I have been a dairy nutritionist for over 33 years, and I am usually the first to know when one of my dairies is having hoof health problems. While many issues with cow health point back to nutrition, I have found that hoof problems, more often than not, stem from environmental causes rather than nutrition.

No one likes to see a lame cow – not the farmer, vet, employee, hoof trimmer, consumer and especially not the cow itself.

Moisture is one of the primary life-sustaining requirements for bacteria. Take it away and you’ll greatly reduce the opportunity for bacteria to survive.

When reproduction rates drop, it’s easy to point the finger at your breeder. Naturally, we want to assign blame; finding the source of the issue means we can work toward a solution that much faster.

Hear from Dr. Dave Van Metre from Colorado State University on bovine foot rot and digital dermatitis. He covers some anatomy and explains why foot rot and digital dermatitis develop, as well as discusses ways to prevent and treat both conditions.

Frozen teats? Ouch. Elevated somatic cell counts and clinical mastitis? No, thank you. It’s time to prepare your milk quality program for winter.

For many years, it has been my passion to more fully understand and manage robotic milking systems. I have spent countless hours watching animal videos and staring at the computer screen looking at the data robotic systems provide. It has been close to an addiction.

Under current review: SomaDetect Two dairies that will test-drive a new in-line milk sensor say they are looking to replace their current methods of milk testing and pregnancy checks with more timely information.