Facility Focus

How Two Wisconsin Dairies Rethought Calf Housing from the Ground Up

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:41:53 GMT

When a calf is born at McFarlandale Dairy or Rosy Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis., a lot of thought has already gone into where and how that calf will be raised. Both dairies have redesigned their calf housing systems to keep calves healthier, make the daily routine more efficient and improve long‑term herd performance. The farms recently shared their approaches and takeaways during a Professional Dairy Producers webinar.

However, the two farms arrived at that point through different circumstances. McFarlandale Dairy updated its calf facilities as the herd expanded and environmental compliance requirements changed. Rosy Lane Holsteins rebuilt its calf program after a fire destroyed its calf barn in 2022.

Despite those different starting points, both dairies focused on many of the same priorities: ventilation, bedding management, feeding consistency and facilities that make daily calf care easier for employees.

Designing Barns with Hutches in Mind

When Christine Bender returned to her family’s McFarlandale Dairy nine years ago, calves were raised in several different facilities across the farm. As the herd grew to roughly 1,950 milking cows across two sites, the number of replacement heifers increased as well. The decision to rebuild calf housing came as the farm updated its CAFO compliance plan.

“Basically, the DNR said you either need to put your hutches on concrete and contain everything that comes in contact with them, or put up barns,” Bender says.

The farm chose to construct new calf barns but spent several years researching options before beginning construction. Bender and her team visited dairies across the state and evaluated a wide range of housing systems, including automated feeder group housing and large multi-row calf barns. Even while looking at new technology, they continued to view calf hutches as the benchmark for calf health.

“We still believe to this day that calf hutches are probably the gold standard,” she says. “My husband made the point that the goal was to get calves as close as you can to calf hutches.”

That idea shaped the design of McFarlandale’s new facilities. Over the past two years, the farm has built four calf barns in two phases. Calves are still housed individually, but the barns are designed to mimic many of the environmental benefits of hutches while improving labor efficiency and environmental control.

Ventilation Becomes the Biggest Focus

Ventilation quickly became one of the most important management factors. The first barns were built using university guidelines recommending roughly four air exchanges per hour. After consulting with ventilation specialists, the farm began increasing airflow targets.

“For us, the biggest challenge has been ventilation,” Bender says.

Fans were adjusted to six to eight air exchanges per hour and later increased further as the team evaluated calf health data. In the newer barns, McFarlandale added larger fans and additional ventilation strategies, including large ceiling fans with reversible winter settings.

“Now we don’t ever fully close those curtains,” Bender says. “We always leave them cracked so we’re allowing more fresh air.”

The farm now aims for roughly 11 to 12 air exchanges per hour while still avoiding drafts at the calf level. Improvements in ventilation have coincided with lower treatment rates for respiratory disease in recent groups of calves.

Pen Flooring Built for Easier Cleanouts

The flooring design in the calf pens also reflects lessons from the farm’s earlier hutch system. Concrete extends a short distance into each pen, followed by a gravel base that can be removed and replaced during cleanout.

“When we clean out our pens, we scoop all that out with a skid loader and then we can put fresh gravel down,” Bender says.

This setup allows the farm to fully reset pens between groups. The new barns also make it possible to operate with an all-in, all-out calf flow, giving pens time to be cleaned and rest before the next calves enter.

Bedding and Feeding Management Evolve

Bedding management remains another important part of the program. McFarlandale relies heavily on straw for nesting during the winter months and often mixes in sawdust during warmer weather. Pens are bedded frequently to keep calves dry.

“We’ll bed probably every other day because we believe dry calves are healthy and growing calves,” Bender says.

Feeding protocols have also changed over time. What once was a twice-daily feeding schedule has evolved into a more structured system where calves are fed every eight hours. Calves typically remain on milk for about 10 weeks and stay in the calf barn until roughly 12 weeks of age before moving to the next facility.

Growth rates have improved as feeding intensity increased.

“We were probably starting at 1.5 lb. average daily gain,” Bender says. “We got to 1.8 pretty easily just by feeding more milk, and now we’ve been able to attain that 2 lb. average daily gain.”

Lung Ultrasounds to Monitor Respiratory Health

Monitoring respiratory health has also become more precise. McFarlandale Dairy uses lung ultrasound scoring to identify respiratory disease that might not be visible during daily observation.

Before adopting ultrasound screening, Bender believed pneumonia was relatively uncommon in their calves. The scans showed otherwise, identifying cases of subclinical respiratory disease that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

In the hutch system, about 25% of calves required treatment based on ultrasound results. When calves first moved into the barns, treatment rates increased as high as 50%. But as ventilation strategies were adjusted, those numbers began to decline.

More recently, treatment rates have dropped as low as 10% in some groups. The lung ultrasound scores now serve as an important management tool, helping guide treatment decisions as well as ventilation adjustments.

(Maureen Hanson)

A New Calf Barn Built Around Group Housing

Across town at Rosy Lane Holsteins, the redesign of calf housing came after a barn fire destroyed the farm’s original calf facility in 2022. The previous barn had been built in the late 1990s and housed calves in individual pens with tube ventilation. In the years leading up to the fire, the farm had already begun experimenting with paired and group housing systems while working with researchers at the University of Wisconsin.

After the fire, the farm’s partners had to decide whether to rebuild the calf facility or outsource calf raising.

“We all decided as partners that it was best to keep calves in house and raise them ourselves,” says Sam Peetz of Rosy Lane Holsteins. “Part of Rosy Lane is taking care of animals.”

Wisconsin dairy farm

(Rosy-Lane Holsteins)

The Rail Housing Choice

As the farm researched potential designs, one facility visit stood out. During a trip to South Dakota, the team toured a calf barn where calves appeared alert and active shortly after feeding. The facility used a rail housing system, where calves are individually housed in open pens along a central feed alley, a design that allows for strong airflow while keeping feeding and chores efficient.

“All the calves were up, perky, alert and eating grain,” Peetz says. “They looked awesome. It made sense to us that this was the type of system we wanted.”

The new calf barn opened in April 2025. Rosy Lane currently milks about 1,815 cows across two sites, and calves are raised on the home farm until about five months of age.

The new facility is divided into four insulated rooms, each containing eight pens with approximately 10 calves per pen. Calves move into group pens shortly after receiving colostrum and remain together until around three months of age.

The barn uses a rail feeding system that allows calves to be housed in groups while still receiving individual bottles. Each pen has headlocks and bottle holders mounted along a rail.

“We knew we liked group housing and the benefits calves get from socializing and transitioning after weaning,” Peetz says. “But we also liked feeding calves individually.”

The rail feeding system allows employees to quickly observe calf behavior during feeding and identify calves that may not be drinking well.

“We can feed calves quick and efficiently, and you can see right away if a calf drank the bottle or not,” Peetz says.

Many treatments and vaccinations can also be administered while calves remain locked in headlocks immediately after feeding, reducing the need to chase calves around the pen.

Bedding and Ventilation Keep Calves Comfortable

Bedding management was another important design consideration. Each pen measures roughly 12' by 24' and can be divided in half during cleaning. When bedding is removed, calves are temporarily moved to one side while a skid loader cleans out the other half of the pen.

“We’re cleaning that bedding every week and trying to get down to the concrete and start fresh,” Peetz says.

Ventilation in the new barn uses chimney fans similar to systems commonly found in hog and poultry facilities. Each room contains four chimney fans that create negative pressure, pulling stale air upward while fresh air enters through attic inlets.

“The idea is to move the air across the ceiling so it mixes before it gets down to calf level,” Peetz explains.

Managing airflow during seasonal weather swings can still be challenging, particularly during spring and fall when temperatures change quickly.

“The tricky part is when it warms up but the concrete is still cold underneath the calves,” he says. “How do you move that air without creating a draft?”

Peetz generally prefers higher airflow rates combined with deep bedding and calf jackets when needed.

“I’m a big believer in deep straw bedding and running eight, 10, 12 air exchanges an hour to keep fresh air down by the calves.”

Like McFarlandale, Rosy Lane relies heavily on bedding to maintain calf comfort. Straw is used extensively for young calves, although older calves may transition to corn stalk bedding depending on availability. Calves also have continuous access to water through small waterers, and water tanks are cleaned daily.

“We’re cleaning water tanks every day because baby calves need clean water,” Peetz says.

Calf Housing That Works for People and Animals

Both farms emphasize facilities must also support the people caring for the animals. Indoor barns provide protection from weather and help create a more consistent working environment for employees.

“For the employees it’s a really nice environment,” Bender says. “You’re out of the elements, and there’s a lot of natural sunlight.”

Peetz also emphasizes the importance of routines that are easy to repeat every day.

“How do you make it easy and repeatable so people do the same thing every day?” he asks.

Both dairies also stress how calf housing is only one part of a successful calf program. Much of calf health is determined before calves ever reach the barn.

At McFarlandale Dairy, Bender continues to focus on improving maternity management and colostrum protocols.

“The only time we really lose calves is within the first two days of life,” she says. “That always takes me back to maternity.”

Newborn calf_Taylor Leach

(Taylor Leach)

The farm monitors colostrum success using blood total protein testing and consistently achieves high transfer rates.

“Blood total proteins average about 96% excellent,” Bender says.

Now the farm is evaluating colostrum volume and BRIX levels more closely to determine whether adjustments are needed.

“We think we got too good at our jobs feeding really high-quality colostrum and large amounts,” she says.

Rosy Lane tracks several performance indicators in its calf program, including average daily gain, the percentage of calves that double birth weight by weaning and overall completion rate from birth to fresh heifer.

“Our ultimate goal is to get 90% of calves born alive to make it to the fresh pen as a 2 year old,” Peetz says.

Growth rates have improved in the new facility. In the previous barn, achieving 1.8 lb. of average daily gain was considered strong performance. In the new barn, calves are more often averaging around 2.2 lb. per day.

Still, Peetz emphasizes strong transitions after weaning are just as important as early growth.

“You can feed calves a lot and get good birth-to-wean gain,” he says. “The real test is transitioning them to solid feed without getting them sick.”

Built for Long-Term Success

Both farms view their new calf facilities as tools to support consistent care rather than a finished solution. Thoughtful housing paired with careful management allows them to monitor, adjust and improve calf health as the animals grow.

“You can do great the first eight weeks, but if things fall apart after that, there are still opportunities for improvement,” Bender says.

For McFarlandale Dairy and Rosy Lane Holsteins, the focus remains on continuous improvement. By creating environments that promote calf comfort, health and socialization, they are setting up animals for stronger growth, smoother weaning transitions and long-term productivity.

The Top Three Biggest Mistakes When Using Crowd Gates

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:00:00 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.

Where There’s Smoke, There May Be Poor Ventilation

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:04:00 GMT

If you want to evaluate air movement and ventilation in your calf barn, there’s an easy way to do it – fill it with smoke.

That smoke should not come from a fire, mind you, but from handy tools that allow you to visually evaluate where the air moves in your calf barn, and how quickly it is exchanged with fresh air from the outside.

Courtney Hallbach, MBA, researcher with the University of Wisconsin’s Dairyland Initiative, shared at the most recent AABP Recent Graduate Conference that good ventilation is critical for removing warm, humid, contaminated air from calf barns. In the summer, this helps with heat abatement; in the winter, it protects respiratory health.

She said “smoking” or “fogging” barns is a low-cost, highly visual way to observe how air is distributed in a calf barn and identify any dead spots. In barns with positive-pressure ventilation tubes, smoke can be forced through the tube from the outside, while an observer inside watches how air exits the discharge holes, and how long it takes for the smoke to leave the building entirely. Any leaks or loose connections in the ventilation tubes can also be identified.

There are several options for tools used to perform smoke testing:

Non-toxic smoke sticks or bombs commonly used by HVAC professionals
Bug foggers loaded with water or mineral oil;
Electronic fog machines commonly used in theaters and fire training

This video shows a team of professionals from Cornell University Extension using smoke sticks to evaluate a New York calf barn without a positive-pressure ventilation tube.

Dr. Ryan Leiterman, veterinarian and agricultural engineer with Crystal Creek Natural , Spooner, Wis., regularly uses the method to diagnose ventilation issues in existing barns, and fine-tune the systems when he is helping clients install ventilation systems in new barn construction.

In an advisory bulletin he offered as guidance to producers building new facilities, he noted, “after fogging over 75 barns, I consistently notice fresh air from the positive pressure duct being directed to the calf level, only to be warmed and rise back up to the top of the barn.”

He said it is a myth that calves don’t produce enough body heat to influence thermal buoyancy. In truth, they absolutely do. That warm air they create needs an escape route, which he advised should be a ceiling ridge vent. “Ridge vents can and should be covered, but the covering needs to be elevated to provide space for warm air to escape,” he stated.

The clearly visible air flow patterns observed from smoking barns can also identify dead zones of stagnant air, where smoke lingers instead of clearing. Fast-moving smoke at the calf level might be fine in the summer, but indicate a cold draft on calves in the winter.

Sometimes, short-circuiting of airflow is also observed, when smoke is pulled directly from inlets to exhaust without circulating through the room. In that case, the mechanical ventilation system may be running, but not actually refreshing the air around the calves.

Leiterman records the time it takes for the smoke to completely dissipate in the building, which is an indication of air exchange speed. He explains the simple calculation in this video of fogging a calf barn addition under construction in Wisconsin. If it takes 15 minutes for the smoke to clear, that’s 4 exchanges per hour. Clearance in 6 minutes means 10 exchanges per hour. He advises at least 4 air exchanges per hour in all seasons, with possibly greater frequency in warm weather.

Remedying identified issues may be as simple as adjusting curtained sidewalls on calf barns; increasing or decreasing fan speeds; or changing the volume of air through positive-pressure ventilation tubes. In other cases, it may take more involved efforts, like cutting in roof ridge ventilation or a central chimney to allow warm air to escape, or installing a positive-pressure ventilation system.

Work with your veterinarian, design engineer, or building professional to put the power of smoke to work for your calves and the environment you want to create for them.

Consider Making These ‘Off-Season’ Upgrades on Your Dairy

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:21:19 GMT

With the busy summer months behind us and the end of the year just around the corner, dairies are setting their sights on off-season upgrades. These are the equipment and facility projects that likely didn’t quite fit in earlier in the year. It’s also when the year-end numbers come into play, where money may be better spent on upgrades than lost to taxes.

Justin Custer, solution manager, Milk Quality and Animal Health, Market Area North America for DeLaval, and Keith Engel, business development manager – hygiene for GEA Farm Technologies, share the top solutions and strategies their customers — both conventional and robotic — are implementing in the off season across the U.S. From small equipment fixes to bigger facility improvements, these experts agree the right investments now can mean smoother performance and fewer headaches throughout the winter and into the new year.

Small upgrades to automation, milk pumps, crowd gates and vacuums. “We still have quite a few older barns out there, and these are common for this time of year,” Custer says.
Cooling and milk storage. According to Custer, “If production is increased, they’re looking at alternatives for milk storage. These are big things to improve upon now, when your system isn’t as taxed from the weather as opposed to the middle of summer, when hot milk is more prevalent.”
Winter teat dips. “This is a major focus to work with our customers on, because frost bite, teat and skin conditioning all have a huge impact on the overall curve,” Custer says.
Improvements to housing. Engel says it really comes down to having the proper traction for cows to walk, windbreaks to protect the cows from the windchill, and dry, clean bedding.
Vacuum and take-off settings. “Take steps to ensure optimal take-off and vacuum settings for your herd to ensure teat-end health. Match vacuum settings and pulsation to the current liner,” Engel says.
Parlor entrance and exit areas. “Cow flow to and from the parlor can be affected by ice and frozen manure. Eliminate this potential winter obstacle by making sure cow entrance and exit areas are protected,” Engel says.

“Overall, you would want to consider anything that is going to make sure your milking equipment and settings are right,” Engel says. “So, an investment now in that — whether it’s a scheduled service and a milking time evaluation or upgrading your milking equipment — would be wise. Doing a walk-through of your facility and recalling issues of winters past and how you can improve and prepare before this season is key.”

Custer adds that while timing isn’t always optimal for everyone, both the smaller upgrades and major projects are wins for both the customer and the dealers they work through. “It’s all kind of a balancing act implementing new stuff during a time where you might not have all the resources. But if you plan it correctly, it could actually help you improve that ‘getting-through-the-holidays’ pinch.”

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What Manure Management System Works Best for You?

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:27:09 GMT

Dealing with manure is part of the daily grind on any dairy farm. It’s a crappy job, but when managed properly, manure can be an extremely valuable resource. Many farms now collect and store manure systematically, and a growing number are exploring composting, separation or digestion. But before jumping into any new system, Dr. Rebecca Larson, professor and Extension specialist at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, says producers need to define their goals.

Start With Clear Goals
“Start by asking what you want to change,” she says. “Do you want to reduce hauling costs? Manage phosphorus? Reduce odor? That clarity is key.”

Larson emphasizes evaluating your current system from barn to field. Before considering upgrades, it’s important to understand how your system functions, where the bottlenecks are, and how manure moves through your operation.

“Even knowing how many truckloads you hauled last year, or where and when, can make a big difference,” she says. “That kind of information helps size a system, estimate cost and identify where improvements would matter most.”

She also recommends having a rough idea of your farm’s manure characteristics, such as consistency, water content and nutrient profile. These influence which technologies are feasible, how systems perform and what adjustments might be needed to get the most value.

“Some systems just don’t work if your manure is too dry or too liquid,” she adds. “That’s why I recommend drawing out a manure flow diagram. It helps you visualize the full system and your weak spots.”

Storage Matters
Well-designed storage gives farms flexibility to apply manure when conditions are best, not just when forced. That means better nutrient retention, less runoff and fewer weather-related headaches. Properly sized storage also supports labor efficiency, better planning and improved integration with advanced systems.

“Most people build storage because they’re required to,” Larson explains, “but it really gives you flexibility, especially during winter.”

Composting: Simple and Scalable
Composting is a popular option due to its simplicity and multiple benefits. Chryseis Modderman, Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, explains that high temperatures and aeration kill most pathogens, making composting an effective way to sanitize manure.

“A compost pile made of manure, bedding and other organic material can reach up to 150°F, sufficient to destroy most harmful microbes,” Modderman says. She recommends two heat cycles of at least 131°F, with aeration and uniform heat distribution, to fully break down the material into a stable, soil-like product.

Storing manure under anaerobic conditions can also reduce pathogens. “Though some bacteria can survive anaerobic conditions, most pathogens will be killed within 30 days,” Modderman notes.

Benefits of composting include reduced volume, odor and pathogen load.

“You can cut your manure volume nearly in half,” Larson adds. “It also kills weed seeds and creates a more stable product. Some farms market their finished compost, but this requires additional time and effort.”

Digestion: Powerful but Pricey
Anaerobic digesters break down manure without oxygen, producing methane that can be used for electricity, heat or renewable natural gas. Their popularity is rising as farms seek ways to generate energy, lower emissions and reduce odor. Daniel Ciolkosz of Penn State Extension notes that digesters also reduce the smell tied to land application, an increasing concern as more homes are built near farms.

“An anaerobic digester is an excellent addition to a manure management system for the reduction in near odorless effluent for spreading on fields,” Ciolkosz says.

The best digester depends on a farm’s manure system and location. Scraped, flushed or belt systems affect solids content entering the digester, which influences efficiency. In warm climates, covered lagoons are a lower-cost option. In colder regions, complete mix, plug flow or temperature phase digesters are more common due to better heating potential.

However, digesters come with a high price tag. Installation can run into the millions, especially when paired with gas upgrading or power generation equipment. Ongoing maintenance, oversight and permitting also add to the cost. These investments often require grants, partnerships or revenue from energy credits to make them viable.

Separation: Targeted Tools for Better Control
Separation systems are another tool producers should consider when evaluating long-term manure management strategies. These systems divide solids from liquids, helping reduce manure volume, improve nutrient management and enhance the efficiency of downstream processes like composting, bedding recovery or anaerobic digestion. They can also reduce storage needs and help tailor nutrient application to crop demands.

“From there, you can manage each stream differently,” Larson says. “It’s great for targeting nutrients, reducing hauling costs or recycling bedding.”

Screw presses are a common form of separation and cost about $100,000. Centrifuges are more effective for phosphorus but can cost up to $500,000 and require more maintenance. Multiple systems can also work in series.

“You might start with a screw press, then use an incline screen or centrifuge,” Larson adds.

Each nutrient separates differently. Particle size, solubility and system type affect how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium end up in the solid or liquid fraction.

“Ammonia stays in the liquid, phosphorus goes with the solids. If phosphorus is your goal, choose a system with high phosphorus efficiency,” she advises.

Separation also shifts nutrient ratios.

“Manure might start with a 3-to-1 nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio. After separation, liquids might be 4-to-1, solids 1-to-1,” she says. “That allows for more targeted nutrient application.”

Many farms also reuse separated solids for bedding.

“And modeling shows separation systems may cut greenhouse gas emissions more than digesters,” she adds.

Advanced Options: Struvite, Biochar, Clean Water, and Pelleting
For producers looking to advance manure management, several emerging technologies go beyond basic separation. These tools help recover nutrients, reduce emissions and manage water, which is especially useful for large farms or those with limited land.

Struvite systems extract phosphorus as a dry, dense product that’s easier to transport and apply.
Biochar, made by pyrolyzing manure solids, holds water, stores carbon and can reduce harmful gases in digesters.
Clean water systems use advanced filtration to recover 50% to 65% of manure as potable water. “I’ve actually drunk the water, and it’s clean,” Larson adds. These systems are gaining traction even in water-rich areas.
Pelleting systems densify nutrients into transportable pellets, mostly seen on farms with 15,000+ cows.

Fit the System to Your Farm
Ultimately, effective manure management depends on clear goals and solid infrastructure. Taking time to evaluate your current system and choose the right tools can lead to better efficiency, fewer headaches and stronger returns over time.

“Manure processing can be fantastic, but only if it fits your goals, scale and management style,” Larson adds. “Sometimes the biggest gains come from small improvements. The more you understand your system, the smarter your decisions which benefit your farm, your finances and the environment.”

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Facility Focus: Are You Managing Footbaths as Well as You Think?

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Footbaths are one of the most commonly used management tools on the dairy, yet they often don’t get the attention they deserve. With lameness ranking among the most costly health issues in today’s dairy operations, a “set it and forget it” approach is not an effective way to prevent the spread of digital dermatitis (DD)—an incurable disease that can quickly take hold if not managed properly.

Aerica Bjurstrom, a Regional Dairy Educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares key management practices to help producers keep their footbaths operating efficiently.

Monitor Use
To be effective, footbaths should be at least 10 feet long, allowing each cow’s hooves to step into the solution twice. Additionally, the solution depth should be maintained at a minimum of four inches to ensure dewclaws are fully submerged. As solution levels drop, footbaths can be topped off, but it’s essential to maintain proper concentration levels as per product recommendations.

“[The footbath] solution should be changed after 150 to 350 cows pass through,” Bjurstrom advises. “If cows have cleaner hooves and legs, the solution can last for 300 to 350 cows. However, dirtier hooves require more frequent changes.”

Tracking daily cow traffic through the footbath can provide better insights into when the solution needs refreshing. Additionally, Bjurstrom notes that cows should have the option to bypass treatment when necessary. “A simple chlorinated or soapy bath on non-treatment days can help maintain foot cleanliness.”

She also emphasizes that treatment frequency should be tailored to your herd needs. “During a DD outbreak, start with three footbath treatments per week. If the condition does not improve, increase frequency to four or five times weekly. For maintenance, a schedule such as Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday or Monday-Wednesday-Friday can be effective.”

Know Your Product
Footbath effectiveness is not one-size-fits-all, and proper solution management is key to success.

“Your footbath solution should be maintained at a pH of 3.5–5.5,” Bjurstrom explains. “Making the solution too acidic or too alkaline won’t improve DD management. Since healthy skin naturally falls within a pH range of 4–5.5, keeping the solution in this range helps maintain skin condition and optimize treatment results.”

Copper sulfate is one of the most widely used footbath treatments, known for reducing both the incidence and severity of hoof lesions. However, Bjurstrom cautions that its effectiveness can be diminished by organic matter. “Dirty footbaths will be less effective than clean ones, as organic matter can rapidly neutralize copper sulfate. The recommended concentration is between 2–5%.”

Don’t Put It Off
While managing footbaths isn’t the most glamorous job, it’s certainly one that can’t be overlooked. A well-maintained footbath plays a critical role in preventing lameness and keeping your herd healthy.
Take the time to develop a routine maintenance schedule that includes:

Regular solution changes based on herd size and cleanliness
Consistent monitoring of concentration levels and pH balance
Thorough cleaning to remove organic buildup and maintain effectiveness
Employee training to ensure proper handling and safety procedures

By staying proactive and making footbath management a priority, you can help prevent the spread of digital dermatitis and keep your cows on the right track—literally and figuratively.

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Facility Focus: Can Your Employees Actually Detect These Equipment Issues?

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:44:17 GMT

Cracked hoses, worn-out inflations, air bleeds—these are just a few of the common problems that can pop up when maintaining milking equipment. If left unchecked, they can lead to costly downtime, compromised milk quality and even animal health issues.

But the real question is: are your milkers trained to detect these issues early before they escalate? Ernest Hovingh, extension veterinarian at Pennsylvania State University, provides the following tips when it comes to training employees to spot and solve milking equipment problems when the arise.

The Big Four

“Milkers should also be trained to assess the basic condition and function of the milking equipment,” Hovingh says. “Some of the most common things that they should be looking for include blocked air bleed vents, cracked pulsation (short air) tubes, twisted inflations, and pinched hoses. While this may seem like an extensive list of things to check, once a milker is trained to be observant for these things, it can become second nature and does not require a lot of dedicated time or effort.”

He suggests training milkers to identify the following issues:

Blocked Air Vents – Air vents in the claw or in the inflation are intended to create a deliberate ‘leak’ of air into the claw, to promote milk flow away from the claw and teat and into the milk hose, according to Hovingh. Occasionally, these vents can become blocked with debris, disrupting the flow of milk and increasing the risk of environmental mastitis.

Hovingh recommends training milkers to identify where these vents are located and how to check to make sure they are functioning. “A small hiss of air can usually be heard being admitted into a functional vent, but if they are not sure if a vent is functioning properly, a small piece of a [milking] glove can be held up to the vent. If the vent is open, the glove should ‘stick’ to the vent.
Cracked Tubes – Another common equipment problem Hovingh often sees are cracked short air tubes. These defective tubes can interfere with the pulsation of the liner and can prevent the vacuum from working correctly.

“Milkers should be checking to see that the short air tubes are in good condition when they wash the milking clusters at the end of milking, but they should also be listening for vacuum leaks and looking for cracked tubes while milking,” Hovingh says. “Proactively changing the short air tubes on a regular schedule should also be part of the parlor maintenance routine.”
Worn-out Inflations - During scheduled maintenance days, milking equipment companies will often provide a service of placing new liners into an additional set of shells so that the milkers simply only replace the shell and inflation as one unit. However, it’s important to ensure that inflations don’t become worn-out or misaligned.

“Milkers should be checking to see that the alignment indicators on the inflations are lined up properly at least at the beginning of each milking,” Hovingh says. “Even with shell and inflations that have alignment notches, there can be some very obvious twisting problems with these units.”
Pinched Hoses – Hoses that are too long or too short can often become pinched off during milking or wash cycles. This can result in reduced milk flow or un-sanitized equipment.

“Milkers should be trained to watch for any restrictions/deformations in any hoses and immediately report them to the parlor manager,” Hovingh adds. “Regular inspections of all hoses every 2-4 weeks, and a regular replacement schedule are useful to prevent problems and allow for early identification.”

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Facility Focus: The Five Musts of Managing Data

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:08:46 GMT

One of the best, not-so-well-kept secrets of today’s successful dairy farms is this: Dive into the data. With technology influencing nearly every aspect of modern operations, managing data on a dairy is crucial for optimizing production efficiency, ensuring animal health and boosting overall farm profitability. But, just like the old saying goes, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

According to Adam Griffin, Proposition Manager for Digital Farming at Lely North America, mastering the intricacies of data management has become a vital role in today’s operations. By effectively managing data, farmers can make better-informed decisions, track performance metrics and identify areas for improvement. He provides the following tips when it comes to managing metrics on the farm:

1. Do Your Homework – “One of the first things a farmer should do before investing in technology is taking the time to do their homework,” Griffin says. “This involves understanding the pros and cons of different systems, consulting with other producers who have already integrated similar technologies, and working with consultants to determine which systems will be the best fit for their specific needs.”

2. Have Good Wi-Fi – While not every piece of technology used on the farm requires Wi-Fi, having a strong internet connection is crucial for effective data management.

“Many of today’s systems either store or operate in the cloud. This means you and your key stakeholders need reliable internet access to retrieve that information. Additionally, there are a number of farm solutions that utilize mobile apps to work around the farm operation that benefit from strong Wi-Fi/Cellular coverage” Griffin says. “Although internet access has improved in rural communities, it remains limited. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure your internet provider can deliver the connection you need.”

3. Keep Up with the Updates – Technology is great when it works, but incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t. One way to ensure systems are working efficiently and effectively is to stay current on system updates.

“It’s incredibly important to stay on top of these updates,” Griffin emphasizes. “Think of it like a tractor or skid loader – it has to be maintained regularly in order for it to work optimally. Same with these systems. If you miss an update or two, it doesn’t take long for it to create a weak link. And when these weak links break, they can cause a lot of downtime and headaches not only for the farmer, but for the consultants as well. Treat these systems as any other piece of farm equipment and make sure they are maintained regularly.”

4. Backup Your Storage - “One of the biggest musts when it comes to managing data is making sure your information is backed up,” Griffin says. “You never know when a piece of technology is going to shut down on you, so it’s important to have that information backed up so you can access it later on.”

Griffin recommends storing information in a cloud-based system whenever possible and collaborating with your system provider to ensure proper data storage.

“With the volume of today’s farm data and the value of that information- storage is not something to take lightly anymore,” he adds.

5. Keep Data Secure – “Just like backups, data security is becoming increasingly important,” Griffin says. “We’re living in a connected world where everything is available online.. And while that can make things more convenient, it also opens the door to new risks.”

With the value of farm information increasing and more operations capitalizing on automation, Griffin says the need for high-level data security is growing.

“Make sure your information is in the right hands,” he adds. “Keep passwords private, only allow authorized people access to on-farm computers, collaborate closely with your system providers and consider investing in additional software for enhanced security measures.”

For more Facility Focus stories, read:

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.

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Facility Focus: Could Automated Sort Gates be Your Next Employee?

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 21:42:13 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.Sorting cows is certainly not one of the most enjoyable jobs on the farm. It’s time consuming, and, sometimes, downright frustrating. However, it’s a necessary task to ensure cows are firing on all cylinders from a health and reproductive standpoint.

But what if sorting cows didn’t have to be such a headache? According to Evan Platte, senior application specialist at Merck Animal Health, it’s a reality that more and more dairy farmers are leaning toward.

“Some of the main reasons for a producer to install sort gates is for efficiency purposes - labor efficiency, cow flow efficiency and really just being able to automate workflow,” Platte says. “Instead of spending time looking for animals, farmers can spend more of their time taking care of a specific cow’s needs.”

The time saving capabilities that sort gates offer are endless. They especially come in handy when it comes to breeding and caring for special needs animals, Platte adds.

“By automating the sorting process, breeders may only have to spend five minutes with an animal instead of sorting through an entire pen of cows. You know all of the animals the sort gate filtered out are the ones who actually need to be bred,” he says. “The same goes for sick cows. You don’t have to go on a wild goose chase trying to find them. Instead, they were automatically sorted for you, which gives you more time to give them quality care.”

According to Platte, that extra time saved can really add up for employees. Prior to his role with Merck, Platte served as a herd manager for several large dairies located throughout Michigan. Knowing the day-to-day grunt work of the job well, Platte says the sorting technology can be a real benefit when it comes to retaining labor.

“Think of the system as hiring an extra guy just to sort cows,” Platte says. “It lets your other employees get back to doing more enjoyable jobs and can save them from walking an extra 40,000 steps trying to find animals.”

Details to Deliberate

Before deciding to incorporate sort gate technology into your operation, Platte offers the following tips to consider:

Do Your Homework – “Not all sort gates are created equal,” Platte says. “Get in touch with a local sort gate dealer and work alongside them to figure out the needs of your operation. They should have an idea as to what system will work best with the technology that’s currently in place or new technology that you plan to bring in.”

Focus on Design – “Facility design can really make or break the overall performance of sort gates,” Platte adds. “It’s really important to get it right, especially if you are retrofitting a pre-existing facility.”

Get Everyone Involved – “Making the decision to bring in sort gate technology shouldn’t just be up to the owner,” Platte says. “In my opinion, the more people you involve, the better. Talk with your employees, your nutritionist and your veterinarian. They may bring ideas to the table that you may not have thought of. Reaching out to other farmers who have the technology and touring their operation is another great way to determine if [sort gates] are the right fit for your farm.”

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

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:

Facility Focus: Is Your Calf Warming Room Ready for Another Winter?

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 20:54:18 GMT

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the calf warming room is so delightful!

During a cold, blustery day on the farm, do you ever find yourself popping into the barn office to warm up? It helps take the chill off and instantly perks up your mood. The same can be said for newborn calves.

Warming rooms and commercial warming boxes can quite literally be a lifesaver for newborn calves. Dairy calves are born with only 2-4% body fat, which is not enough to sustain them long during cold temps. Thankfully, warming rooms can offer a clean, dry and warm space for a newborn calf to dry off and rest after an eventful calving.

Faith Cullens-Nobis, a dairy extension educator for Michigan State University, offers up the following tips to help prepare your calf warming room for another cold season:

Keep it Clean!

While newborn calves typically stay in the warming room for only a few hours, the environment must be kept clean and dry. Walls and floors should be scrubbed regularly to help keep disease-causing pathogens at bay.

“Without proper management and sanitation, warming rooms and boxes will quickly become a contaminated environment and present a significant disease risk to calves,” Cullens-Nobis says. “Carefully consider how flooring and walls can be cleaned if there is a steady flow of calves. If there is not a drain in the floor, then cleaning with water can become a challenge.”

Monitor Air Flow

Adequate ventilation in a warming room is just as important as it is in a calf barn or hutch. The room’s air should turnover a minimum of four times every hour.

“Don’t underestimate the ventilation needs for an enclosed space housing wet calves that are urinating and defecating,” Cullens-Nobis says. “Without proper ventilation, calves will not dry properly, and air quality will become poor enough that people and animals should not be inside.”

Turn Up the Heat

If the calf warming room isn’t kept warm, then what’s the point of having it? Newborn calves maintain their core body temperature when temperatures range from 50°F to 77°F. When temperatures drop below this threshold, the calf will begin to experience cold stress and direct its energy toward maintaining an optimal body temperature. Cullens-Nobis suggests using the following heat sources:

“Heat lamps can be used to warm calves, but carry a fire risk and do not move air around,” she says. “Space heaters can be considered if the space is small. Radiant heaters with a fan work well and dry calves quickly. Ideally, set the radiant heater on a timer or thermostat to avoid over-heating calves.”

As the thermometer starts to dip lower and lower, now is the time to make sure your calf warming room is in tip-top shape. This easy to use and relatively affordable facility might be just what the doctor ordered to help newborn calves thrive this winter.

Facility Focus: Keys to Success for Calf Facilities Across the Country

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 20:42:41 GMT

Each region of the U.S. presents its own challenges with raising calves, with the varying landscapes often dictating the layout of calf facilities. While available space, climate extremes, labor and water availability will play a different role in each farm’s setup, there are a few factors that farmers across the country can all consider.

Ben Ekern, Midwest Regional Manager for Calf-Tel, says it’s important to establish specific goals. He says if a farmer has a goal of feeding calves three times per day to achieve a certain amount of growth per calf, that goal cascades down through a number of different variables to consider when sending calves off-site or planning to raise them on their own.

Ekern also cites cleanliness and ventilation as keys to success. “Probably the number one contributing factor to healthy calves is healthy lungs. Most producers will probably agree that the best way to raise a healthy calf is outside, on the ground, in a hutch. This allows plenty of access to fresh air, and hutches make it easy to keep dangerous bioburdens away from the calf,” he says. “That said, we see a tremendous amount of success from our customers who raise calves in calf barns, and that success comes because cleanliness and ventilation are a priority in their design.”

Abe and Katrina Cobb of Perkins, OK have implemented both hutches and barns into their calf raising program. With a milking herd of 40, they have between 12 and 17 calves in hutches at a time, from birth to three months. Katrina then weans, halter breaks and moves groups of four at a time into a sand pack barn.

The Cobbs designed and built just about everything on their farm themselves, with cooling and comfort as a priority. “We’ve got a 300-foot-long area on grass where our hutches are,” Katrina says. “They’re bedded with straw, and after a calf moves out, the hutch is sanitized and moved. Because we’ve got so much space for the hutches, there’s adequate time for grass to grow back before the next calf moves in.”

With year-round heat, the Cobbs have an additional measure of comfort with their hutches: a shade cloth. After posting a photo of their design on social media, Katrina heard from several other farmers who couldn’t believe they hadn’t seen anything like it before.

“Your whole life you’ve been taught hutches are good enough, but I’ve been in a hutch when it’s 100 degrees, and it’s not comfortable,” Katrina says. “All it is, is a frame we had welded together, with a shade cloth across the top. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s practical and works.” She adds that it can cool off the inside of the hutches by 20 degrees.

According to Ekern, hutch tethers are another addition a lot of farmers make to their calf housing – anchoring it to the ground to prevent against blowing away in the wind. “Wind is a challenge across most regions – especially in the Southwest where 40 mile-per-hour winds are an average day and gusts are even more severe,” he says.

Looking into the future of calf raising, Ekern highlights producers who can accommodate social housing while maximizing labor efficiency and achieving solid growth. “They’ll be utilizing and improving on existing systems, and facilities will have to be able to accommodate substantiated trends and regulatory requirements. And, lots and lots of fresh air.”

Facility Focus: Is Your Farm Equipped to Raise Beef-on-Dairy?

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:30:00 GMT

As beef prices soar, dairy producers are ramping up their utilization of beef semen on lower end dairy cows, resulting in more beef-on-dairy calves. These calves tend to bring in a decent chunk of change at the sale barn. However, older animals continue to be more valuable, enticing some farmers to raise these animals to finishing weight.

Before deciding to raise beef-on-dairy animals, there are several important things one should consider. Some of these items include factoring in additional feed costs and the potential need for added labor. However, if raising your own beef-on-dairy animals pencils out, it’s also important to make sure your facilities can handle the load.

Beef-on-Dairy Calves

Similar to raising dairy calves, beef-on-dairy calves should be kept in a clean, dry environment. According to Tara Felix, extension beef specialist for Pennsylvania State University, most dairy beef starter calves are housed in individual stalls at least 24 inches wide until they are 9 to 10 weeks of age. After that the calves can be maintained in larger group pens of up to 25 animals.

“Larger groups often have a less-uniform growth rate, and it is more difficult for producers to observe and treat the variety of illnesses that might affect the calves,” Felix says. “Using an ‘all-in, all-out’ system gives producers the opportunity to thoroughly clean and disinfect the entire barn where the calves are raised.”

Weaned Animals

One of the most important factors when raising beef-on-dairy animals is the availability of space. Do you have enough pens? Enough feed bunks? Or perhaps even an extra barn to finish these animals out?

“Dairy steers [and beef-on-dairy animals] require more housing and shelter than conventional beef breeds of the same age,” Felix says. “Footing is very important because dairy beef steers are fed for nearly a year. Unbedded concrete or slatted floors can result in lameness and an increased risk of injury.”

Another common problem producers run into is limited bunk space. To maximize growth performance, make sure there is adequate pen and bunk space for growing and finishing cattle.

“If space per animal is limited, then consider decreasing animal numbers or making barn renovations to increase space,” Felix adds. “Limited pen or bunk space will reduce the feed intake of less dominant animals compared to more dominant animals because cattle function in a social order.”

In addition to spacing requirements, it’s important to also factor in ventilation requirements. According to Felix, the barn where the cattle are housed should have at least one open side and sliding panels or curtains on the closed side to allow for proper ventilation.

“One of the most common causes of respiratory problems in cattle is not cold temperatures but high humidity due to inadequate ventilation in the housing area,” she adds.

It Can Be Done

In conclusion, existing facilities can be used and retrofitted to raise beef-on-dairy animals. And according to Felix, this enterprise is easy to enter when profit projections are favorable and to exit when unfavorable. However, it’s important to make sure these animals are being managed properly to ensure a profitable product hits consumers’ tables and producers’ pocketbooks. Producers should carefully research local markets and develop marketing strategies before beginning a beef-on-dairy operation.

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".

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Facility Focus: Lock-Up Time Could Lead to Lost Production

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 20:39:06 GMT

Headlocks could arguably be one of the most used tools on the farm. Whether they’re used for pregnancy checking, herd health days or A.I. breeding, headlocks come in handy for a multitude of reasons. But are our cows spending unnecessary time locked up? Researchers from Texas A&M University set out to determine how long is too long.

Lock-Up Time Adds Up

Cows only have so many hours in a day to complete their daily routines. According to Rick Grant of the Miner Institute, dairy cows will spend 3 to 5 hours a day eating, 12 to 14 hours lying or resting, 2 to 3 hours socializing and approximately 30 minutes drinking. That only leaves, 2.5 to 3.5 per day for milking and other herd management activities. While this might sound like a lot of time, it doesn’t take long for the minutes to add up. And unfortunately, time spent in headlocks will compete with the time for other behavioral needs.

During the study, the researchers observed an average lock-up time of approximately 1 to 4 hours per day. This time varied on pen size, stocking density and an animal’s position at the feed bunk.

It was determined that cows with longer lock-up periods experienced shorter lying times. The researchers concluded that excessive standing time could be associated with higher incidences of lameness, shorter time spent eating and more aggressive behavior.

Longer Lock-Ups = Lost Production

As time spent in headlocks increases, so do cortisol levels. In turn, this leads to heightened stress for the animal, which can negatively impact an animal’s health and productivity.

According to the researchers, prolonged cortisol has the potential to decrease overall milk yield, milk fat percentage and dry matter intake. Cows deprived of feeding and lying for more than 4 hours reduced milk yield by 4.4 lb. per day for 3 consecutive days.

To help prevent unnecessary stress, it’s important to minimize lock-up times whenever possible. This especially holds true for fresh cows, as these animals are the most in need of a stress-free environment to get them off to the best start. It’s also important to keep lock-up times at a minimum during the summer months. Locking up cows for extended periods without access to water or shade can have adverse effects during summer heat stress.

To help keep lock-up times to a minimum, consider following these tips:

Set a timer. As soon as animals are locked up, try setting a timer to see how long it takes for various management practices. This will help you determine your average lock-up time and adjust from there.
Let specific animals go. Instead of keeping an entire pen locked up, consider letting animals who no longer need attention go.
Time of day. Avoid the use of headlocks during late morning and afternoon hours during the summer months.
Talk with your vet. Take time to chat with your veterinarian on ways to maximize efficiency on herd health days.

Headlocks can be successfully used on a dairy. The limiting factor is how well they are managed. Work with your team to minimize lock-up times whenever possible.

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Facility Focus: Keeping the Barn Office in Check

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 14:00:00 GMT

The calendar has finally flipped the page to 2023. Like most people, you’ve probably set a few New Year’s resolutions for both you and the farm. Some examples might include:

Shed a few extra pounds.
Shoot for higher profit margins.
Spend more time with family and friends.

All of these are excellent goals to aim for, but how about we add one more to the list:

Actually keep the barn office organized for once!

The barn office is the heart and soul of every operation. It’s where employees and family members gather to discuss business, gossip about local events and chat about the weather. It’s also a place for clutter to accumulate and for paperwork to pile up.

As farmers, there are just not enough hours in the day to keep the barn office neat and tidy 24/7. However, there are a few things we can do to help keep this vital part of our operation functioning smoothly. Here are a few tips to consider:

Purge Your Space – We’re all guilty of keeping things we don’t need. Sire catalogs from 10+ years ago. Scraps of paper with random notes scribbled off to the side. A lost glove, nuts and bolts from a broken part, that growing stack of unwashed coffee tumblers. The list goes on and on!

To help keep clutter at bay, try setting aside some time each month to purge your space. Removing unnecessary and broken items can help make your office feel a little less like a junk drawer and more like a functioning space to work.

Digitize Files – Sometimes it feels as if the farm paperwork is stacked a mile high. Fortunately, there’s a way to help keep that growing pile under control.

Digitizing files is an easy way to organize paperwork without having to keep every single piece of paper. These systems are relatively affordable and allow you to either scan items via your computer or phone, then upload them to a safe location digitally. Just remember to backup your files regularly!

Storage is Key – How many times have you walked into the office and wondered, “Where did I put ____?” Probably more often than you care to admit. While it might sound silly, having a designated spot for a variety of items can help make day-to-day tasks that much easier. Maybe it’s time to invest in a few storage shelves, bins or hooks. These items can easily be found at every hardware store and are relatively affordable. Plus, they help keep everyone else’s ‘junk’ off your desk!

While prioritizing your health, business profitability and family is certainly more important than a tidy workspace, consider implementing these strategies on your farm’s office this year. They just might help you stay a little more sane in 2023!

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Facility Focus: Summer Silage Storage and Bunk Management

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

The sticker shock of feed prices have been a sucker punch for dairy farmers over the last year, and there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight. Elevated feed costs have forced some producers to grow more of their own forages this season, including corn silage. While prioritizing growing quality forage is a must, proper feed ingredient storage is equally important, especially during the hot summer months.

To help prevent spoilage and feed shrink this summer, Liz Binversie and Matthew Lippert, extension agents for the University of Wisconsin, recommend the following tips.

Silage Storage

“Producing aerobically stable silage requires a combination of adequate harvest and storage management, as well as good feed-out practices,” the duo state. “Removal of oxygen through adequate packing and sealing is essential for silage preservation. Adequate packing density also improves fermentation and reduces storage losses. Poor packing will retain more oxygen within the silo [or bunker] and lead to poor aerobic stability at feed-out.”

Check Plastic Regularly

While little rips or tears in silage bags or bunker plastic may not seem like a big deal, they can lead to big consequences. Tears and holes in the plastic expose the feed to oxygen, which escalates to feed spoilage. Binversie and Lippert recommend checking plastic regularly and repairing holes as soon as possible. Determining the damage’s cause can also be helpful to prevent future tears.

Remove Enough Feed to Prevent Spoilage

“There are some best management practices we can use to help keep feed fresh, especially as the heat outside increases. One of those is to remove enough feed so that we prevent spoilage. At the same time, we don’t want to remove too much feed and have that sit on the ground and also spoil. So, it’s getting that kind of happy medium,” Binversie shares.

According to Binversie, research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown that removing 12 inches of silage during the summer months from the silage face is a good recommendation. It’s also important to avoid removing too much plastic during warm weather as this allows air to penetrate further into the silage.

Use a Facer Instead of a Bucket

“Use a facer instead of a bucket when removing silage,” Binversie shares. “There’s two full reasons why we want to do this. The first is we get a much flatter face at that bunker, so we have less air that’s hitting that feed and spoiling it. The second is we have a reduced risk of having overhangs and safety issues.”

Consider Additives and Monitor Feed Ingredients

Certain feed ingredients tend to spoil more quickly as the thermometer climbs. Wet brewer’s and wet distiller’s grains are prime examples, as they can have high yeast counts. Lippert suggests taking a look at your ration and talking with your nutritionist to see if any of these ingredients could be excluded during the summer.

“Another thing you can do is purchase products that will acidify or stabilize your TMR mix,” Lippert says. “When applied to the TMR, these products have the potential to inhibit yeast proliferation and improve TMR stability. So, if you’re facing a problem that you can’t address any other way, it adds expense to your ration, but there are things you can do to bring costs down.”

Bump Up Feed Frequency

During the hottest part of the day, cows tend to eat less and put their focus on staying cool. Therefore, it may be necessary to reconfigure feeding times to better accommodate a cow’s schedule.

“Some things to look at are when you’re actually feeding out is to possibly make smaller batches and feed more frequently during the day,” Lippert says. “Plan when to feed the herd so it coincides with when cows are most likely going to eat. Early morning and later in the evening are better times to feed to take advantage of when cows are cooler and more comfortable. Similarly, you could consider pushing feed up, feeding more during these cooler times of the day, and less during peak temperatures.”

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Facility Focus: Is Your Wash System Doing its Job?

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:13:06 GMT

Keeping milk equipment clean is one of the most important factors to producing quality milk. However, taking the time to make sure the wash system is working correctly is a chore producers often skip. Keith Engel, a milk quality and milking equipment specialist at GEA Farm Technologies, provides these five tips to ensure your wash system is running as it should.

1.) Monitor Quality Counts

“There are certain checks producers should do at different intervals to make sure things are working correctly,” Engel says. “First and foremost, producers should monitor their quality counts to see if they’re getting success or failure from their wash system.”

Quality counts to monitor include: stand plate, preliminary incubation, lab pasteurized and coliform. However, Engel warns producers should not wait until their quality counts spike to look for problems.

2.) Take Time for a Walk-through

What commonly happens after someone turns on the wash system? They turn around and walk away. While it’s tempting to leave the parlor to tackle another task, Engel advises producers to periodically stick around while the milk equipment is washing to confirm everything is working correctly.

Monitor the vacuum level, look over liners and check to see if the air injectors are firing properly.

“Instead of hitting the button and getting out of there, do a quick walk-through regularly,” Engel says. “If something’s not working correctly, you have a bad wash system and you run the risk of having a high bacteria count and losing your premium. You can find so many things that might have been a failure otherwise just by taking a few minutes to look things over.”

3.) Monitor Chemical Usage

Using too much or too little chemical can lead to big problems when it comes to cleaning milking equipment. Engel encourages farms to regularly monitor their chemical levels to make sure consistent amounts are being used.

“At the same time each week, mark your barrels,” he advises. “If you do that, you should see those marks the same distance between each other. Then you know your chemical usage
is on track.”

4.) Temperature

Another action producers should periodically complete is to record the temperatures during the wash cycle. This can be done by using a temperature chart or simply taking the temperature of the water yourself. With temperature charts, benchmark the end wash temperature with the high temperature on your chart.

“We should always be at 160°F or higher at the start of the wash cycle and at 120°F or above at the end,” Engel says. “Watch what’s going on with your temperature to make sure your system
is in that range.”

5.) Schedule Maintenance Before Failure

We’re all guilty of pushing off regularly scheduled maintenance, but when something eventually breaks, we kick ourselves for not addressing the problem sooner.

“It’s simple, but it’s also easy to forget,” Engel says. “Make sure to have a replacement schedule for all of your parts and work with your equipment dealer to take note of what needs to be replaced before your quality counts start to spike or before something breaks. Clarify which tasks will be done by your dealer and which ones the farm will do.”

At the end of the day, it’s also important the producer forms a good relationship with their milking equipment dealer, Engel says.

“The dealer’s job is to help producers solve problems,” he says. “They are on the front lines and understand problems need to be addressed quickly and correctly. We definitely want to have a good relationship with our dairy producers and their milk quality partners because it’s all a partnership. We want to help them be profitable while also producing the highest quality product possible.”

Cue Up Technology: 3 Producers Share Must-Haves and ROI

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:13:01 GMT

Optimizing productivity and improving efficiency are top goals for any dairy. They’re discussed in farm meetings, illustrated through management practices and closely monitored in financial budgets. The big-ticket question is, “What can help a dairy producer launch their operation to the next level?”

Cue up technology. During a recent Farm Journal MILK Innovative Dairy Producer webinar, three dairy producers openly talked about technology must-haves and how ROI comes into play when making technology investments.

Fifth-generation Wisconsin dairy farmer Mikayla McGee of Jon-De Farm says her family has plans to add a carrousel parlor, which would allow for them to eliminate milking on two sites and gain efficiencies that cannot always be documented on paper.

“We are planning on building a rotary parlor to gain efficiencies mainly in labor,” she says. “With the addition of a rotary, we will be able to cut our labor force in half and save approximately $800,000 a year. I think we will find several other benefits to having all our milk cows together on one site. We hope to reduce stress during the milking process and increase overall cow comfort with the addition of tunnel ventilation.”

Head west to California and Ryan Junio of Four J Jerseys in Pixley is in a similar situation. His family dairy is building a 2,000-cow freestall barn that will allow them to bring all their cows home to one central location. The move will allow them to expand their methane digester, capitalizing on the methane coming off that additional 2,000-cow facility, as well as better use labor on one site versus two.

“With the freestall barn and methane digester expansion, my primary focus is to gain efficiencies in labor through consolidation of our milking herds as well as capitalize on a different revenue stream by getting all of our cows tied into our methane digester,” Junio explains. “With all the milk cows in one location and housed entirely in freestalls, I will be able to better manage my herd while reducing my labor by 25% and capturing the methane produced by all of our cows.”

Eastern Tennessee dairy farmer John Harrison of Sweetwater Valley in Philadelphia is keeping his options open for future opportunities, as he isn’t quite convinced now is the time to invest in big technologies.

“I’m waiting to see how our dairy comes out of this downturn before making big decisions,” he says.

Return on Investment

While future improvements are inevitable for growth to occur on dairies, these three dairy farmers say carefully evaluating ROI is not as simple as it might sound. For Junio, he would like to see a new project cash flow itself before adopting it into his dairy.

“It depends on the size and scale of the investment,” he says. “If it can pay its own mortgage, obviously that is a home-run idea.”

However, for Harrison, he budgets for a 20% ROI and hopes to get half of that before adopting new technology into his dairy operation.

McGee says calculating ROI isn’t a simple math formula -- there are other factors to consider before adopting new technology.

“If you are not going to utilize all the information the technology offers, then you might need to consider reevaluating a more basic option,” she says.

The Wisconsin dairy farmer witnesses the differences technology offers daily, as they have daily weights in both parlors, as well as use an AFI lab system that offers a pool of daily information.

“If you aren’t doing anything with the information, it’s useless,” she says. “For us, we have found that all we really want from our milking system are daily milk weights to manage our herd.”

Game Changer

The biggest tech advancement for Junio occurred five years ago when they built a carrousel parlor.

“Before that, we were milking on three facilities, with all flat parlors,” he says. “We saw the writing on the wall with where labor was going and the opportunity to consolidate cows, people and increase efficiencies has been awesome.”

Additionally, Junio says adopting sort gates has allowed them to reduce labor and take the stress off the cows by not having to disturb them more than necessary.

For Harrison, who milks 1,600 Holstein and cross cows on four different facilities, including a 500-cow robotic dairy, his game-changer is a contactless payment app called Square. He and his family also run a café and tourism business.

“Both Square and social media have impacted our business tremendously,” he says. “We pretty much don’t advertise anywhere, just use social media.”

Although the robot facility was a big-ticket purchase for Sweetwater Dairy, Harrison understands the robots offer a lot of information and data, but he also says he isn’t 100% convinced his dairy is fully using the technology the robot facility offers to its fullest potential.

“The verdict is out to determine the full ROI on that barn,” he says.

Opportunities Ahead

In Wisconsin, McGee’s herd size has decreased by 8% over the last couple of years and doing so has allowed them to ship the same amount of milk and increase their profitability.

“Sometimes less is more,” McGee says.

Jon-De Dairy needed a new dry cow barn, but instead of building that barn, the family has decided to decrease their herd size to make room in their current facility for dry cows. McGee says downsizing their herd allowed for downtime in the parlor, which gave the dairy time to spend managing their sick pen, fresh cows and overall management of the herd.

“Before we always felt like we were rushing to just get through the chores that we really never had time to make improvements and get better,” McGee says. “We now have lowered our cell count, increased milk production per cow and have more flexibility with labor. We didn’t ‘downsize,’ we ‘right-sized.’”

Out west, big opportunities are on the horizon for Junio, as he signed a contract to start producing A2A2 milk with Land O’Lakes. Through genomic testing, Junio has been able to verify that 65% of his 4,200 Registered Jersey herd are A2A2 positive and Junio expects premiums to grow, which will drive him to eliminate the non-A2A2 cows. Additionally, a large percentage of his milking herd is set up as recipients for Angus embryos.

“We are calving between 200 to 300 Angus calves each month. That generates another avenue of revenue for our farm,” he says.

Like McGee, Junio has reduced his herd size from 4,500 to 4,200. This allows Junio to hone more on genetics and diversification, striving to realize profitability on his farm’s bottom line.

In eastern Tennessee, Harrison’s goals are to make more cheese, sell more milkshakes and increase tourism.

“Ideally we want to produce 800,000 pounds of cheese a year and we feel like we have everything in place to do this,” he says. “This area of the farm is what currently is profitable, so we are hoping to capitalize on this.”

Challenges Ahead

With opportunities, come challenges and all three dairy farmers are aware of this. One echoing challenge from the producer panel is labor, labor, labor.

“Labor is our top concern,” McGee states. “The last five years have not been very profitable for our dairy, and we are starting to come out of that hole and looking at making larger investments and always look at improving efficiencies, especially because labor is so hard to come by.”

At one time, Harrison says, they used to want to find the best labor but now they are just trying to fill vacant spots.

“We are short on help every single day,” he says.

While Junio says labor is a big glaring issue, currently his state is faced with an even bigger obstacle than labor. An ongoing drought coupled with strict regulations are forcing dairy farmers to continually become more efficient in growing their crops to feed their cows.

“Often times, we find ourselves stressing one crop to water another” he notes. “The state needs to do a better job managing our water better. A big concern of mine isn’t how much water the state already redirects away from the rural areas, but whether they will try and steal even more of it away from us in the future.”

Reviewing their balance sheets and bringing in team members, the conversations are unfolding on dairy farms across the U.S., as producers delve into what technologies can serve as a launchpad to get their dairy to the next level. One thing is for certain: Producers are weighing out the challenges and opportunities each investment offers, focusing on the ROI that will help spell longevity for their dairy.

Oregon Large Farms Targeted

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 17:00:00 GMT

Oregon dairy farmers are being a target once again. This time a group of 22 environmental, public health and animal welfare petitioned Oregon regulators to approve new rules targeting air pollution from large-scale dairies.

On Aug. 17, the petition was filed and aimed at farms with 700 or more mature cows to create a dairy emissions program.

Organic dairy farmer, Mike Miranda from Coquille, Ore. and president of the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association (ODFA) board, says as a small producer, he strongly opposes this proposal.

“This is another attempt to shut down dairy farms,” Miranda says. “We work hard to take care of our animals, the land, our employees and our environment and are proud of the results.”

Emily Miller, staff attorney for Food and Water Watch, estimated the proposal would apply to 91 dairies in Oregon.

“For too long, the state has sat idly by while Oregon mega-dairies have been spewing toxic pollution into the air, wreaking havoc on our natural resources, climate and communities,” Miller, the petition’s lead author says. “This head-in-the-sand approach must change.”

ODFA’s executive director, Tami Kerr says there is a bill nearly every session to shut down dairy farms of a certain size, and the size of farms and their cow numbers keep changing to suit the opponent’s need.

“Oregon does not have an air quality problem,” Kerr says. “The dairy sector has been investing in sustainable practices before emissions were in the forefront of public concern. Since 2007, producing a gallon of milk uses 90% less land and 65% less water, with a 63% smaller carbon footprint than in 1944. Even more recently, when we look at the environmental impact of producing a gallon of milk in 2017, numbers shrunk once again, requiring 30% less water, 21% less land and a 19% smaller carbon footprint than it did in 2007.”

On a national level, the dairy industry is committed to becoming NetZero by 2050 and Kerr says that Oregon dairy farmers will be part of the solution.

“Several of our farms would be directly impacted by this proposal and two of those farms are recent U.S. Dairy Sustainability Winners,” Kerr adds. “In Oregon, dairy is moving towards an environmental solution, thanks to our farmers increasingly innovative practices. This petition isn’t about emissions but another legislative tool to shut down dairy farms.”

Oregon’s largest dairy, Threemile Canyon Farms, is located about 15 miles west of Boardman, along the Columbia River and has approximately 70,000 cows.

Mary Anne Cooper, vice president of public policy for the Oregon Farm Bureau, said the petition is a new tactic from groups that have long opposed large dairies. Although, Cooper says the threshold of 700 or more cows is “very much family-scale operations in this state.”

The commissioner has 90 days to respond to this petition.

Announcing $1.7 Million in Funding Available to Dairy

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy farmers to access funds that support the purchase of equipment and other related costs that will improve milk storage, handling, and energy efficiencies.

On-Farm Milk Storage and Handling Grant
Dairy farmers may apply for funds to support the purchase of equipment and supplies to improve milk storage, handling, and energy efficiencies. Applicants can select from a list of eligible equipment. This grant has an application period of August 25th-October 6th. Grants will range from $15,000- $50,000 with a 25% match commitment. Match waivers may be available.

Dairy Farm Cohort Technical Assistance Program
Service providers will be able to submit proposals to develop cohorts of dairy farmers to address relevant areas of technical assistance to their region. Building on the success of eight current cohorts funded by NE-DBIC, service providers can submit proposals for projects up to $150,000. Topics can focus on grazing, forage enhancement, innovative farm practices, marketing, and/or other areas of support for farmers. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is open now with a deadline of September 16th.

Dairy Farm Production Education Funding
Funds are available for service providers and dairy producer associations to develop events, webinars, educational series, or conferences to increase farmer-focused production and business viability education. Proposals will be accepted for projects up to $35,000. The RFP is open now with a deadline of September 16th.

There will be additional opportunities rolling out in the next few months. To learn more, visit: Grants, Contracts & Opportunities | Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (vermont.gov)

Before Making the Big Financial Decision to Put in Robots, Read This

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:43:41 GMT

Making a big investment on a farm takes a lot of time and consideration. Often, owners meet with outside team members to help brainstorm and think through this process. The same holds true when producers look to purchase robots. According to Cassie Monger, a dairy lending specialist with Compeer Financial, the goal of purchasing robots, like any capital investment, should be their return on investment (ROI).

“Determining how the project may impact their financial situation, in terms of balance sheet, equity position, cash flow and cost of production (COP), should be top of mind. Be sure you are evaluating all your financing options, including leasing the robots. This provides an alternative solution to meet your needs, assuming you have a strong cash flow,” Monger says.

With any major expansion, enhancing cow comfort, productivity and efficiencies should be one of the main goals.

“We know labor is a challenge today, so evaluating how a transition to robotics changes the way you manage your labor is important,” Monger says.

She cautions producers to take emotions out of the discussion because it can limit the ability to look clearly at the big picture.

“There might be a blind spot they are not thinking about,” she adds.

Before Building

When looking ahead to an expansion, the price tag often requires financing. Depending on just how large the investment is, it may significantly leverage the farm contingent on the scope of the project.

“Regardless of what stage of the process they’re in, having a strong working capital position is vital,” Monger adds.

Volatility and flexibility are the name of the game, as there can be a few bumps in the road.

Another consideration is risk mitigation. Monger says if this is not something a producer is already doing, they need to strongly consider it to help maintain owner equity and working capital positions.

Before rushing into a new project, producers must think about every aspect of the operation and how it might be affected.

“Use the S.M.A.R.T method, do your homework, lean on your advisors,” Monger says. “Their success should be everyone’s priority, so take the time to talk to multiple sources to be sure there is not an area they are overlooking.”

Next Steps

Lenders, like Compeer Financial, will ask producers to do their homework before proceeding forward with expansion or building plans. Some example questions that lenders could ask are:

What are your business short-term goals?
What are your business long-term goals?
What are the key financial strengths you need to make in order to switch to robots?
What are you currently doing to mitigate risk?
How will robots impact your operation and management?
Are you willing to learn new technologies and processes and change your management style?
What cow flow method do you prefer? Why?
What key metrics (benchmarks) will you use? Why?

Monger says that taking time to define your future road map upfront helps in the long run. She also notes that frequent conversations and modifications will unfold during the entire process.

Other Key Information

Other key documents and figures a producer must know when visiting with your lender before financing an expansion include:

Historical production and financial information, such as:

Past 3 years of dairy production information with cow numbers, milk production and other herd health information.
Past 3 years of crop production.
Past 3 years of financial statements, like balance sheets, income statements, and income tax returns.

Michigan dairy producer, Ashley Messing Kennedy, is one of a growing number of farmers in the U.S. that switched to robots. In 2013, her farm installed four Lely robots. She credits the relationship they have with their banker for the success they’ve had with financing.

“For us, [prepaid labor] was an easy sell [with our banker], but we knew that there were going to be other things that were going to pay back too,” she says.

Kennedy says they did their research and then went to their banker with a plan.

“We knew how much the robots would cost, we knew we wanted to have them paid for in 10 years and we knew that we prefer monthly payments,” she explains.

Producer’s Takeaway Advice

Kennedy offers these three tips to producers who are looking to invest in robots:

The support and dealership is essential.
Your nutritionist is one of your most important assets. Find someone willing to learn how to manage a robot herd’s feed and adapt as things change and alter.
Be ready to change your management techniques because a big part of your philosophy could be changed.

The Impact of Economic Uncertainty Facing Expansion Plans

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Many dairy farmers have pushed pause on expansion plans since the pandemic due to the many economic uncertainties facing agriculture. Last year’s surge in lumber prices put up caution flags and while the height of the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, farmers are still plagued with financial worries and wonder if now is the time to build or not.

In New York, 30 miles east of Buffalo, dairy producers Tyler and Kelly Reynolds of Reyncrest Farms say their current biggest challenge is the insecurity in the economy and the rising costs at every corner of their dairy—including building prices that impacts their business.

“I would say the biggest challenge is just the drastic rise in the cost of things,” Kelly says.

The Reynolds milk 1,450 cows and farm 2,700 acres alongside family. They are now building a new freestall barn, a project they have put off since 2020. Kelly share that the decision to postpone this building project was a combination of factors, including COVID-19, milk market uncertainties, and securing a builder.

“We are fortunate that our cooperative had allowed for growth,” Kelly says. “Some of our delays was also trying to decide what we wanted to build.”

Although the New York dairy family says the costs of doing business have left them with some sticker shock. For example, Reynolds budgeted $100,000 for running electricity to the barn based on their last building projects and now a similar job costs four times as much.

“It’s something everyone is dealing with,” Kelly says. “It just makes it difficult for future planning. Our milk price is great, we have a great labor force right now and are in growth mode. The economic uncertainty is difficult though.”

Ongoing Conversations

Don Mayer, district manager for the upper Midwest with DeLaval North America, says that construction costs are part of every project conversation they are having today, both with green sites and retrofits.

“Most of the customers that I am working with have been planning their projects for multiple years,” Mayer says. “As such, they have a plan that takes into account what the current costs and interest rates are, and it still works within their business plan. Of course, construction costs and interest rates are a regular topic of conversation.”

In South Dakota, Crosswind Jerseys built another 350-cow freestall barn last year. Located off the I-29 corridor, the Temperli family milks 1,850 cows.

Stefan Temperli is thankful they were able to lock in the price, pre-ordering the building and supplies before building costs skyrocketed a year ago.

“It is an all-steel building, so we didn’t have to worry about lumber,” Temperli reports.

Mayer says the first step of any type of expansion is with your milk buyer, ensuring you have a home for the added milk.

“I would suggest that a milk market, someone to sell their additional milk to, is a bigger challenge. I have customers who would build a new dairy now if they could sell the milk,” he says.

Management is Key to Successful Overstocking

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:12:58 GMT

Mailboxes prices are the highest they have been in eight years. When milk prices are high, producers begin to question if they should milk more cows to capitalize on that milk check. Doing this often means cow pens fill up, pushing stocking ratios.

The standard stocking rate is simple. A one-to-one ratio, essentially making sure every stall is full. According to Jim Salfer, Dairy Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, says some farms achieve high milk production and have healthy cows with pens containing 40% more cows than stalls. “Other farms have challenges if cows are overcrowded more than 10%,” he says.

Financial consultant Gary Sipiorski says the question isn’t ‘Can I push more cows?’ Instead, it should be ‘Am I limiting my cows potential if I overstock?’

Sipiorski concurs with Salfer, stating he has seen producers stocking capacity range from 90% to 150% capacity.

“You might ask how come such a spread,” Sipiorski states. “The answer lies in good management that is provided.”

Salfer agrees, saying that while some farms push overstocking ratios and have average daily production of more than 100 lbs. per cow. The reason they can do that is because of fine-tuned management on the farm.

Management Checklist

Before producers expand pens sizes, Sipiorski suggests addressing the following questions to your herd’s management.

Can the cows lay down for 12 to 14 hours a day (Cows won’t lay down in a poor quality stall unless it is the last resort).
Is there plenty of bunk time?
Do all cows have water to drink, especially as they exit the parlor?
What is the holding time before milking? Beyond 45 minutes is too long for a cow to stand, especially if they are milked three times a day.
Is there fresh feed available after the cows leave the parlor?
Is the freestall environment quiet? (Ex.: handling with ease, no yelling, no whistling, etc.)
How much time are cows being locked up?
How is the barn’s ventilation and are the cows cool in the summer months?

Sipiorski shares that the top third of producers are asking the tough questions and ensuring their cows are meeting the above checklist before even considering adding more cows. He also shares those producers work closely with proper recommendations coming from their nutritionist and other key advisors.

“Depending on how the producer performs on the checklist above will show if there is room to increase stocking ratios,” he says.

Salfer states that cows will give up eating time to achieve lying time, so make sure they can do both.

“Cows ate faster to achieve longer lying times, which could affect components and increase the risk of acidosis,” he shares. “Rest and rumination are important for cow welfare. 90% of rumination should happen when cows are lying down.”

No Alert Signal

First lactation cow are an important group to monitor, as Sipiorski says they’re trying to figure out their social standpoint within the herd.

“You have to watch for things such as if there is a boss cow blocking waters,” he notes. “Truthfully, you must be good at listening to the cows, which will determine how far above you can push pen limits.”

The slippery slope is that no alarm goes off to alert you when you have too many cows in one pen. This can negatively impact the herd. Long-term ramifications from overstocking range from a decline in reproduction and components, an increase in somatic cell count, as well as an increased rate of lameness. Sipiorski says unfortunately the negative impacts don’t show up in a herd right away, but once they are present, they don’t go away right away either.

“You need to stay in-tune with what’s going on with your herd,” he shares. “There is no magic number.”

Do the Math

More milk seems like it should result in more money, but that is not always the case. Salfer says producers could milk more cows and make less money so they must not only crunch the numbers, but closely monitor what is going on within the herd.

“Milk more cows and my bulk tank rises,” he shares. “But my costs will go up faster than my income. So, I would advise producers to start looking at things that can’t be measured a lot.”

There is no short answer on whether you can make overcrowding work for your dairy to benefit from a bigger milk check. The experts state there is no cookie-cutter answer, but the answer lies in good management and good animal husbandry skills.

Barn Layout Considerations:

Stalls are often used as a metric to measure overcrowding. Too many cows = not enough stalls. Often it is one of the other basics of animal housing that is not making overstocking work. Penn State Extension provides the following barn layout considerations.

Feed space. Total usable feed space divided by the number of cows in the pen gives inches per cow. The old standard used to be 24 inches per cow, however that can vary depending on the number of lactations an animal has had.

Feed access. Ideally, feed should be available 21+ hours per day and frequently pushed up, so it is within reach when a cow gets her chance at the bunk.

Freestall layouts. Some layouts, like the 3 row or 6 row barns, will have limited feed space even when the stall stocking density is held to 100%. The follow up question should be how many cows can eat at once and is fresh feed there?

Water availability. The easiest factor to evaluate is inches of water space per cow. Simply add up the accessible linear water space in the pen and divide by the number of animals in that pen. The goal is to be at 3 or more inches per animal in lactating groups. If the waterer space is too low, can extra waterers be added to the pen, or larger waterers be installed in place of smaller ones? The harder factor to evaluated is flow rate of water to the watering stations. To get a handle on that, you need to make some observations of the waterers during peak demand times such as right after cows return from milking or during parlor cleanup time.

Facility Focus: Does Paired Housing Make Sense for Your Calves?

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 16:26:39 GMT

Everyone needs a good friend to help them get through the hard times. Maybe calves aren’t so different. According to Jennifer Van Os, extension specialist and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, research has shown social benefits in raising calves in well-managed pairs.

“Housing calves with at least one companion can improve animal welfare, calf growth, and consumer perception,” Van Os says. “Companionship is important for calves because they are social creatures. Calves raised with companions also show greater adaptability to change. They are more willing to try new feeds such as grain, hay, and TMR. This translates into better resilience to stress and less bellowing during weaning.”

Raising calves in any type of facility doesn’t come without its own set of challenges, and paired calf housing is certainly no different. While individual housing can limit calf-to-calf disease transmission, it doesn’t prevent it. Van Os also notes that calf disease is usually caused by a combination of factors, not just housing type.

“Raising healthy calves in pairs or groups is achievable when managed well,” she says. “Before deciding to move to pair or group housing, it is a good idea for a farm to take stock of the current health performance of their calves.”

Housing Options

When it comes to choosing a paired housing system for your operation, there are several options available.

Two Hutches - “One low-cost option is to combine existing hutches into pairs by connecting them with fencing. Corral panels are sturdier, but wire panels are functional and less expensive,” Van Os says. “A downside of the paired-hutch system is calves within a pair prefer to spend most of their time together. This means both calves will lie inside the same hutch. Although this is good for their social bonding, a single hutch does not provide enough space or bedding material for both growing calves and their waste. This creates challenges to maintain a clean, dry environment.”

Super Hutches - Another option utilizes super hutches, which typically offer 60 square feet of bedded space. This larger hutch gives paired calves more space to lie together. However, a disadvantage of this larger space means a larger door opening, which could allow for inclement weather conditions to sneak in. Avoid facing hutch openings toward the direction from which prevailing winds blow.

Shared Pens – For farmers who prefer to raise calves indoors, utilizing small, shared pens may be a good fit.

“Many producers create pairs or small groups by removing the panels dividing individual pens,” Van Os says. “On some farms, calves are initially housed individually. For example, calves a few days apart in age may be separated initially to ensure both calves are drinking milk confidently before pairing. Other farms with same-age calves choose to pair them starting at birth. Some of those producers have reported reduced infrastructure costs for dividers relative to individual pens.”

Before making the switch to raising calves in pairs, it’s important to have sound management practices already set in place. Take time to evaluate all options, look over strengths and weaknesses and put together a plan with your veterinarian. While raising calves in pairs is not cut out for everyone, the benefits are promising.