What is one of the first things you notice as you drive by a dairy farm? Some might say the smell, but for even those outside of the industry, one of the first things you notice are the barns. They are the farm.

We all know that cows are sensitive to heat stress, with cumulative, negative effects that compromise both cow productivity and farm profitability. It’s important that both humidity and temperature (THI) are taken into consideration when measuring heat stress levels because humidity will affect at what temperature cows become heat stressed.

Dairy producers are aware of the negative implications heat stress can have on the lactating cow. However, the often-forgotten dry cow can also experience heat stress. This leads to several serious and long-term impacts on the cow’s overall health and productivity – and ultimately, dairy farm profits. Over the past decade, several university researchers have invested a great deal of time to further identify potential losses due to heat-stressed cows.

The first question I usually ask a dairyman about his generator is: Who has done the maintenance in the past? They usually respond with, “I have a farm mechanic that is supposed to look after it, but he doesn’t know anything about generators and feels intimidated.

At the recent Precision Dairy Conference, Jason Troyer of RJT Dairy Farm in Centerville, Pennsylvania, spoke about his experience transitioning from milking 150 cows in a double-four parlor to milking 215 cows in a robotic milking system.

Each year as the bottom drops out of the thermometer and winter storms begin to blow through, farmers come up with all kinds of creative ways to stay warm. Some of these strategies have the potential of exposing them, their families and employees to excessive levels of carbon monoxide (CO). In some cases, this exposure can prove to be deadly.

If you’re thinking about making a few changes to your freestall bedding area, take an extra peek at some commonly overlooked areas to ensure you don’t miss something in the planning steps.

When it comes to beach towels, long fibers are ideal for comfort and moisture absorption. The same goes for fiber bedding. Long fibers help absorb moisture and reduce bacteria growth.

A unique observation deck at Kreider Farms in Manheim, Pennsylvania, gives visitors a true birds-eye view of Amish country – from atop a silo.

Today’s tractors and implements are truly amazing. Drones and GPS guidance systems, auto steering and implements that tell the tractor to speed up or slow down.