Housing - Facilities
Raising quality heifers is a priority on every farm.
When the three most popular heifer housing types – confinement, dry lot, and pasture – were evaluated, University of Kentucky researchers determined that pasture was the hands-down economic winner.
Farmers are constantly faced with the headache of keeping the optimal number of animals in their herd without sacrificing productivity or cow comfort. But when do the barns become too full?
Transitioning to freestalls can be challenging for young heifers, and behaviors learned early in life can carry through as cows enter the lactating herd.
It appears that making sure dry cows are comfortable and encouraged to rest influences the survival of their newborns.
When thinking about stocking density, most dairy farmers will look at the number of cows in a pen and then the number of freestalls in that pen.
Richard Bosma, a dairy farmer in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is just one of the many farmers in in British Columbia who was forced to evacuate.
Dairy farming is a 24/7, 365-day commitment. At times it can even feel like farmers are literally with their cows nonstop. Nestled in the small Northeast Iowa town, Dan and Lynn Bolin offer an experience to do just that.
While it might be tempting to batten down the hatches to keep cold air from coming in, lowering ventilation and reducing air exchange is one of the worst things a farmer can do for their animals.
In a dairy freestall barn, stocking density is most typically defined in terms of cows per stall or used as a percentage.
Want to keep disease out of your calf barn? If so, it might be prudent to take a page from the biosecurity measures of our pig-and-poultry-raising kin, and set up a “Danish entry.”
If you have an interest in adding a separating system to your dairy, there are several steps you’ll need to take before making any decisions.
When it comes to solving problems, it is said that two heads are better than one, so it makes perfect sense that when two families share one common vision, success can be found. MVP Dairy is proof of that.
While the milking herd is usually given top priority in management efforts, dry cows and springing heifers are arguably the more important groups to protect from heat.
Conservation practices documented on Red Sunset Farm helped play a big role in the Bay restoration efforts, which is one reason why the Graybills were recognized as one of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winners.
Chase and Danielle Goodrich’s drive to outline the farm’s sustainability pillars of environment, economics and society underscores why they were recognized as one of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Winners.
A well-planned calving pen gives producers the opportunity to provide the best treatment for both the cow and the calf. But what goes in to creating the ideal pen? Here are a few things to consider . . .
If you have heifers bunching in pastures or barns, they are coping with some kind of stress. An Iowa State University agricultural engineer shares possible causes and solutions.
When utilizing an evaporative cooling system, there are several factors to keep in mind to cool cows correctly and efficiently.
When building or remodeling a calf facility, there are five key factors every producer needs to keep in mind.
Just because a cow is resting does not mean that she is recovering properly. In order to maximize optimal rest on your facility, analyze these key areas.
Purchasing a couple of Jersey cows from a local sale barn in 1984 for their children, my in-laws Jim and Wanda Bohnert helped start a small 4-H project for their two sons, my husband, Scott, and his brother, Brian
Summer can create the ‘perfect storm’ for environmental mastitis.
Dairy beef makes up approximately 20% of the fed cattle market.
If you want to control flies on your farm in the summer, the time to act is spring.
The three priorities Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis set out to accomplish when they began their renovation remain the same – take care of the cows, take care of the people and keep the farm around for generations to come.
Newly fresh heifers have to process a lot of changes on the day they give birth. Making their initial milking a pleasant experience can be aided with some advance training.
No dairy facility is perfect. Even the newest operation has its fair share of bottlenecks. In order to allow animals to be productive, it’s important to provide the basic facility requirements.
It’s a well-known fact that cattle are social creatures. But studies have shown that even the friendliest cow doesn’t enjoy making new acquaintances on a regular basis
It’s crucial that the environment of the parlor itself is an inviting, yet efficient one.