Our progressive panel participants have provided responses for one last roundtable discussion about managing herd and hoof health issues. We’d like to thank the participants for opening up about their operations for five issues of the magazine, and also sharing with us their best management practices for calf and heifer raising, manure handling, breeding and feed and nutrition. Each family will receive a Proud to Dairy cooler and Progressive Dairyman hats.

The transition period for dairy cows is often defined as three weeks prior to calving until three weeks after calving. During this time, the cow experiences dramatic changes in feed intake, nutritional requirements and physiological status that affect nutrient balances, milk yield and composition, health and reproductive performance.

During the postpartum period, dairy cows enter a period of tissue catabolism called negative energy balance (NEB). Simply put, the amount of energy consumed is less than what’s required; this imbalance causes a cascade of metabolic failures that can be minimized by using a holistic approach.

When feed costs were cheap, you probably thought more about how to get the most milk and less about how efficiently your cows were converting that cheap feed to milk. Now that feed costs are skyrocketing, dairy feed efficiency may well be the key to whether you are profitable or destined to retire prematurely.

The importance of post-fresh health in dairy cows has been well documented. Cows that get off to a good start peak higher, milk more, breed back quicker, have lower 60-day cull rates and are more profitable. There have been many articles written about ways to facilitate a good start.

Rations for close-up cows and fresh cows are arguably the most important and expensive rations on the farm. Investment in the nutrients given to these cows pays off in reduced metabolic disorders and a better transition into lactation.

Track stars that run the 100-meter dash know that getting out of the blocks, accelerating quickly and maintaining speed as long as possible are the keys to winning. We expect the same from our dairy cows. Stumbling out of the blocks in the fresh pen is going to hold them back for the entire race. Without a quick and clean start, they will never reach their potential.

As demand rises for higher-quality milk, dairy producers must find ways to decrease somatic cell counts (SCC) and increase production. Many dairy producers are turning their attention to the dry cow period and use comprehensive dry cow programs to prepare cows for success in the next lactation.

The most profitable cows on your dairy are the fresh cows. Attending to their good health should be one of the top priorities of your herd management. There are essentially two critical areas of focus with regards to fresh cow health: nutrition, both prepartum and postpartum, and housing and grouping strategies.

The most commonly asked question of any 3-year-old is “Why?” It displays their curiosity to learn more about the things they already know in life. In its third year, the National Dairy FARM Animal Care Program is also busy asking “Why?”