The optimal dry period length between lactations in dairy cows has been debated since the early 1800s. During this time, some English farmers believed a two-month dry period was optimal, while others believed a two-week dry period was adequate.

Cows are in negative energy balance (NEB) when their energy requirements (i.e., maintenance, gestation, production) are not met by their energy intake.

On a typical day, how often do cows interact with people on your dairy? It’s common for a dairy team to mingle with a herd at least two or three times for milking, again if it’s a herd health day, again for breeding, again if pen shifts are on the schedule and probably again if any additional management interventions are needed.

Serotonin has many known roles in the body, from signaling in the brain to coordinating intestinal movements. But researchers at the University of Wisconsin are investigating a new use for the compound in dairy cattle – preventing post-calving hypocalcemia.

Most know that the farm record system is only as helpful as the information in it. Likewise, all the recorded data is only as beneficial as knowing how to interpret it.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct number of cows milked per hour in the rotary parlor. The original version stated 24 to 30 cows could be milked per hour. The correct amount is 430 cows per hour. Progressive Dairyman regrets the error. Producing quality milk really makes a difference to the bottom line at Beranna Dairy, where the 3,800-cow herd strives to stay below 100,000 somatic cell count.

A two-year study focusing on bedding types and SCC in 325 herds in Wisconsin had a clear result: Herds using sand had less mastitis.

The old adage that more milk equals more money is quickly becoming a thing of the past. The flood of fluid milk in the market has wreaked havoc on milk prices over the last couple of years and has caused manufacturers to take new measures to protect their viability.

Sometimes it is amazing to think about how much hinges on the four teats of the dairy cow. If a teat is damaged or destroyed, we potentially lose the milk from that quarter or, worse yet, with a severe infection we lose the whole cow.

It’s no news the organic industry is growing. With organic milk sales increasing each year, a new wave of dairy producers are seeking safe, sustainable and organic-approved solutions. With this growth also comes great responsibility for both organic dairies and their suppliers.