traction rubber boots will usually do the trick to help prevent a nosedive to the ground. Cows, however, require a different solution.

“Providing confident, non-skid footing for dairy cattle is vital to their health, performance, and well-being,” says Dan McFarland, an educator of agricultural engineering at Pennsylvania State University. “Cows require a good footing to comfortably move around the housing area, especially in areas where they change direction, express estrus, as well as, to and from the milking center.”

When new facilities are built, grooves are often placed within the concrete to help minimize slipping and ensure proper footing. Overtime, however, this traction can wear away, increasing the chances of cows injuring themselves.

“No matter how well alley surfaces are prepared initially, they will most likely need resurfacing periodically to minimize slipping, falling, and injury,” McFarland says. “Fortunately, there are methods available to recondition smooth, slippery cow alleys to again provide a sure footing.”

The most common forms of floor resurfacing include:

Adding or re-cutting grooves.
Milling the surface.
Covering areas with rubber mats.
Replacing old concrete.

Grooving

According to McFarland, grooving is usually the preferred method for creating and improving a floor surface for cows. Different patterns can quickly and easily be sawn into existing concrete to create better traction. Patterns often include:

Parallel - Straight grooves are typically used with the traffic flow. Such as in alleys, breezeways, outdoor walkways from the barn to the parlor, outdoor yards.
Diagonal – These grooves are often used on sloped surfaces or where animals are likely to make turns. An example of this would be going into and coming out of the holding area.
Diamond - The diamond pattern is the most effective form of grooving as it consists of straight grooves and diagonal grooves, also known as a double cut. With the diamond pattern, the cows can get traction in any direction.

McFarland notes that no matter the pattern, grooves should be cut 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep and spaced 4" on center, creating a 3-1/2" wide tread. This ensures that the cows have enough textured surfaces to help prevent slips and falls.

Milling

Resurfacing floors by using the milling process allows producers to remove a thin layer of concrete typically 1/8” thick, commonly leaving a pattern that looks like corduroy. This form of resurfacing improves footing immediately, but typically wears away at a faster rate.

“Milling can be helpful in leveling rough, uneven concrete creating a suitable surface to add grooves,” McFarland says. “It can also be used to recondition a smooth, polished tread surface of grooved alleys exposing a ‘textured’ surface that can provide relatively good traction and support.”

Rubber Mats

Utilizing rubber mats is another way to improve cow footing while also maximizing cow comfort. However, this solution can sometimes be difficult to install and often comes with a hefty price tag.

“Materials providing the best cushion and traction seem more susceptible to damage from vehicle traffic,” McFarland notes. “Material expansion and contraction with temperature changes can lift sections at the seams making them vulnerable to scraper damages. Carefully following the manufacturer’s installation and anchoring instructions and limiting skid-steer turning will improve longevity.”

New Concrete

While resurfacing existing flooring is often the most economical way to improve traction, sometimes it is necessary to replace old flooring altogether.

“Occasionally cow alleys need to be replaced since they are cracked, broken, or have worn too thin and lost strength,” McFarland says. “For replacement floors, select a qualified concrete contractor to do the new alleys and make sure the concrete is placed on a stable base layer. Use an air entrained concrete mixture with a minimum strength of 3,500 pounds per square inch and adequate reinforcement. A nominal 4" thickness is adequate for most cow and vehicle traffic, but if truck or trailer loads of sand bedding will pass over them use a minimum thickness of 6".

For more Facility Focus stories, read:

Cows Will Tell You What is Wrong with a Facility Design

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:07:38 GMT

The completion of a new facility or renovation is always an exciting time. We have watched everything come together for months, and now the time has come to move the cows in! 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.

Improper stall use

Not using the stall correctly can tell us a lot about the stall design. Stalls should be built to fit the largest cows on the farm. When lying in the stall, cows should be able to exhibit any combination of the four normal resting positions: long (head in front), short (head rested on their side), narrow (rear legs close to the body), and wide (cow on her side with rear legs extended). Cows may leave every other stall open if they cannot rest in their normal positions when stalls are too small.

In a standing position, a cow should be able to stand with all four legs in the stall. Perching (cows standing with two back legs out of the stall) indicates the neck rail is not positioned correctly. The neck rail is either too far back or not high enough.

Unused space in the pen or bunching

Large areas of unused pen space can indicate poor heat abatement in those areas. Barns should have an east-west orientation to avoid long periods of direct sunlight. If barns are north-south facing using shade cloths will help cool outside stalls or resting areas. Other areas of unused space may be due to poor airflow or air exchange. Air circulation can be measured in air change per hour. Air changes in an adequately ventilated barn should be between 60 and 90 per hour.

Drop in dry matter intake or milk production

A decrease in DMI or milk yield can be due to several reasons. One of them being the pen sizes and densities. Pen sizes should be no larger than the biggest milking group. The goal of this group size is to spend no longer than 4 hours away from feed and water. Therefore, for a herd milking twice daily, milking the largest pen should take no longer than two hours. Stocking density will impact competition within the group, affecting dry matter and water intake. Try to keep feedbunk and water stocking densities below 120%.

Six Ways to Help Preweaned Dairy Calves Succeed in Group Housing

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:20:20 GMT

Group housing for preweaned calves has gained traction on U.S. dairy farms in recent years. Improvements in animal behavior and well-being, the potential for reduced labor costs and the opportunity to manage workloads more effectively are benefits often cited as reasons to adopt the practice.

The potential downsides are just as real and center on adverse health issues, such as the increased potential for scours and bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

That doesn’t mean group housing is a bad practice — there is no one-size-fits-all right way to raise calves. What it does mean is dairy producers need to evaluate their management practices to minimize the potential for negative outcomes, according to Theresa Ollivett, DVM, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Indoor group housing exponentially exacerbates current weaknesses within the system,” Ollivett explains. “(Producers) need to be consistently better at everything in order to make group housing work. Abundant vaccinations and metaphylaxis are not the answers.”¹

Factors for consideration to improve outcomes in a group housing system include colostrum management, group composition and dynamics, nutritional management as well as early disease detection, according to Sandra Godden, DVM, and Whitney Knauer, DVM, University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine.²

Godden and Ollivett addressed best management practices for preweaned calves in group housing during the 2021 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference. The following six points are a summary of information they presented during the event.

1. COLOSTRUM MANAGEMENT IS A CORNERSTONE FOR EARLY CALF HEALTH.

In Figure 1, Godden outlines the five Q’s of good colostrum management.

An area Godden says many dairy producers still need to address is improving calf health through the transfer of passive immunity (TPI).

“According to a 2014 study, 14% of U.S. dairy calves failed,” she says. “So, in the average herd, there is still a large opportunity to improve this.”

The average cost of failed TPI in a dairy calf is cited in one meta-analysis as $70, Godden adds. She believes the losses could be greater because the meta-analysis ignored, or did not take into consideration, the lifetime production of the individual animal.

2. “OLDER” CALVES PERFORM BETTER IN GROUP HOUSING THAN YOUNGER ONES.

Godden recommends that calves be introduced to group housing at 12 to 14 days of age or even older.

Research shows younger calves take longer to learn to drink unassisted and need more guidance. They also drink less milk in the first days of life and have an increased risk of severe diarrhea and pneumonia (Figure 2).

3. GROUP SIZE IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR TO CONSIDER.

A 2006 randomized clinical trial of 892 calves in nine Swedish herds evaluated the health of calves placed in small groups of six to nine calves versus large groups of 12 to 18 calves. Researchers determined the large groups had a 40% increased risk for respiratory disease and also a reduced growth rate (Svensson et al., 2006. PVM 73:43).

Godden recommends housing in groups of seven or fewer calves. She notes that two calves — pair housing — could make the ideal group size.

The smaller group numbers don’t square with what some many distributors recommend to producers.

“They often suggest that farmers can put 25 to 30 calves on a nipple or in a pen, and it’s just not true,” Godden says. “People often learn that the hard way. As one of my colleagues says, ‘stocking density is self-correcting.’
“In addition to increased disease transmission, the major concern, if the group gets big enough, there’s a potential to introduce competition and aggression as stressors, and possibly limit intake, and those are going to feed back negatively on innate immunity, and, therefore, health,” she adds.

4. GIVE CALVES ROOM TO MOVE AROUND AND BED DOWN.

Both Godden and Ollivett emphasize adequate space is critical to success in group housing. Research indicates a stocking density that provides at least 45 sq. ft. to 50 sq. ft. bedded space per calf is desirable (Figure 3), and more is always better.

Keep age variations at a minimum, less than a week spread between animals if possible. Godden says when younger and older calves are group together, you see more competition, increased disease transmission from the older animals to the younger ones and an increase in mortality due to the age range (Jorgensen et al., 2017).

“Continuous flow pens contribute to endemic disease,” she says. “Pick your bug.”

5. WITH NUTRITION MANAGEMENT, FEEDING MORE MILK IS A POSITIVE.

Some producers might push back and say young calves will scour from having too much milk, but Godden says that is a myth.

“Feeding large volumes of milk does not cause milk scours,” she says.

When offered ad libitum access to clean, high-quality milk or milk replacer in the first days of life, dairy calves will drink an average of 8 liters per day by 4 days of age, and individual calves will drink up to 12 liters per day, without causing scours (Figure 4). Recent studies have reported a positive association between milk consumption very early in life on health as well as growth.

6. DO NOT RELY ON A COMPUTER TO DETECT SICK CALVES.

There can be large variations in calf feeding behaviors, especially in group housing, so use computers as an aid only to evaluate calf health. You might need to encourage producers to not rely on a computer algorithm to help detect animals that aren’t thriving.

“In addition to failing to detect clinical disease in many animals, a computer cannot detect subclinical BRD, for instance,” Godden notes. “We still need trained individuals on the farm to observe and identify sick calves.” BV

REFERENCES
¹Ollivett, Theresa. Calf Housing/Facility/Environment BRD Prevention. American Association of Bovine Practitioners Proceedings of the Annual Conference. 2021.

²S. M. Godden, W. A. Knauer. Management Considerations to Prevent Respiratory Disease in Group-housed Preweaned Dairy Calves. American Association of Bovine Practitioners Proceedings of the Annual Conference. 2021.

For more on this subject, read:

A Healthy Calf starts with Fetal Viability and Well-Being

10 Early Interventions to Help Sick Calves

Light can have a ‘Huge Impact’ on Milk Production

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

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:13:01 GMT

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. It allows them to prevent and predict health or feeding issues cost effectively, and hence, increase farm profitability. The ‘power of the pen’ philosophy is leading to changes in how farms feed, vaccinate and manage their cows. Technology is enabling and in fact accelerating this trend.

Farmers have spent hundreds of years checking up on each cow, making sure they are fed and that workers are following best practices. While this is effective for herds of 20, 100 or even 200 cows, the approach is very time-consuming, requires a lot of labor and is being replaced by time saving technologies and innovations which eliminate human errors as farms increase in size.

Activity monitors, robots, milk sensors and smart cameras in the barn and parlor are just some of the technologies arriving on U.S. Dairy farms, with the promise of monitoring feed, drinking, milk quality, heat detection and disease. Large U.S. farm owners question the value of tech intended for individual cows on farms when management decisions on large farms address issues at herd level and not for individual cows. “Don’t tell me I have more lame cows or which farms are showing acidosis in a pen. I don’t have the employees to manage on that basis when we milk over 3,000 cows,” one said to me recently. Changes in nutrition, bedding and management are done for all the cows in a pen, not for the individual, if maximising profits is the goal.

Large Dairies Managing by the Pen

As consolidation and expansion continues, driven by the economics of scale, large dairies are managing in terms of pen metrics. The same trends can be seen globally. Today, most U.S. milk cows (55%) are housed on farms with more than 1,000 cows, with nearly 200 farms milking 5,000 cows or more (USDA Census, 2017). Large farms are managed very differently from smaller dairies. Time is even more valuable, unavailable and expensive, so monitoring individual animals and treating them for all issues is simply not an option.

Larger farms require different technology than medium and small ones. This may be seen clearly in the technology being used. Farms with more than 3,000 cows are unlikely to use technology that requires substantial hardware investment and specialized labor to manage devices, especially during a time when finding people to manage cows is already a challenge.

Larger farms equally say they don’t want individual cow alerts. Herd managers complain that alerts lead to ‘fire-fighting’ and quickly pile up, disrupting daily management. Heat detection is one of the rare examples of real value of technology, but even so the penetration in the U.S. is still much lower than in Europe, where the smaller farms predominate.

Conversely, pen level data delivers valuable, real-time insights into performance and allows large dairies to identify the early warnings that problems are developing, rather than fixing them when they already exist. Changes in cow behaviour through methods such as the CowSignals® audits is the most proactive way to solve problems. “Find the signs that indicate the problems that cause cows to get sick instead of finding another sick cow,” founder Dr. Joep Driessen says. Pen metrics are the best early warning system for preventing health problems down the line.

The 24-hour cow time budget is another way to do that. Measuring the time that cows spend lying, standing, out of pen or eating is invaluable to improve farm profits. High yielding cows that lay down longer maximize milk production and their welfare. Experts say farms should target a minimum of 12 hours of rest per day, and the out of pen time (time spent in the milking parlor) should be minimized. Every hour not spent feeding or resting and ruminating directly impacts health and performance. For large dairies, group level information is crucial to keep an eye on production, health and welfare. If the herdsman knows 85% of the pen averages 12 hours lying time or more, there is no need to intervene. When out of pen time is too high, for example more than 4 hours per day, it can lead to increased lameness and certainly lower feed intakes. Producers may address this through changing the milking routine or waiting time before milking.

Always Keep Feed in Front of the Cows

With feed costs rising and now close to 60% of the cost of production, ensuring enough feed is front of the cows is of key importance to optimize intakes and ensure milk production is maximized. Pens with low feed intake for 2 or more hours will compromise milk production, and feed availability is especially crucial post-milking. Identification of pens with low feed intake and specific sections within each pen allows farmers to prioritize where to have feed delivered right away. Targeting this also reduces the time between clean out and feed delivery. Managing feed in the pen ensures feed intake and hence milk production is stimulated, with less feed wasted and cost savings maximized.

Smart Cameras to Watch Over Pens

The application of cameras in the barn and the parlor continues to grow. Smart cameras are ideal for dairies because they can monitor pens 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, without affecting the cow. In addition, the use of cameras is easily scalable, with low level of maintenance and breakdown required. Cameras detect trends and anomalies at the pen level at an early stage, identifying the warning signs.

Steve Maddox Jr., of Maddox Dairy in Riverdale, California, has embraced smart cameras monitoring groups of cows at the pen level, along with certain areas of the barn. Maddox’s experience is that the most useful camera data has come from the feed bunk. Showing which pen needs attention right away and confirming that specific cows love to eat in one spot of the feed bunk more than others. As a result, their feeders now drop more feed where cows like to eat. “As managers of a large dairy, you have to find ways to see things when you are not there. Now we can see exactly what is being done and when, which is beneficial for us”, Maddox explains.

(Farm Journal)

Modern Management

Working with pen level insights doesn’t mean the individual cow is forgotten. Every individual animal has its own intrinsic value and should be given the care and attention when needed. However, the use of pen level insights fits the modern management style of large farms and can improve feed and health management, detecting changes in behaviour and feed availability earlier. Of the current wave of novel technologies, the use of smart cameras seems to be the most affordable and adapted to precision feed management, increasing feed intakes, maximizing labor efficiencies and reducing feed costs. It also ensures best practices in pen operation management by maximizing a cow’s productive time. The ‘power of the pen’ is truly transforming the profitability of large dairies.

When Stray Voltage Strikes

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:18:13 GMT

When the Nelson family, at Olmar Farms, moved their 150-cow registered Holsteins into their new facility, Jill Nelson says the easy-going, high-producing cows quickly settled into their tunnel-ventilated, sand-bedded freestall barn.

It was spring of 2010, and everything was going well. At the time, the family’s herd boasted a rolling herd average of 26,192 lb. of milk, 940 lb. of fat and 923 lb. of protein.

“Our BAA (breed age average) was one of the top five in Minnesota and one of the top 40 in the U.S.,” Nelson recalls.

Most of the Nelsons’ cows had been born on the farm, with genetics dating back to 1944, the year their registered Holstein herd was established.

But life on the farm, based near Sleepy Eye, Minn., took a 180-degree downturn one day in April 2011.

“We had a brownout; our lights and motors and anything else electrical were strobing on and off. It was like being at a disco,” Nelson says. “And then we lost power.”

Almost overnight, the once docile cows turned anxious and difficult to milk. A handful were even dangerous.

“I had to tie their legs together. I felt it wasn’t safe to milk some of them,” she says.

What the Nelsons say they didn’t realize at the time was they had just experienced the sudden build up of electrical charge on their equipotential plane, contributing to a phenomenon called stray voltage.

Small Volts, Big Problems
Stray voltage is defined by USDA as “small voltage, less than 10 volts, that can be measured between two points that can be simultaneously contacted by an animal (or person).”

People often experience stray voltage as a low-level electric shock when they touch metal or water and consider it a minor nuisance.
Livestock can have a much more negative reaction. That was true for the Nelsons’ cowherd.

Nelson says some of the family’s cows reacted negatively to levels of stray voltage below 0.5 volts. They would kick when being milked and were reluctant to enter the parlor area. Mastitis, which had not been a problem before, flared into multiple, relentless cases. Animals were off feed and hesitant to consume water.

“They never stuck their nose in and drank water. They’d splash and lick and bob their heads. They’d walk over to a puddle of urine and suck it dry,” Nelson recalls. “I’d never seen anything like that.”

Cows would fall and be unable, or unwilling, to get up.

“Muscle weakness and immune dysfunction stumped our vet and management team,” Nelson recalls. “I’d wake up to dead cows that the day before seemed healthy as could be. You could see they had dropped dead in the spot where they had been standing.

“I had one die right in front me just after she gave 70 lb. of milk,” Nelson adds. “She was the best cow I’d ever bred. It was my son’s cow. That broke me.”

The farm’s calf crops also suffered from the effects of stray voltage, Nelson says. She lists birth defects, heart issues, incomplete digestive tracts, heart murmurs and poor responses to vaccinations and treatments as a handful of the issues affecting the family’s calves.

Nelson says she and her husband, Brian, thought the problem might be stray voltage, as there had been some concerns while they were still using their older milking barn. Still, repeated checks by their power company said otherwise.

“We had the utility company out multiple times, and their testing methods said we didn’t have it,” she says. “There wasn’t a thing we could do to fix a problem that was being caused by the primary side of our electrical service.”

Heartache And Hope
By 2016, the Nelsons had battled the problem of stray voltage for eight years — despite enlisting help from veterinarians, nutritionists, electricians and other experts — and had no solution.

“I told my husband, ‘We either need to figure this out, or we can’t do this anymore,’” Nelson says. “Financially, we were in ruins and had no options.”

That’s when a Minnesota veterinarian Nelson had met pointed her to a master electrician who knew how to address stray voltage.

“He came out and tested almost three full days and found stray voltage in all facilities, even in the unheated waterers,” Nelson says. “He said the problem was definitely coming from the utilities.”

Nelson says the electrician explained to the utility company what the problem was and how they could fix it.

“We had to get an isolated transformer and bring three-phase electricity to the farm,” she says. “The utility company installed it but wouldn’t pay for it. We had to pay almost $100,000 to get that done.”

In February 2017, the farm was finally up and running on the new transformer. But Nelson says problems persisted. The master electrician returned and found the utility company had installed the wrong transformer. That took several more weeks to resolve, during which Nelson says more cows died.

Finally, in May 2017, the Nelsons began to see their herd start to recover from the impacts of stray voltage, but the effects from it still linger today.

“The cows that were here were ruined by the voltage. Most of them we cleared out, because they just never recovered,” Nelson says. “We don’t have any old cows anymore. We used to have 12-year-old cows often. Our oldest cow now is 7, and they’ll never make 12 because they won’t be profitable.”

Still, the Nelsons’ younger cows are flourishing. The farm’s milking herd now averages 28,509 lb. of milk, 1,157 lb. of fat and 923 lb. of protein on twice a day milking.

People Helped
Eventually, the Nelsons sued the electrical association to recover some of their losses. After two years passed, including 11 days in the courtroom, the utility company made a financial offer to settle, Nelson says.

“We are so thankful to our bankers and the feed company for sticking with us. We were into them in a big way. It was bad,” she says.

Nelson also cites her faith for helping her through.

More information about the Nelson family’s experience with stray voltage and informational resources are available at strayvoltagefacts.com.

5 Ways To Address Heat Stress And Keep Cows Cool

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:49:12 GMT

If high temperatures aren’t affecting your dairy clients’ herds yet--they will at some point.

The resulting heat stress can reduce cow productivity, increase mortality, affect milk quality and impact overall health, according to Lance Baumgard, Ph.D., professor at Iowa State University.

He reports that heat stress in the U.S. costs the dairy industry $1.7 billion annually.

The combination of costs and impact on dairy cattle well-being are why Baumgard says that during times of high temperatures he believes, “Heat stress abatement should be your biggest priority.”

But at what point do dairy cows experience heat stress? As a general rule, it’s at about 72°F with 50% humidity, according to Joe Armstrong, DVM, Extension cattle production systems educator and

Kevin Janni, Extension bioproducts and biosystems engineer, University of Minnesota.

Furthermore, high-producing cows eat more and generate even more heat, Armstrong and Janni add. They say such cows can begin to experience heat stress in well-ventilated barns at air temperatures as low as 65°F.

Evaluate Environments
While you can’t control Mother Nature, you can help dairy producers keep cows more comfortable and, as a result, more productive than they might be otherwise.

Baumgard says one of the best ways to alleviate the negative consequences of heat stress is by physically modifying the animal’s environment.

“Priorities should be made to reduce solar radiation and secondly, increase evaporative heat loss in conjunction with it by using fans,” he says in a webinar sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Here are five practices to consider for addressing heat stress:
1. Keep an eye on body temperatures. Normal body temperature for an adult cow is 101.5 to 102.5 degrees °F, according to Armstrong and Janni. They say if more than 5% to 10% of cows have a body temperature above 105 degrees °F, the situation is considered an emergency and immediate action should be taken.

2. Be prepared to provide more water. The traditional recommendation is to provide one water source per 20 head. This may not be enough during high temperatures.

Cows need to increase water intake during times of heat stress to dissipate heat through respiration and by sweating, according to Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. (Learn more at https://bit.ly/3xkkmvh)

Water consumption will increase by as much as 50% in high temperature periods, WSU veterinarians report. A 1,400 lb. cow producing 65 lb. of milk at 3% butterfat needs at least 32 gallons of water per day at 80 degrees °F, according to WSU veterinarians. The same cow needs at least 36 gallons of water at 90 degrees °F.

If water supplies are not adequate or heat stress becomes severe, cows divert water normally used in milk synthesis to the processes of heat dissipation. Water intake will rise by 5 to 6 gallons on summer days due to temperature effects alone.

3. Avoid vaccinations during hot weather periods. Consider other routine practices or medical procedures that can minimize the amount of stress cattle are experiencing, adds Baumgard.

4. Evaluate feedstuffs and feeding timing. Dry matter intake can decrease by 0.17 pounds for each degree above 68 °F, according to Alvaro Garcia, a former South Dakota State University Extension program director. During severe heat stress, total intake and milk production may decrease by more than 25%. He estimates that for every 1 lb. decrease in dry matter intake 2 lbs. of milk production are lost.

WSU recommends increasing feeding frequency (an extra feeding or two), feeding at a cooler time of day, or even changing the ration. Summer rations will require a buffer and better forage quality.

5. Provide maximum shade in housing areas and holding pens for lactating and dry animals. WSU says to help dairy producers answer the three following questions: Are shade structures sited North-South? Are freestall barns sited East-West? Are cows getting at least 25 to 50 square feet of shade space per animal? Make adjustments based on producers’ feedback, as possible

Predictions For The Future
Baumgard anticipates the issue of heat stress will worsen in the future, thanks to climate change.

Even if climate change isn’t a factor, he says heat stress will continue to be a more significant problem because of the genetic selection process underway in the dairy industry.

“Phenotypes economically important to us – like milk synthesis, lean tissue, etc. – are all heat-producing processes,” he says. “The likelihood of our grandchildren’s farm animals producing more heat than our current animals is almost certain.”

That means the temperature at which a high-producing animal becomes heat stressed is going to continue to go down.

“So, we have to figure out what’s going on and try to understand the biology of heat, so we can implement mitigation strategies,” he says.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS
Here are seven ways to help relieve lactating and dry cows during high temperatures:
1. Make water readily available
2. Provide shade
3. Use evaporative cooling
4. Install fans
5. Reduce walking distance to the parlor
6. Limit time in the holding pen
7. Improve ventilation

WHERE TO COOL COWS
Any areas where animals reside or pass through are potential candidates for cooling. Here are seven recommendations:
1. Tie-stalls, free stalls or dry lot pens
2. Holding pen
3. Maternity pen
4. Parlor exit lane
5. Feed lines/feed alleys
6. Feed bunks
7. Pre-fresh barn

Sleeping With the Cows: A Unique Bed and Breakfast Experience

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:44:47 GMT

Dairy farming is a 24/7, 365-day commitment. At times it can even feel like farmers are literally with their cows nonstop. From 2-3 times a day milking to feeding and caring for the cattle, many feel like their work schedule are so full that they could sleep with their cows. Nestled in the small Northeast Iowa town, Dan and Lynn Bolin offer an experience to do just that.

The Bolins operate New Day Dairy GuestBarn, located near Clarksville, that invites visitors to basically sleep with their cows.

Lynn, who grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs, got her first introduction to farm life after marrying her husband, Dan, and moving to his family farm in 2011. “After living abroad and traveling around the world, we realized that we wanted to share a piece of the farm with others,” Lynn says.

(Farm Journal)

In 2015, the Bolins built a new farm facility that includes a natural ventilated freestall barn with perimeter inside feed alleys and a free-flow robotic system with an attached milk house, calf care room, office space, apartment and a Galaxy robot they have affectionately named Rita. While many dairies open their barn doors to their local community, Bolins took it a step further and invite visitors to come to sleep in their barn.

New Days’ GuestBarn is a place where families can experience new adventures on an authentic dairy farm all while having a comfy bed to sleep in at night. An experience that the Bolins believe captures what traveling experiences should include.

“We’ve found that our guests appreciate being able to relax on the farm in nature while they and their family are subtly learning and experiencing a different way of life, understanding where their food comes from, and gaining an appreciation of life that can’t be found on a Disney cruise,” Lynn says. “Their time on the farm enriches their lives back home much like a trip to another country and culture.”

The Bolins hope that the New Day Dairy experience further influences and affects guests’ lives and decisions when they return home.

A truly unique experience

While there certainly are plenty of bed and breakfasts scattered throughout Iowa and some that even originated as a former dairy barn, New Day Dairy GuestBarn stepped up the experience by offering a bed and breakfast where guests can actually spend the night at a working dairy farm.

(Farm Journal)

Guests can come and stay in a loft space above the cows, with two large windows that look directly into the barn. “It’s a 24/7 cow gazing view,” Lynn says. “So, if at 3 a.m., you get up to the bathroom, you can wander out and find out what the cows are doing.”

The 24/7 lifestyle is a lifestyle that Dan grew up with. His great-grandfather moved to the farm in 1890 from Illinois, making Dan the fifth generation to run the family farm. “My father started milking cows at the age of 13 when my grandpa went to work as the Postmaster in town,” he says.

In addition to sleeping with the cows, guests can take on the 90-minute “Be a Dairy Farmer Challenge,” that includes seeing ‘under the hood of Rita’, riding in a tractor, feeding a bottle to a newborn calf, scraping manure and working alongside Dan, or better known from his YouTube channel as ‘Dairyman Dan,’ and getting the very up close and personal view of a Midwest dairy farm. “They even get to scratch a few cow heads if they’re lucky,” Dan says.

Music Man

Visitors will see all the care that goes into producing a gallon of milk and they also can watch Dairyman Dan play his guitar or piano in the barn. Dan describes music as ‘life-giving’ and he collects instruments the same way that some collect art, purses, old tractors or tools. “Music provides me a space to worship, create and also provides a mental break from the ever-present stress that dairy farming can be,” he adds.

(Farm Journal)

Dan keeps a guitar in the robot room to tinker on while observing a new heifer learning to milk for the first time. Additionally, he has a piano in the alley that provides impromptu concerts for guests and several more instruments in their family home to enjoy as a family.

City Advantage

For Lynn, growing up in the city, nothing on the farm seemed what she now considers normal and has the advantage of connecting with consumers, as she “sees it with the eyes of an outsider.”

Like how health professionals talk to each other differently than what they ‘translate’ to their patients, Lynn says that she too has the advantage of talking to consumers coming from the city and crafts her way to talk to consumers—both in-person on the farm or through social media.

“As I’ve learned more about the farm, I can then take that knowledge and ‘translate’ it in a way without all the ‘farm’ words to consumers who are visiting our farm,” she states. “It’s all about giving enough information that someone understands but not so much they drown or are overwhelmed.”

During a struggling dairy economy, the New Day GuestBarn has been able to provide a place and a way for the Bolins to be at home on the farm with family. “Because we built the GuestBarn in such a unique way with 24/7 cow grazing, we have an exclusive product that we can price according to the market, not having to rely on the ‘markets,’ like our milk price,” Lynn says.

For more information about sleeping with the cows’ experience, visit www.newdaydairy.com .

Consider a Danish Entry for Calf Biosecurity

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 12:48:53 GMT

It’s a concept that has been in use for years in poultry and swine facilities, and one that can offer the same biosecurity benefits to calf-raising facilities. The “Danish entry” system can help keep disease out by creating distinct sanitation zones which are separated by a bench.

Developed in Denmark, the Danish entry system originally was established to promote biosecurity in that country’s vast pork-production industry. Swine and poultry enterprises have adopted it worldwide, and the same concept also could help protect calves.

Kevin Janni, agricultural engineer with the University of Minnesota, said a Danish entry allows people to enter livestock barns in a relatively bio secure way, without having to shower in and shower out.

(Farm Journal)

A standard, two-zone Danish entry, creates a “dirty” zone and a “clean” zone, divided by a bench that serves as a line of separation. As show in this video by the University of Minnesota, a person coming from the outside environment removes boots and coveralls in the “dirty” zone, sanitizes their hands, and swings his or her stocking feet over the bench to the “clean” zone.

In the “clean” zone, they dress in fresh boots and coveralls before entering the animal housing area. The procedure is reversed when they exit the building. The key is that dirty boots or clothing never cross from the dirty to the clean side. Ideally, a hand-washing sink and even a shower should be provided on the clean side.

Janni said a more elaborate, three-zone system provides an intermediate zone between the dirty and clean zones. This “gray” zone creates an additional buffer between the two sides, reducing the likelihood of contamination from one side to the other.

There are a number of detail options to a Danish entry system that can be customized to fit the farm. Some farms use trays of disinfectant to sanitize boots upon entering the dirty zone; others provide disposable, plastic covers that are placed over boots before entry. Signage that explains the process – possibly in more than one language – also is important.

Janni addresses these elements and more in this bulletin . The USDA’s Center for Food Security and Public Health also has published a detailed manual containing useful advice on Danish entries.

Canadian researchers cited a Danish bench system as a helpful tool to mitigate a severe outbreak of Salmonella Dublin in calves. A serious and highly contagious disease, S. Dublin often is shed via manure from older animals, readily spreading it to more vulnerable, young calves. Using a Danish entry to the calf barn can help limit exposure of young calves to this and other contagious diseases.

Dry Cows Most Important Group to Keep Cool

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 21:14:45 GMT

Many regions in the U.S. experienced weeks of summer-like temperatures before the season officially began. For dairy producers, hot weather means implementing heat-abatement protocols. While many approaches are similar, not all are effective.

Dr. Geoffrey Dahl, Harriet B. Weeks Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, recently offered insights and practical tips to manage heat stress in cattle. The June 9 episode of PDPW’s The Dairy Signal™ also addressed best practices for cooling cattle when temperatures climb above a cow’s normal body temperature of 38.7° Celsius (101.8° Fahrenheit).

Perhaps unintuitively, dry cows and springing heifers are the most important groups on a dairy to protect. As it turns out, the impacts of heat stress are worse for unborn calves than their heat-stressed dams. The insults have been shown to persist into the next generation, as well.

“We see a negative impact on those calves’ performance in their first, second and third lactations – it doesn’t matter how we manage them; we have impacted those animals for life,” Dahl said.

Despite the best efforts producers might put forth to protect this group of cattle, he noted “they’re always going to be at a lower baseline of productivity.”

Because heat stress negatively impacts production, fertility, feed intake and immune-system response immediately and in the long-term, it’s critical to provide relief in a variety of ways. Primary among them is giving cows access to plenty of clean water in multiple locations. Cows require 35 to 45 gallons per day and they typically prefer to drink at the same times and places as other cows, so ensuring there is ample space for multiple cows to drink simultaneously is also important.

Another key consideration is the method of cooling cows. Sprinkling or soaking cows without the use of fans is not enough. Likewise, using fans without soaking cows is not enough.

“I would say the only effective way to get those cows cooled down is through the combination of air movement and water application,” Dahl said.

Dahl’s suggestion is to soak cows not just with a fine mist but “with large droplets that penetrate through the hair to the skin.”

Also, it’s best to apply the water at the feedline and have the fans blowing over them in the free stalls.

“We want the animals soaked, not just wet,” Dahl said. “We don’t want the stalls wet, we want the wet cows there with fans on them.”

In addition, Dahl encourages monitoring the respiration rates of cattle to assess their response to hot weather. To do so, watch breathing rates over the course of a few days during different times throughout the day. Respiration rates higher than 60 per minute are an indicator of heat stress.

For more details on heat-abatement logistics regarding soaking cows, providing enough fresh drinking water, as well as more data on the impact of heat stress on fertility, milk production, somatic cell counts, performance of offspring, the inclusion of feed additives, reductions in dry matter intake and more, watch or download “Are you ready for the heat?” All other episodes of The Dairy Signal™, including audio and video downloads, can be viewed here .

About PDPW

Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources, and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.

Watch The Dairy Signal™ at 12:00-1:00 P.M. CT each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.