If you’re milking your herd with an automatic milking system (AMS), chances are you see your cows as robot customers. And as the saying goes: The customer is always right. Robotic dairy owners and herd managers should be asking themselves: “Do I have the right plan in place with detailed strategies and standard operating procedures to motivate and help my customers perform their best – or in other words, achieve their genetic potential?”

It’s been said that “it’s hard to be a bright light in a dim world.” For success to be achieved, the environment must provide the essential components. New research brings this statement to light: Proper parlor and dairy facility lighting may play a role in herd performance and an operation’s bottom line.

Cooling your cows when temperatures start climbing is not a novel idea, but it’s also not an idea to simply discard altogether. Although we are still a ways from reaching those scorching summertime temperatures, now is the time to think about cow cooling.

This article was #21 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. It was published in the Feb. 11, 2013 print issue. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. A common question when setting up a robotic milking facility is: “Which is best – free traffic or directed-cow traffic?” In this article, Jan Hulsen with Vetvice explains his preference towards a free-traffic system.

On December 11, 2012, Jeffrey Bewley and Joseph Taraba from the University of Kentucky led a webinar on the topic of compost bedded pack barns. Throughout the hour-and-a-half long presentation, the presenters covered different areas relating to this type of system, such as the benefits, design considerations and costs. “It’s important to recognize upfront that the management of the system is the most important part to its success,” Bewley, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, says.

Cow comfort is an all-encompassing term, which includes almost everything we do on a dairy farm. When we really think about the whole picture, every minute detail has an influence on the comfort of the cow. As an example, the location of the facilities is a major consideration.

One of the New Product winners from the upcoming World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, was Hammer Works Manufacturing of Visalia, California. They’ve developed the Quick Release Battery Connector. According to the company’s website, the snap-on battery connectors are heavy-duty products equivalent to those designed for permanent connection.

The byproduct of industry: In the state of Colorado, skiing is king! A day on the slopes includes fresh powder, picturesque scenery and a cup of hot chocolate to warm you up. But, ski resorts have come up with lots of unique ways to provide entertainment for any level of snow enthusiast. For the younger or less experienced ski bum, there are inflatable tubes with a plastic disc attached to the bottom, which allows people to slide down a gentle slope.