Management
Pieter Karst Bouma: Get the Most from the Cows with a Milking Robot and Extra Information
A daily production of 40 kg/cow; Pieter Karst Bouma wants to reach this goal within two years. ‘After raising the roof on the old barn, that is certainly realistic,’ says...
Udder Health: How do you Maintain a Low Somatic Cell Count?
Elevated somatic cell counts not only cause production losses, but also increase the likelihood of mastitis, with all the associated problems and costs. To prevent financial damage and animal losses,...
ProFitPlus in Germany: “The Program for Healthy Cows”
“The Program for Healthy Cows”: That is how the ProFitPlus program is described on the websites of the German AIs RinderAllianz (RA) and Rinderzucht Berlin Brandenburg (RBB). For more specific...
Tremendous Efficiency Potential Possible with Smart Use of Management Support. Top Farms Heading Towards 1 Million Kg Milk per Robot
Average daily milk production per robot for all Lely milking robots world-wide reaches 1628 kg, while the top farm is now above 3000 kg! ‘The robots are the same everywhere,...
Hoof Health: A Trait of Major Economic Importance
In August 2011, the Nordic Total Merit (NTM) index – used in Denmark, Sweden and Finland – became the first total index worldwide to include the trait Hoof Health as...
Dry Cow Management: Crucial Weeks for a Long-lasting Dairy Herd
Whether or not to use dry cow treatment, housing in one or two groups, a dry period of six weeks or is eight weeks better? Experts think differently about the...
Barn Equipment To Boost Milk Production
Whether you are thinking about enhancing your existing barn or building a new one –integrating milk-boosting tools will most likely be an advantageous goal. Here we investigate some possibilities.
Key Management Factors at Pine Tree Dairy
The name Pine-Tree is synonymous with the Rudolph Missy family. Bulls such as Supersire, Mogul, Balisto – the most dominant bulls of the genomic era – all stem from the...
Top-management for longevity: How Rosy-Lane, Big & Summitholm reached record numbers of 100,000kg cows
Recently, Holstein International reported about the top management of three herds that reached record numbers of 100,000kg-220,000lb cows (HI 06/2017: Sandisfarne, Kellercrest & Iden). But: there are more striking herds...
Calf Raising: Focus on Colostrum Management gives Calves a Good Start
One of these busy mornings when you are lamenting the fact that you have so many calves to feed, spare a thought for Ty Fullmer and his team at Fullmer...
TransitionRight: Breeding Healthier Cows
Selection emphasis on fitness traits over the last 15 years has arrested the declining genetic merit for health in the dairy cow that had developed as an unwanted side-effect of...
Teat Length: A Problem for Breeders Worldwide?
It is amazing how breeding and trait selection can transform and alter a breed.In Holsteins, over the decades we have seen alterations in size, fertility, milk output – to name...