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Seminar reinforces importance of cow comfort for production, fertility

Research proves cow comfort directly impacts milk production and fertility – and that point was driven home at a meeting of Wisconsin dairy producers this week.

Dr. Richard Pursley of Michigan State told a group of Wisconsin dairy producers a comfortable cow is better for the bottom line.  “It’s more profitable for producers to have comfortable cows.  They get more milk.  They do that partly because they are breeding back on time, and their calving intervals are not too long, they’re not dry for a long time, they don’t get fat, which causes a lot of health problems.”

Veterinarian Gordy Jones says comfortable cows eat more and produce more. “The nicer we can make their stalls, give them fresher air, she’ll eat one more bite and then she’ll go to bed, and research has shown that a cow going to bed with a full stomach will get us about 3.7 pounds more milk for every extra hour in bed.”

Pursley says it’s much harder getting the cows pregnant when they’re uncomfortable.  “There’s lots of data that would indicate that.  It deals with cows that are being overcrowded, those kinds of things, not enough feed bunk space, the kinds of things that can really cause havoc with the reproduction program.”

Jones and Pursley say a few more inches of space, adjusting barn hardware, and fresh, cool air make a big difference.

They spoke to Brownfield at a herdsman’s conference hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin.

Dr. Richard Pursley talks with Brownfield’s Larry Lee

Dr. Gordy Jones talks with Brownfield’s Larry Lee