The application of raw manure to fields, while essential for soil fertility, often results in the release of pungent odours that impact not just the rural landscape but also the quality of life in nearby communities.

Often, when people think about climate change and livestock production, they think about methane, as there has been a lot of focus on reduction of methane from both the cattle themselves (enteric) as well as from manure storage.

Along with soluble proteins, amino acids, peptides and nitrate nitrogen, ammonia is part of the soluble protein (or ‘A’ fraction) of routine protein analysis and is generated by the deamination (removal of nitrogen-containing amino groups) of proteins, which reduces the overall quality of the protein.

Once cows were free animals that lived in groups and could decide when to stand up, when to walk and when to rest.

When resting, they of course chose quiet, ventilated spots that were soft and clean. Now dairy cows have a strict daily routine, mainly based on the rhythm of milking.

“You cannot get out of trouble using the same thought process that got you into trouble.”
—Albert Einstein

Over my 28 years as a hoof trimmer, 23 have been dealing with digital dermatitis and its effects on my clients’ cows.

For the international dairy industry, digital dermatitis (DD), more commonly known as strawberry foot, is one of these disease problems that has gone from a nuisance on a few cows in the late 1950s and 1960s to becoming the leading cause of lameness in dairy cattle in the world.

The average cost of DD per cow case is more than $105. However, when I do a farm analysis for a producer and we review the number of cows infected to examine herd costs, nearly all producers say that financial figure is too low.