Lameness is our dairy industry’s most visible animal welfare issue as well as being detrimental for cows’ longevity, reproductive performance and productivity. In addition, the dairy industry is faced with increasing pressures from the public to ensure our cows are well cared for.

Several different forms of animal monitoring equipment have been developed and adopted by dairy producers for use in lactating animals. Some of these same technologies have been put to use in other areas around the farm and it begs the question, “Does video surveillance have a place in the calf barn?”

Making the move to a robotic milking system can have a big impact on the finances of a farm as well as the well-being and quality of life of the animals and people involved.

As concerns over falling reproductive performance escalated around the turn of the century, dairy cattle breeders and advisers decided to take on this trend by putting more emphasis on reproduction-related genetic traits (e.g., Daughter Pregnancy Rate [DPR] and Sire Conception Rate [SCR]) and seeking out effective heat detection tools.

Whether you call it a farm, a business or a wealth engine, we’re talking about the same thing – your dairy farm. Most dairy farms (and most other businesses) are co-owned by more than one person.