Progressive Dairy

Automated systems: Consistent owner maintenance equals long-term performance

Focusing on machine attention lists, sensor and machine cleanliness, monitoring cleaning agents and inspecting critical components helps prevent disruptions, protect milk quality and ensure consistent, reliable operation of automated systems.

March 31, 2026

Lance Brown

Consistent daily and weekly owner maintenance is necessary to get the most from automated milking, feeding or cleaning systems. Regular cleaning, inspecting and checking components prevents costly downtime, protects milk quality and reduces stress on cows and farmers.

From deficit to performance: How protein balance, inflammation and methyl donors shape transition cow success

Combining good amino acid balancing, rumen-protected methyl donors and solid management can create a strong foundation for healthier cows.

March 26, 2026

Catherine Delorme Tetreault

Modern research clearly shows that metabolic dysregulation during the transition period, particularly involving protein supply and inflammatory tone, strongly influences early lactation performance, disease incidence, reproductive outcomes and overall herd profitability.

Smarter cooling starts at the bunk: How precision sprinklers are reshaping heat stress management in dairy barns

Precision cooling strategies triggered by cow presence help dairy producers manage heat stress, conserve water, maintain cleaner barns, protect infrastructure and safeguard animal health across all life stages.

March 24, 2026

Ruth Robertshaw

As heat events become more frequent and more intense, dairy producers are reevaluating when – and how – they cool their cows.

Progressive Events: Lactanet addresses changes for 2026 at February open industry session

The first industry update of 2026 includes a new bovine spastic syndrome project, research findings and a discussion on genetic diversity.

March 19, 2026

Ralph Pearce

More than 120 producers and industry stakeholders sat in on Lactanet’s first open industry session of 2026 to learn of the organization’s directions relating to genetics and evaluations. Five presentations provided updates and research highlights geared to streamlining reporting processes and identifying quality- and trait-related trends within the industry.

Birchbrook Farms: Saving labour, raising kids in new barn

The Yantzi family invested in a new automated milking system and barn to create an environment that their cows and young family thrive in.

March 18, 2026

Matti McBride

Building a new barn is not a quick venture. Years of research, life experience and dreams play into the move to build. For Nathan and Amy Yantzi of Tavistock, Ontario, they hoped to construct a barn that allowed their young family to participate in the dairy farming lifestyle and allowed for some time away from the cows.

From byproduct to breakthrough: Rethinking dairy cow diets to promote a circular economy

Researchers at the University of Guelph aim to streamline the use of milk processing byproducts through inclusion in ruminant diets, helping close the loop in dairy production.

March 17, 2026

Researchers conducted several preliminary experiments to assess if bentonite-separated whey byproducts were suitable for inclusion as a feed ingredient in ruminant diets.

Operating motorized equipment and pedestrian safety

Proper inspections, training, safe operation practices and pedestrian awareness are essential to prevent injuries and ensure a safe working environment.

March 12, 2026

Cheryl DeCooman

Operating motorized equipment is essential for many day-to-day tasks on the farm, but it also presents significant hazards. Common hazards include the potential for collisions with pedestrians, other equipment or objects, as well as injuries from moving parts.

5 strategies that make a dairy profitable today

Profitable dairies do five things: Fill fall incentives, produce high-quality forages and milk, raise a surplus of replacement heifers and generate additional income.

March 10, 2026

Henry Verhoog

Over my 38-plus years servicing dairy farms in southwest Ontario, I have always been intrigued by what strategies make some dairy farms more profitable than others. For the fiscal year 2025, I came to the conclusion that five main factors really stood out.

3 Open Minutes: Connecting generations of agriculture through film: Elyas Tesfaye

March 5, 2026

Matti McBride

Elyas Tesfaye has been sharing his collection of agricultural film online for several years. Progressive Dairy Editor Matti McBride interviewed Tesfaye to learn how this hobby began and what it means to him.

Your cow has a digital twin – what can she tell you?

Emerging technology from Dalhousie University uses on-farm data to create a cow’s digital twin. This twin can predict health events, test ration changes, improve environmental impacts and more.

March 3, 2026

Suresh Raja Neethirajan

A digital twin is a continuously updated virtual version of a real system. In dairy, that system might be an individual cow, a milking robot or the entire barn. The twin mirrors the real-time state of the animal or equipment it represents. When a cow walks to the feedbunk, her virtual counterpart records it.