BOTTOM LINE THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019 SECTION E
Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison dry-cow barn allows cows to choose whether they stay inside the barn or go out to pasture. While some cows choose to stay inside to eat or lie down, others make their way to pasture.
Let cows choose
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well-known ad campaign used imagery of dairy cows outdoors on a sunny pasture, with a tagline referring to “happy cows.” It’s not too surprising that a 2014 survey found that 89 percent of consumers thought dairy cows should have access to pasture. But cows are not like humans. JENNIFER So it’s important to understand VAN OS what’s good for their health and what the cows themselves think in order to appropriately accommodate the needs of their species. Good thing scientists have validated techniques to evaluate animal health as well as for asking cows what they value, even if they can’t respond in words. There are indeed several benefits of pasture for dairy-cattle health, including better air quality and improved locomotion scores throughout time. Also cows show less aggression toward one another when they have more space outdoors. To ask cows how important that kind of environment is to them, some researchers gave them the chance to leave the freestall
barn for pasture – but the cows needed to push increasingly heavy weighted gates to do so. They found the cows were willing to push equally heavy gates to go outside in order to access fresh total-mixed ration after being deprived of feed for a period. They still pushed the heavy gates to go outside even when they had total-mixed ration inside the barn. The message from the cows was that going outside is something they perceive as valuable. But that’s not the end of the story. Although the opportunity to go on pasture can be important to cows, that doesn’t mean they want to be out there all the time. In another study the cows were housed in the same sand-bedded freestall barn with free access to total-mixed ration. They could freely choose when to go outside onto pasture. The cows demonstrated that they liked to go outside sometimes – primarily at night in the warm season. But they also chose to be in the barn during other times. When it was raining cows spent more time inside the barn. Cows avoid wet surfaces. When their only option is wet bedding or mud, it dramatically decreases their lying time. Lying time is an
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PHOTOS
On a day with cloud cover some cows have chosen to leave the barn for the pasture. important behavior they need to spend more than half of the day engaging in. Mud also decreases cow cleanliness and milk yield, and increases digital dermatitis. Shelter and a dry bed are important for cow comfort. On the flip side cows also spent more time inside the barn during the day time, especially in warmer weather. Cows are susceptible to heat stress, so unlike people sunbathing is not an activity they enjoy in summer. Shade is an extremely important resource for them. A study found that cows who are required to stand for a while will choose to keep standing if they are allowed to do so in the shade, rather than take the opportunity to lie down if they must do so in the sun. Cows will also choose shade compared to soakers that aren’t shaded, even if the water spray is more effective for cooling them. When those resources are combined and cows aren’t forced to choose between shade and soakers, they will gladly use soakers to cool off.
The studies reveal that, in a cow’s eyes, one environment isn’t always superior to another. There are many factors involved in keeping cows healthy and happy in different circumstances. A recent study demonstrated that consumers can have an encouragingly nuanced understanding about those types of tradeoffs when given the chance to consider various housing scenarios. Consumer perception of cows on pasture was overall more positive than for cows kept in a barn. But when the possibility of heat stress was mentioned, participants rated keeping cows on pasture with shade trees more favorably than pasturing cows without shade. But also they favored keeping cows indoors in a barn – sheltered from the sun and cooled with fans – compared with keeping cows outside in the full sun. That intriguing finding illustrates that although consumers often have an expectation that dairy cows should have pasture
access, they don’t necessarily think that should be at the expense of cow thermal comfort. The cows themselves have indicated that pasture can be beneficial for their health and welfare – sometimes. But at other times exposure to environmental extremes can be detrimental; then they seek the benefits of shelter. Pasture per se isn’t always feasible for every dairy operation to provide for all their cattle. Some studies have investigated alternative outdoor areas, both from the perspectives of the cows and consumers. Exercise yards may provide an option for a middle ground that could satisfy many consumers – and give cows beneficial opportunities in a manner more practical for a wider range of producers. Jennifer Van Os is an assistant professor and University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension specialist in animal welfare in the department of dairy science at UW-Madison. Email jvanos@wisc.edu to reach her.
Don’t miss Dairy Innovation Tours PDPW STAFF
Owners of two Wisconsin dairy farms will next week share some out-of-the-box ideas that are making differences on their dairies, at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Innovation Tours. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 16. Ron Brooks and his daughters are continuing the family’s 160-year farming legacy at Brooks Farm near Waupaca, Wisconsin, with an eye toward conservation, growth and innovation. The recently constructed freestall barn’s ventilation system capitalizes on the prevailing southwest winds and saves on energy. The facility features precision parlor technology and an automatic feed pusher programmed with a music playlist. That replaces the sound of the skid steer that previously prompted cows to come to the bunk. Family members manage 1,500 acres, milk 500 cows and are in the process of developing a non-plastic covering for silage. On the outskirts of metropolitan Stevens Point, Ken Feltz and his family own and operate Feltz Family Farms. The fourth-generation farm keeps innovation at the forefront of the business, incorporating enhancements with an eye toward agritourism. A co-host of Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in 2014, the dairy features a traditional parlor and robotic milkers; more robots will be added soon. In addition to guided robot-facility tours, the farm’s retail store is a community favorite that draws tourists from far and wide. The Feltz family is one year into a composting project in partnership with the village of Plover. The retail store is
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Ron Brooks and his daughters are continuing the family’s 160year farming legacy at Brooks Farm near Waupaca, Wisconsin, with an eye toward conservation, growth and innovation. On the outskirts of metropolitan Stevens Point, Ken Feltz and his family own and operate Feltz Family Farms. in its second year of serv- milk, pizza, meat, wine and ing customers an assorted soap. during lunch in addition to Attendees will leave by sin Highway 110, Fremont, variety of farm-made and Participants will have op- networking with other dairy chartered bus at 9 a.m. July Wisconsin. Visit www. locally sourced products, portunities to engage in dis- producers during the ride 16 from the Fremont Citgo pdpw.org or call 800-947including ice cream, cheese, cussions with the farm hosts via chartered bus. Travel Plaza, E7487 Wiscon- 7379 for more information.
“... absolutely helps our milk quality.” — Rob and Gail Klinkner
Gail and Rob Klinkner with Rylan and Garrison at our booth during the 2018 World Dairy Expo. Not pictured are children Reagan, Rubi and Ginger.
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Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you. For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
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“We have used Udder Comfort™ faithfully since picking up samples many years ago at World Dairy Expo. We use it on fresh cows and flare ups,” says Rob Klinkner. Dairying goes back three generations, but he and Gail started Klinkner Holsteins from the ground up. They milk 50 Holsteins and Jerseys near Viroqua, Wisconsin, with a combined RHA of 25,876 pounds of high quality milk with SCC averaging 153,000. “Udder Comfort brings our cows back into production much faster, and it absolutely helps our milk quality,” Gail explains. “We apply it to all fresh udders after each milking for the first 3 days after calving, some longer. “Udder Comfort applies more easily and more evenly, and we see more consistent results that are absolutely different. We did not see results like this with other products. Udder Comfort is the best.”
KLINKNER HOLSTEINS, VIROQUA, WISCONSIN Rob and Gail Klinkner 50 registered Holsteins and Jerseys RHA 25,876M 3.4F 3.0P, SCC 153,000