Herd Management Articles
-
Ventilation and cooling system to improve animal welfare and productivity
My name is Segev Segalchick, involved in the Dairy business for more than 25 years as Farm Manager, General Manager and consultant in Israel and around the world. I have degree of Animal engineer from Ruppin Academy in Israel and several study in Academy in US, Spain and others. ...
-
Ventilation and cooling system to improve animal welfare and productivity
Today we talk about ventilation and cooling in the barn, a much discussed topic in our sector, through this short interview we will show you the point of view of an expert in Brazil who talks about us touching various points of ...
-
Discovering the Links Between Boar Management and Fertility
A late 2019 report on boar fertility indicated that “Boars, like sows, must be treated with compassion and dignity, to maintain a positive and economic well-being for the animal and producer.” This is something many UK pig farmers are well aware of, and yet it pays to lean in and listen to a bit more about the latest discoveries of links between boar management and their fertility. ...
-
Calf Operation Controlled and Optimized by DairyBOS - Case Study
Most recently, Fetzer Farms installed DairyBOS, the Dairy Barn Operating System, into their cow barn. The system is designed with our veterinarians to optimize their herd health and productivity all year long, through automated ventilation, cooling, lighting, and continuous environmental feedback. It gives Fetzer the connectivity and controls they need to efficiently and precisely manage their ...
-
Enhance Productivity in Your Calf Crop
Each dairy farmer has their own philosophy around the best way to raise calves. Every farm is different, and what works best on one farm may not work on another. Regardless of system, there are general guidelines that apply to any successful calf raising operation. When these guidelines are not followed, bottlenecks are created that impair growth and productivity. Because your system is ...
By Diamond V
-
Feed Blending in Farrowing: An Optimal Feeding Solution
The Next Frontier in Lactating Sow Nutrition Advances in research regarding the nutrient requirements of the lactating sow have academics and producers alike realizing the need for feeding precisely to the needs of the herd, which can vary considerably from published values. For example, in the Swine NRC (Nutrient Requirements of Swine, published by National Research Council in 2012) gilt and ...
-
Water: A Key Element for Cow Cooling from The Inside-Out
When thinking about achieving cow comfort, our focus at VES revolves around the engineering, design, and layout of fans, lighting, soaking technology, and high-pressure fogging within a barn. Those elements comprise the core of what we do, but it’s not everything. Consider this: 88 percent of milk consists of water, so ensuring plenty of fresh drinking water is available to cows at all ...
-
How to retrofit a farm wisely while following a reasonable budget
In Gestation: Animal Welfare and Regulations Consumers and defense groups have put pressure on the government, such as in Europe, Canada or California, and on producers’ associations for the implementation of regulation towards the improvement of livestock welfare. In swine production, the most significant change that was put in place is the change from individual gestation to sow group ...
-
It Takes Guts
If there’s one thing we know about pigs, it’s their love for food. A lot of food. We even use the terms such as “eat like a pig” or “pigging out.” Since swine are always on the lookout for their next meal, make sure the feed you’re putting in front of them will have a positive impact on their health and life-stage needs. Today, pork producers face ...
By Diamond V
-
The Importance of Feed Intake in Lactation on a Sow’s Productivity
Feeding Systems in Farrowing: The Questions of a Producer Alain and Donald Lefebvre are the owners of Ferme Aldo. In 1999, they decided to do a research on feed intake at their farm. Although this was some years ago, the results are still relevant to swine production today. The findings of the study, generated using Gestal feeders, from the ALDO farm were conclusive: maximizing feed intake ...
-
Planning a Successful Ventilation Retrofit
In a perfect world, every barn would be a new build where ventilation could be entered into the formula throughout the design, engineering, and building process. That fantasy, as you may have guessed, sure isn’t what we at VES work with on a day-in-day-out basis. The reality is that a large swath of the ventilation consultations and installations we do at VES are actually retrofits ...
-
A Guide to Optimizing Sow Feed Intake
Creating the optimal environment for farrowing sows can help to minimize the challenges producers face when it comes to maintaining proper body condition and raising healthy piglets, as sow well-being will always be a constant concern within our industry. Improvements to sow feeding are a clear opportunity for improvement to body condition, overall health, increased productivity and overall herd ...
-
Scrutinize herd retention by rethinking gilt development
Not everyone will agree with my arguments in this article. However, I’m tired of hearing complaints about current sow mortality rates and general agreement that additional research is needed in gilt development; yet remain disappointed in the lack of tangible, practical strategies that producers can take home and implement at the ‘slat level’ to make meaningful changes in their ...
-
The Long-Term Ramifications of Heat Stress on Dry Cows
At VES, there are few aspects of cow care that fester in our craw more than ignoring the impacts of heat stress on dry cows. It’s a critical period in a cow’s lactation cycle that deserves every ounce of care and attention as all others and can have long-term implications on a herd if ignored. Dry Cow (n.) – A late gestation, non-lactating cow. Often considered an afterthought ...
-
Disappearing Cows in Your Herd
I have a problem at my farm. I have a herds-person who has such a tender heart and really loves animals. The upside of this is that we have saved a lot of calves by putting them on an IV and nursing them back to health. The downside is that she hates letting any animal leave the herd. I have to remind her that the herd is my bank account. I have to balance the books of feed and inventory. ...
-
Pig Performance Testing: An Overview of the Osborne Fire System
In pig and other livestock breeding, feed conversion is one of the most essential criteria for genetic selection. The more efficiently an animal is able to convert feed into body mass, the faster it can get to market. Identifying superior feed conversion characteristics is important as this trait is passed on from parent to offspring. In the past, identifying animals with exceptional ...
-
Top 3 Considerations When Buying a Slurry Applicator
Dribble bar, band spreader, trailing hose, trailing shoe, disc injector or shallow injection? Whatever name you read or see, they all refer to low emission spreading systems under evolving environmental regulations. The variety of systems available, and the number of options and features, can be baffling to even the most experienced farmer! We have put together the top three factors to think ...
-
Bacteria-free surroundings breeds healthier and more productive cattle Case Study
Danish Clean Water A/S is a manufacturer of ECA generators and has successfully marketed and deployed its generator for more than 5 years, sold to more than 20 countries through local partnerships and has thereby gained significant market power. The ECA generator can be used in various industries and production sites, but especially within animal husbandry in agriculture the results have been ...
-
Do not buy your sensors anymore, just pay for the service!
If you equip 100% of your herd, Medria® puts the sensors at your disposal as part of the FarmLife® Bouquet you only pay for the services to the animal. Because every cow counts: a surveillance 24/7 at all the key moments of the life of your cows. A single sensor for all services: you will not need to change the sensors from one cow to another, it is a real simplification of ...
By Medria
-
Disposing of your fallen stock during lambing season
In the UK, lambing season can start anytime from as early as November, all the way to June. Ensuring that this time period runs smoothly is vital as lambing season accounts for a large percentage of turnover. The location, size of herd and many other factors will determine when farmers decide to start preparing for lambing season. During this time, sheep farmers are preparing to care for up to 15 ...
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you