Canadian dairy farmers are world leaders in producing quality milk. Farmers have long been diligent caretakers of their animals, and they know healthy, well-cared-for animals enjoy a longer life and yield more high-quality milk.

“Effect of the amount of concentrate offered in an automated milking system on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk composition, ruminal digestion and behaviour of primiparous Holstein cows fed isocaloric diets.”

Spring has sprung. April showers bring May flowers and the start of the growing season, which can be an especially stressful time of year. There are a lot of stressors on the farm: financial stress, animal welfare, threats to supply management, workload, public scrutiny and lack of control over the weather.

Where is it written that your parents have to leave the dairy farm for a vacation together? Many aging farmers may like to leave the cows to get rest, connect with friends and have some well-deserved fun. But what if one of your parents prefers to stay home? When both spouses cannot find a compromise, it’s fuel for a fight.

Heat stress reduces on-farm profits. Short-term impacts of heat stress can be easily measured by tracking milk shipments during and after a bout of excessive heat. During these periods, milk losses can reach up to 10 to 20 percent.

Summer is upon us. It is time to think about and be prepared for the stress that will live in our dairy herds in the coming months.

When I am traveling in Canada, I see a lot of nice barns that have been built; I see how the farmers focus on their cows to get the best out of them. As a foreigner, I see many good things in the Canadian way.