Earlier this year, South Dakota’s first robotic dairy opened its doors for business, and the Nussbaum family couldn’t be happier with their new milking facility. Brad and Monica Nussbaum have farmed for over three decades near Garretson, South Dakota, just shy of the Minnesota line. As daughters Brittany and Stephanie, both South Dakota State University graduates, showed intentions of returning to the dairy, the family decided to take the next step toward the future.

All ketosis cases are not created equal, but diagnosing cows with Type 1 or Type 2 may make all the difference in treatment success. Heather White, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Department of Dairy Science, has been studying ketosis in its two distinct and different forms: Type 1 (later-onset, typically clinical) and Type 2 (earlier-onset, typically subclinical).

Change can be a good thing, especially when it is followed by positive results like increased milk production, reduced culling and longer productive life. Nehls Brothers Dairy, a 1,900-cow operation owned by Greg and Royce Nehls located near Juneau, Wisconsin, is reaping the rewards of a series of cow-comfort improvements including stall renovations, sand bedding and improved footing.

For 25 years, Jim Hooper has canvased the south-central Minnesota countryside as a hoof health professional. Coming from a family of hoof trimmers, Hooper is passionate about his work and takes seriously his role in improving animal health and well-being on the dairies he trims.

It may be tempting to evaluate your hoof trimmer’s performance based on how fast he can wrap a foot or how quickly cows move through a chute, but Dr. Gerard Cramer, DVM, DVSc, encourages dairymen to expect more. As a veterinarian specializing in hoof health at the University of Minnesota Center for Dairy Health, Management and Food Quality, Cramer leads research efforts related to dairy cattle hoof care.