Who has all the right solutions for building a new barn? Not one single person. Not the dairyman. Not the builder. Not the dealer that sells the stabling or ventilation or waterers or scrapers. 

When ventilating dairy facilities, minimizing heat stress is not the only concern.

Freedom stalls, green stalls, Michigans, dog bones, wide loops, narrow loops – there is seemingly an endless list of different ideas for freestall divider designs that dairy producers have to sort through when making a building choice.

 The dairy industry continues to seek the ideal ventilation system for dairy barns.  

Every dairy needs bedding. The source, cost, transportation, storage and function of bedding all are considerations when choosing a herd’s best option. So, too, is the way manure is managed within the bedding system.  

Justin Addy, Hoof trimmer, Justin Addy’s Bovine Hoof Care For Justin Addy, nothing is more fulfilling than seeing his work result in a healthier, happier cow.

So now we know the financial investment via time for a hoof trimmer to start recording, which requires correct lesion identification skills.

As the seasons change and cooler temperatures arrive, now is a great time to evaluate the current state of hoof health in your herd. Hoof health records, maintained throughout the year, can be a tremendous resource to establish baseline levels for both infectious and non-infectious claw lesions.

Lameness often has its beginnings in the transition period, which is why hoof trimming should be part of the protocol to help cows take the first step toward a healthy, productive lactation.

Hoof health remains one of the most critical issues for dairy farmers today.