Dairy Welfare

No off-season: Managing stress in dairy’s metabolic athletes

dshock@novavet.com — Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The modern dairy cow is a metabolic athlete. On a per-kilogram bodyweight basis, her daily energy turnover rivals that of a National Hockey League (NHL) athlete on game day. The difference is that she does this day-in, day-out, without recovery until dry-off.

Loading cows onto a trailer safely

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Loading cows onto a trailer can be a challenging and stressful task, often requiring careful attention to the conditions, location and equipment being used. Every farm setup is different, and loading areas may vary.

Low-stress cattle handling on the dairy farm

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Everyone that works with or around large animals must understand their behaviours, signs of aggressive or defensive behaviour, their herd mentality and the way their vision works, including their blind spots.

Research Review: IRCs in dairy science – what we’ve accomplished and what’s coming next

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

One of DFC's research investments is Industrial Research Chairs (IRCs), which coordinate multiple research projects under one initiative to find solutions for industry-wide priorities. DFC, along with the NSERC and multiple sector partners, helps to fund IRCs on high-priority issues for Canada’s dairy industry.

Using cameras and computer vision to assess dairy cow welfare

gabriel.dallago@umanitoba.ca — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Computer vision and similar non-invasive and adaptable technologies are advancing our ability to monitor animal health and welfare in modern dairy farming.

Revised Dairy Code of Practice: What does it mean for us?

clemence.nash@novusint.com — Wed, 15 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Yes, the revised Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle could mean more work and/or investment for some dairy farmers, but the results are well worth it, not only at the farm level, but at an industry level as well.

Differentiating mastitis from teat sealant residue at freshening

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Correctly differentiating mastitis from teat sealant residue is important to minimize unnecessary interventions and to make sure we’re using antibiotics judiciously on farms.

Pain management: Hurting more than your bottom line

matti@agproud.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

“Rather than thinking about pain at a micro level – where we’re trying to treat or mitigate painful conditions – I want to think about it on a macro level,” said Kate Creutzinger, assistant professor of animal and food science at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, during the 2024 Western Canadian Dairy Seminar. “Let’s take a futuristic approach. Where can we go from here?”

Living up to our new code of practice

dan.weary@ubc.ca — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:21:24 -0400

It has now been more than a year since Canada’s new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle was published. With only a few exceptions, the requirements of the new code came into effect on April 1, 2024. How can our industry live up to the new standards it has set for itself in this code?

Vaccination protocols: Maximizing vaccine efficacy

louderdvm@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The immune system is the body’s military. It is tasked with being able to recognize pathogenic invaders that have entered the body and eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Research Review: From the Journal of Dairy Science: Exposure to mycotoxins and prolonged cow-calf contact

pedro.nogueira@trouwnutrition.com — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The authors say mycotoxins, which to some extent go neglected in ruminants, are one of the most critical threats to food and feed safety and security due to their effects on human and animal health.

Using data to unlock cow secrets

evine.vanriemsdijk@nedap.com — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Research Review: From the Journal of Dairy Science: Cow-calf contact and drying off high-yielding cows

pedro.nogueira@trouwnutrition.com — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

“Interrelationships between cows, calves and humans in cow-calf contact systems – An interview study among Norwegian dairy farmers.”

5 reasons to consider cow-calf contact on your dairy

joelfox57@gmail.com — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

There are numerous benefits to both the cow and calf with cow-calf contact rearing. Animal welfare and consumer perception are key factors to consider.

Dairy Farmers of Canada: Updated Code of Practice released – what producers need to know

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

On March 30, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) released the updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle.

Take a 360-degree approach to the new Dairy Code of Practice

katie@agproud.com — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0500

“Don’t think that we can educate our way out of consumers not knowing how we care for our cows – we can’t just say, 'Trust us.'”—Dr. Kelly Barratt

Leading the Way: Ringworm: Facts, fiction and tips for alleviating the issue

katie@agproud.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 09:05:48 -0500

Ringworm can be a menace to your show string. Learn more about it in our latest Leading the Way article.

Be proactive to maximize animal comfort

amelie_mainville@cargill.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

The draft of the Code of Practice contains new ideas for cow comfort and sustainability for the future of dairy in Canada. Be prepared as you think about remodels and new barn builds.

New developments with bovine leukemia virus

bartle16@msu.edu — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:10:59 -0500

The spread of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) could seriously impede the sustainability of cattle industries and encourage the growth of alternative methods of producing dietary protein other than milk and meat.

Does your dairy have a culture of care?

jonathan.townsend@merck.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:28:50 -0500

When an operation has a culture of care, everyone from CEO to calf raiser understands how and why to provide exceptional animal care, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

Look beyond the basics to prep cows for early lactation

william.prokop@churchdwight.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:59:24 -0400

Proper ration management and better cow comfort lead to less stress, which means fewer incidents and less immune system triggers.

3 Open Minutes with Dr. Temple Grandin

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 22:06:21 -0400

Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, has garnered worldwide attention for her work in autism and animal behaviour. Grandin promotes better livestock handling and care, developing practical solutions to improve the welfare of livestock on farms and in processing facilities.

Is there an optimal amount of muscle reserves for transition cows?

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:14:12 -0500

The transition period is marked by low dry matter intake (DMI) that is inadequate to meet energy and amino acid requirements for the fetus and milk production post-calving.

Ask a Vet: What is selective dry cow therapy and could it be an option for your dairy?

vicky.lauer@armorah.com — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:00:01 -0500

As dairy farmers have likely noticed, long-lasting intramammary antibiotics (also called dry cow tubes) are in very tight supply this year.

Treat and prevent clostridium in cattle

lmiller@alltech.com — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:00:01 -0400

One of the primary goals of all livestock producers is to keep their herds healthy. Unfortunately, however, illness is often unavoidable – and some very easily transmitted but deadly ailments can be traced back to one source: clostridium.