I’m not sure who sent the stray voltage to the groundhog in February, but I think he was a little off-target this year. While spring yielded to summer early in the South, Old Man Winter clung to some parts of the country when the May flowers were supposed to arrive.

Heat stress and the problems associated with it can be costly to your dairy operation. Not only are there losses in milk production, but studies are also linking heat stress to lower reproduction rates, changes in dry matter and water intake as well as increased rates of lameness.

Dairy cows are very susceptible to heat stress and will adapt by reducing their milk production. Only half of that milk reduction is explained by a lower dry matter intake; other metabolic changes are involved, including a shift in the use of glucose by the mammary gland to other tissues, reducing its availability for milk production, a reduction in rumination and nutrient absorption, and an increase in maintenance needs to dissipate heat.

With monthly milk production reports suggesting weaker growth in milk per cow, the USDA’s latest World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report made further cuts to 2017-18 U.S. milk production forecasts. However, less production didn’t translate into a more optimistic outlook for farmer milk prices.

Compost-bedded pack barns are an alternative to traditional freestall barns, typically offering additional space for roaming and lying down for lactating, dry and special-needs cows.

Today’s technology is offering ways to enhance cow comfort using labor-saving robots, automated equipment and computerized health monitoring systems. With such a wide array of options available, selecting those that fit the individual needs of your dairy can be challenging.

We all need a good back scratch every once in a while, and cows are no different. In their natural environment, cows will rub up against trees and bushes. Around the farm, they will use other objects like walls, water troughs and fences.

Do you remember the last time you banged your head on something? Think of a time when you really gave it a whack. What was it?Where were you?

Here in Wisconsin, some farms are now falling under the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in regards to workplace safety, and I hear a large amount of pushback from my peers about how we as farmers don’t want and cannot afford more government regulation.

Producers should consider maternity care, dry cow health, overstocking and social stressors when looking for ways to improve cow comfort.