The draft of the Code of Practice contains new ideas for cow comfort and sustainability for the future of dairy in Canada. Be prepared as you think about remodels and new barn builds.

I’ve been fortunate to grow up in the cow business. From the time I was young, I traveled with a professional cattle photographer to all parts of the country, showed cattle across North America and attended hundreds of sales, as my father was a sale manager.

This article reports the barriers to talking about euthanasia, the emotions expressed by dairy farmers about the  euthanasia process of their animals, the psychological impacts of euthanasia on farmers and offers possible solutions to help them.

For some time now, producers have known that lameness causes major loss in the dairy industry, including both economic injury and a decline in animal health and well-being. Further studies and experiments are in the works and on the horizon for scientists at TSU as they work to help improve the lives of both dairy cows and producers in the industry. 

Now that you have discussed your dairy’s commitment to health and safety with your farm team and set up your health and safety board, the next step in the process toward developing a solid health and safety program on your dairy is to identify the tasks that pose the highest risk hazards to your team and then develop a safe operating procedure that you can use to train your team on how to conduct the task safely.

Farm founders need to let go of being the ultimate decision-maker as they mentor the next generation to be the main farm manager. This is not an easy dance. You need to learn to let go of being in control of every part, however small the enterprise or activity – that is the definition of micromanaging.