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Combating lameness on dairy farms is a complex issue – and for many farms, days with zero lameness may seem unattainable.

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a four-part series about how an Oregon dairy farmer is making robots work on a grazing system. Read the first story "How we milk 3 times a day with robots for success".

Situation No. 1

Like most farmers, you keep old equipment around since it still has some useful life left in it. You applied this mindset last year when you bought your wife a new SUV and kept her old one with 300,000 miles on it as a “spare.”

Ah, yes. The conversation every manager will have many times throughout their careers. Employees ask for a raise, constantly. What’s a person to do? When it comes to working through this conversation, you have a few options. In this instance, prevention is key.

Bunching of animals is a common problem on dairy farms during summer months. Cows in freestall barns sometimes congregate together in one part of the barn, with ample free space not being utilized.

Manure contains essential nutrients for forage crop growth. How and when it is applied will impact its use by alfalfa, grass and corn silage crops.