Optimum milk production is crucial for dairy farmers, as it directly impacts their profitability. However, while higher milk yields increase revenue, it is important that it is achieved without compromising the health and well-being of the cows.

The Signers manage a milking herd of about 60 cows, maxing out the space available to them in the farm’s previous tiestall facility. Thus, they set out to create a new facility that would not only incorporate newer technology into their routine, like a robotic milking system, but more importantly, would provide a greater level of comfort to the cows.

In my 50 years of experience, managing the level of SCC and mastitis in fresh heifers is critical to achieving excellent milk quality. There are many important ways to improve milk quality on your dairy, but don’t let fresh heifers contribute to your issues.

Approximately 50% of dairy cows, the pinnacle of metabolic athletes within the species, will experience a production-associated disease (e.g., mastitis, metritis, ketosis, displaced abomasum) in every lactation. Even in the best facilities with the best management, mastitis is an inherent risk that can’t be eliminated, so our aim is to reduce it.

A mysterious disease that pops up suddenly, spreads quickly and strikes with devastating consequences is pretty much every dairy farmer’s worst nightmare. For one ill-fated central Alberta dairy, this nightmare became a grim reality.

Determining the infecting bacteria type allows for a more guided treatment decision. Not all producers can work with a veterinarian to culture milk samples, and results from on-farm culturing can be difficult to interpret. However, being able to at least categorize the infecting pathogen can provide valuable information.

Udder health is not something you can take your eye off because you have a plan in place.

One area that may not always be linked as directly as it should be to nutrition is animal health. In many cases, we tend to compartmentalize health and nutrition to a degree, handing the health program to the veterinarian and the nutrition program to the nutritionist.