Herd Health

Maintaining dry, clean corrals requires a lot of work, but it is very important for the cow. Whether you have open drylots or freestalls with or without exercise pens – dry, clean corral conditions are imperative for optimal cow health.

No one wants to see cows standing when they should be lying comfortably in their stalls, making milk and resting.

Zero lameness is not about never having a cow go lame. We know if there are cows, there will be a time when one of them will become lame. But how we respond to that event will determine whether that cow will become part of the chronic lameness problem our industry is experiencing.

Maintenance trimming.
It’s a common term tossed around when it comes to hoof-trimming schedules, but what is it and what does it mean?

Most dairy cows experience a period of energy deficit following calving due to increased energy demands of lactation coupled with decreases in nutrient intake. Inability to adapt to this period results in metabolic disease such as ketosis.

When dairy cows transition from late gestation to early lactation, they often enter a state of energy deficit as increased energy demands are not met by the level of intake.