The Dairyland Initiative

Our team at @uwvetmed plays a vital role in supporting Wisconsin’s dairy industry. I’m proud to celebrate their work and our school’s ongoing commitment to clinical excellence, outreach, and innovation in dairy medicine and herd management.

A few of you have been asking for more tips for handling the up and down temperatures during this time of year, and one of the easiest places to start is with bedding! Learn more here: bit.ly/nestingscores #calftiptuesday

Save the date for the first Dairyland Initiative Workshops held in-person since the pandemic! These workshops will be held in Madison, WI and geared towards veterinarians, farmers, and industry consultants. Stay tuned for more information about how to register.

Implementing a footbath program is good for hoof health and the dairy's bottom line. Read about the costs of lameness in this @HoardsDairyman article. hoards.com/article-35790-…

Hear Dr. Dörte Döpfer talk about how to treat and prevent digital dermatitis on the PDP Dairy Signal. Listen or watch at mediasiteconnect.com/site/pdpw-dair…

Successful housing & management of cows 21 days before & after calving is critical to the overall success of the herd. Ep. 14 focuses on transition cow management, pen sizing, grouping strategies & the economic benefits transition cow housing. linktr.ee/thedairylandin…

Have you thought about the sensory, social, nutritional, occupational & physical needs for your calves & how you can provide enrichment in those areas? Dr. Jennifer Van Os provides practical solutions that can be implemented on any farm! bovinevetonline.com/news/education…

Hear how these farms have implemented sand bedding and the benefits they're seeing in this Dairy Herd Management article: dairyherd.com/news/education…

Lameness has a wide ranging economic impact on the herd - from reduced milk production to fertility rates. Prevention through cow comfort can help mitigate the causes of lameness. Read more in this @HoardsDairyman article. hoards.com/article-35618-…

Podcast #13 delves into feeding behavior, re-grouping stress & what key performance indicators of transition cow health managers should look at when evaluating their transition cow programs. Listen & watch now! linktr.ee/thedairylandin…

My state tour continued with a visit to the Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center and Larson Acres in Green & Rock Counties. It was great to hear from the veterinarians about how the SVM can best support them and to learn about the partnership with our Dairyland Initiative team.

We know the social benefits of pair raising calves, but does pair raising change the microenvironment of the hutch, specifically in the winter? Find out in this @PDmag article. agproud.com/articles/60181…

Proper crowd gate usage can improve cow welfare around milking time. By not overcrowding the holding area and knowing when to move the crowd gate will create a positive experience for the cows. Read about crowd gate best practices at #Overcrowding-the-holding-area" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/crowd…

Are fluctuating temps making it difficult to raise healthy calves? Don't worry - you're not alone. This @PDmag article outlines how you can help calves deal with huge temperature swings. agproud.com/articles/60144…

Designing a PPTV system is one thing, but putting it in the barn is another. Episode 12 covers the practical aspects of PPTV installations so that you're confident the system is working the next time you see one in a barn. linktr.ee/thedairylandin…

Want to learn how to identify the signs of calf pneumonia in a hands-on setting? Dr. Terri Ollivett will be at the PDP Calf Care Connection this October to teach attendees how to identify & diagnose calf pneumonia. More information can be found at: pdpw.org/programs/calfc….

To overstock or not to overstock? That is the question! We discuss the negative impacts of overstocking on cow behavior, the economic impacts & what overstocking means for the industry in the latest episode of The Dairyland Initiative Podcast! linktr.ee/thedairylandin…

Learning about #heatstress in cattle @Lir_2024 in #Venice with Nigel Cook from @dairylandinit. Could be worse!

We still have much to learn about how to wean calves. This @HoardsDairyman article explains how later weaning might be tied to better outcomes. hoards.com/article-35503-…

Dr. Nigel Cook will be in Finland this December for the 4dBarn Dairy Welfare Seminar where he will be talking about dairy cattle welfare & sustainability & how to optimize rest & prevent lameness in AMS barns. More information can be found at 4dbarn.com/pages/4dbarn-d…