Before we know it, spring will be here again, begging us to get back into our crop fields. Having our equipment ready and able to handle the task requires some advanced planning and scheduling of check-ups, tune-ups and routine maintenance.

High bacteria counts are always a concern for a dairy, but fluctuating bacteria counts can signify even more complex problems. The CIP detectives recently visited a 300-cow dairy in northwestern Wisconsin that was facing such a problem.

Choosing a liner is a complex and difficult task – and an extremely important one. Liners have a huge impact on teat-end health as well as parlor efficiency. Often a particular liner is settled on by a trial-and-error process. With so many liner designs and choices, this process can be quite lengthy. I will attempt to describe the most popular types of liners available.

How low can you go? That’s what producers from California to Pennsylvania are asking after installing a new oval-barrel milking liner designed to operate at very low vacuum levels while maintaining milking speed.

Dairy producers aim to keep their cows clean and comfortable, especially in hot summer months. An overhead evaporative cooling sprinkler system and a ground level udder-washing sprinkler system have made the transition from field to barn to improve cow comfort and hygiene.

Whether you are milking 100 cows or 1,000, the cost of energy inputs into a dairy farm – fuel and electricity – has a big impact on the bottom line. According to the USDA, energy costs consistently ranks second only to feed costs.