Frequent review of parlor protocols can refine processes and improve productivity. Experts Andy Austin and Michelle Vannewkirk share advice on how and when to perform these reviews, as well as additional milk quality tips.

We can categorize automated milking system data into tools for detecting new infections in individual cows and tools for monitoring the herd level of existing infection. The tools will be more valuable if we use them correctly.

A digital twin is a continuously updated virtual version of a real system. In dairy, that system might be an individual cow, a milking robot or the entire barn. The twin mirrors the real-time state of the animal or equipment it represents. When a cow walks to the feedbunk, her virtual counterpart records it. 

Immune-based biologics are a solution with the potential to reduce (and perhaps eliminate) antibiotics use across dairy farms worldwide and ultimately mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

We often hear that mastitis costs the U.S. dairy industry $2 billion per year. But what does this mean on a case level?

During calving season, your herd transitions through parturition to become a lactating herd. The physiological changes during calving, not to mention the strain of parturition, require a significant amount of energy and are quite remarkable.

Looking at optimizing the entire transition period may seem like a daunting task at first, but it gets easier when we break it down into three key time periods: 60 days pre-fresh, 30 days pre-fresh and 30 days post-fresh.