For decades, hoof health programs relied on routine schedules and human observation. Cows were trimmed at set points in lactation or flagged by employees who noticed visible signs of lameness.

Managing herd health and reproduction on a dairy farm is a constant challenge that requires keen observation, experience and timely interventions. For Calori-D Dairy, implementing the CowManager monitoring system in December 2022 marked a turning point in how they managed their cows – both for health and reproduction.

Ever since 1894, Minglewood Dairy has upheld a tradition of exceptional care for their cows and land, evolving significantly over the past 130 years.

Failing to record accurate data about an event on your dairy is a small error. However, this small act can have a significant impact and lead to something bigger.

Two years ago, when Jobo Farms started looking at different programs and ideas to make their parlor run more smoothly, they instead found a herd health monitoring system that fascinated them with what it could do for their cows.

A productive cow isn’t always a profitable cow. A profitable cow performs in milk volume and quality, breeds back quickly and experiences few health events.

Recently, Tom Wegner was named the recipient of the 2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Dairy First Award. “It was pretty cool for Rebecca Gotham, my BI rep, to recognize me, our farm and my employees for all the hard work we do,” Wegner says.

Cattle may have been domesticated for centuries now, but they remain prey animals and work to keep their secrets. Those masking skills were beneficial thousands of years ago, but they can create herd management challenges today.