“Through the success of Canada's Best Managed Dairy Herds program and Lactanet's Herd Performance Index, we wanted to expand, recognize and celebrate herds not only across the country, but in their diversity in their type of operation and by milking system on event day,” says Shawna Berry, content and creative manager at Lactanet.

The modern dairy cow is a metabolic athlete. On a per-kilogram bodyweight basis, her daily energy turnover rivals that of a National Hockey League (NHL) athlete on game day. The difference is that she does this day-in, day-out, without recovery until dry-off.

Small increases in temperature and humidity can cause animals to expend more energy to stay cool, directly impacting growth rates and milk yields. By maintaining lower temperatures in the barn, evaporative cooling systems help animals stay comfortable, healthy and productive.

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Shari Van de Pol, founder of Cattleytics, appeared on season 20, episode 16 of CBC’s Dragon’s Den. Progressive Dairy Editor Matti McBride interviewed Van de Pol to learn more about the experience of appearing on national television.

Calf hydration management is one of the most critical and often overlooked components of successful calf raising. In the first weeks of life, calves are highly susceptible to fluid imbalance caused by environmental stress, management transitions and gastrointestinal illness.