FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

Quality milk starts with quality bedding. Bedding is a point of exposure for vulnerable teat ends and a reservoir of growth for the bacteria that cause intramammary infections and subsequent spike in somatic cells.

Sand is considered the gold standard for bedding dairy freestalls. It is commonly used to bed freestalls because it does not support significant bacterial growth, has a low water-holding capacity and shifts with the cow to provide a comfortable surface on which to lay.

Dr. Gordie Jones, an independent dairy performance consultant and partner in Central Sands Dairy in Wisconsin, is a recognized expert in freestall facility design.

If you go tractor shopping, you soon find out there are a bunch of choices to make. Even among tractors of the same manufacturer, you need to know what your present needs are and what your future needs might be to select the best tractor for your operation.

I don’t believe there is any place colder than a large metal building on a cold, windy day. If they are oriented incorrectly to form a wind tunnel … oh my goodness, they are frigid.

Cold temperatures can have many effects on a dairy farm. Frozen manure or waterers and frigid temperatures for workers can be management nightmares. Despite the winter weather, completely closing up the barn can have a very negative impact on the herd.