The goal of a properly designed ventilation system should be to provide clean, fresh air at all times for healthy calf development. Ventilation is responsible for removing accumulated heat, moisture, airborne pathogens and noxious gases from the animal’s environment. To achieve the best ventilation outcome, it is important to critically evaluate the environment of the barn.

With the first round of proAction’s animal care assessments concluded, the areas that assessors examine on-farm have gained added attention in the industry: injuries on hocks, knees and necks, as well as lameness and body condition score. Although Canadian dairy farmers are scoring well in these categories and generally raising the bar when it comes to animal comfort, we have gathered information in this article to help you monitor your herd’s success with respect to hock injuries.

The Western Canadian Dairy Seminar kicked off on March 5 with tours of three Alberta dairies, each showcasing new automated technologies. Highlights included the Vector feeding system at Crestomere Holsteins, a robotic bedding unit at Corenco Holsteins, and a newly constructed all-in, all-out climate-controlled calf barn with auto-feeders at Janna Dairy.