What a crazy train ride the world seems to be on these days. The last two years have brought us changes in our day-to-day lives few of us would have imagined to be possible.

Advancing technology allows producers to make management decisions to improve dairy welfare, as well as the economic status of the farm.

The dry period is essential for dairy cows to allow for regeneration of milk-secreting tissue and prepare the udder for optimal success in the next lactation.

As milk alternatives continue to fill the shelves, it’s important for dairy producers to pay attention to how their product stacks up.

Most transition diseases occur during the three weeks after calving, many of which are triggered at birth. Creating a low-stress calving pen can have positive impacts on dairy cow welfare by limiting the amount of time cows spend in labor and allowing cows to perform maternal behaviors.

With the market turmoil of the last few years, dairy producers are once again increasing stocking densities on their farms and enjoying larger milk checks from the increased milk shipped. It’s so easy to add a few extra cows and reap the rewards.

The transition period is marked by low dry matter intake (DMI) that is inadequate to meet energy and amino acid requirements for the fetus and milk production post-calving.

As dairy farmers have likely noticed, long-lasting intramammary antibiotics (also called dry cow tubes) are in very tight supply this year.

Over the past several decades, much has changed in the dairy industry and how we manage cattle. As herds get bigger and more complex, we tend to manage groups of cows rather than individuals.