The modern dairy cow is a metabolic athlete. On a per-kilogram bodyweight basis, her daily energy turnover rivals that of a National Hockey League (NHL) athlete on game day. The difference is that she does this day-in, day-out, without recovery until dry-off.

Dream of a high-performance sports car and a Corvette or Camaro may come to mind. In many ways, dairy cows are high-performance machines too. However, some dairy producers may still treat their top-performing “cowmaros” like their old, trusty farm trucks, which may not allow the cows to reach their full genetic potential. Just like a sports car, cows require maintenance and upkeep. By treating your cows like top performers instead of old farm trucks, you can increase cow productivity and maximize profitability.

BRSV is a common cause of respiratory illness in calves. It can have lasting and even deadly effects. Prevention is the only effective measure to control it.

When placed strategically and used consistently, boot wash stations help protect vulnerable animals, reduce cross-contamination and promote a culture of care and responsibility.

I see a future where lameness rates are lower than ever before, and cows have a longer, more productive and profitable lifespan. I believe there is a day in the not-too-distant future when cows move to and from the parlor with little to no lameness.

There are discussions in dairy industries in many countries about whether it should be an explicit aim to increase longevity. Some assert that retaining cows for longer lactations or more years contributes to sustainability because fewer replacement animals would be needed, reducing the environmental costs of these non-productive animals.

Health events are undesirable events in dairy farms and, in my opinion, are one of the biggest challenges the dairy industry has been facing. Although the incidence of some specific diseases – such as milk fever or clinical ketosis – has decreased in the last 20 years or so, the overall percentage of animals experiencing one or more diseases in the first 60 days after calving hasn’t changed.

As I’ve talked to producers, almost everyone can experience improvements – even those who were satisfied with their trim losses and health outcomes. Surprisingly, the protocol offering these results has been around for decades: the humble footbath.

Bovine leukosis is a persistent and incurable disease affecting the health, productivity and profitability of dairies. It is caused by the bovine leukemia virus (BLV), which primarily infects lymphocytes, the immune cells responsible for antibody production and combatting viral disease. Read about a project to validate different BLV test options and strategies.