Flies are just as annoying to cows as they are to people. But two types of flies cause actual discomfort for cows – stable and biting flies. Both of these flies bite and draw blood. Here are some tips for recognizing and controlling them.

Watch for flies that hang around a cow’s legs. If cows are bunching together in a pen and stomping or kicking, stable flies are most likely to blame.

Many employees think their boss pressures them to get finished milking as fast as possible because the dairy wants to save money on employees’ wages. And although that’s partly true, the main reason dairy managers want to keep milkings short is because of the cows. The more time the cows spend in the holding area, parlor and return alleys, the less they eat and drink. And as a result, they produce less milk.

Hoof trimmer: Michael Wallen, Tulare, California
Location: Visalia, California
Case study: White-line abscess
Chute style: Left-tilt layover chute

Every herdsman should know how to trim feet. Even if your dairy owner has an off-farm specialist come to the dairy to do routine foot trimming, you will become a much better, professional herdsman if you learn how to trim feet. These are the reasons why:

• The more you know about the cow’s foot, the more you will understand the importance of foot care to cow productivity.

• Lame cows are sick cows; correct this health problem immediately rather than waiting several days till the foot trimmer comes. Lame cows produce less milk, suffer from pain and become chronic problems when lameness is not attacked immediately.

How much time do you spend finding ways to reduce feed losses? How much of that time is focused on monitoring your feeder’s performance? And when was the last time you had a training session or refresher for your feeders focusing on how to reduce feed losses and what your expectations are?