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Five Actions to Strengthen Labor Management
Labor management can have a huge impact on a dairy operation’s performance and financial success. For many farms, labor costs constitute 20% or more of the…
Animal
Handling
SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE ANIMAL HANDLING
Take Care of Cows, Take Care of People
When working with cows, understanding the proper ways to handle those animals is critical. The welfare of farmers and their employees, and cow well-being, depend on it. Negative behavior toward cows can increase their stress levels. As a result, animals and dairies can suffer consequences. Learn more about how you can improve animal handling, minimize cow stress and help you and your employees maximize cow welfare and comfort.
ARTICLES AND BLOG POSTS
Insights From the Jefo Nutrition Team
Working With Cattle: Tips for Minimizing Stress
At Jefo Nutrition, one area of focus is to help producers reduce dairy cow stress. In a recent anecdotal survey, we asked them: Which dairy cow stressor do you think has the biggest impact on you, your cows and your bottom line?
Six Ways to More Resilient Cows
From low-stress handling techniques to ensuring cows receive a balanced diet to support their metabolic needs, here are some key takeaways.
JEFO NUTRITION RUMINATION PODCAST
Podcasts with key influencers
Digging Deeper Into Preventing Cattle Lameness
SEASON 1 EPISODE 7
Research shows that lameness can spark inflammation and stress in dairy cows, which can negatively affect all aspects of production. Karl Burgi, a leading expert on lameness and cow well-being, discusses the importance of having a proactive action plan to make sure animals are treated properly. From Locomotion Scoring to treatment plans, leading edge equipment and proper hoof care techniques and training, Karl reviews the tools available to help maximize cow comfort and reach target rates for diseases such as sole ulcers, white lines, toe ulcers and digital dermatitis.
Impacts of Stressors on Physiology and Health of Dairy Cows
SEASON 3 EPISODE 4
When cows are mishandled, stress and problems follow. Dr. Trevor DeVries explains (@ O5:46 mark) that research shows how mishandling cows and causing them stress – the clearest example coming from the parlor – can trigger a cortisol spike, leading to a block or reduction in oxytocin release that can limit milk letdown. Bottom line: cows should not fear their handlers. A fearful cow is a stressed and less productive cow.
Tools for Cow Handling at the Farm Level
SEASON 5 EPISODE 12
A goal on any farm should be maximizing safety and lowering stress for those working with animals and for the cows. Dr. Jennifer Van Os focuses on understanding, evaluating and improving dairy cow welfare from biological and social-science perspectives. She discusses the importance of ongoing training and active learning and shares some of the tools and resources available to promote best practices, including a new interactive Mooving Cows educational video game.