The owner does more of the manual labor

Owner has more control but suffers less time off

Labor is trained alongside and expected to "think" like the dairyman

The owner doesn't have time to be involved in manual labor

The owner must relinquish some control to employees but has more opportunity for time off

Labor is trained and retrained for specific "almost non-thinking" tasks.

To milk comfortable, healthy, genetically superior cows

To feed a cost effective ration that maximizes milk production while keeping cows healthy

To have cows become pregnant in a timely manner

To give sick and lame cows special, appropriate, and timely care

End products and management strategies that result from the primary focus of the diary

Outstanding recognition and identification of sick cows

    * Results may be enough better to justify the costs

Good "cows left farm" rates under 60 DIM

Needs to be a person in charge of checking cows in fresh groups and milking groups who understands and can identify sick cows

Cows must be sorted and treated daily

Treatment protocols and treatment personnel must be reviewed periodically by herdsman, veterinarian and owner

Don't sacrifice productive lactations just to save costs of veterinary evaluation

Use the veterinarian to adjust protocols based on new information or poor performance of previous protocol.

More milk / man / hour

Organization and efficiency in milking, scraping and feeding

Dairy schedules insure that important tasks are not forgotten and are completed

Schedule tasks for increased productivity

Make good decisions on purchasing or remodeling facilities, to ensure efficiency

Construct or remodel facilities to expedite commonly performed tasks

Use Dr. Fish thinking

    *Even smaller dairies need to improve focus on heifers calving younger

Emphasis on genetic improvement

Constant flow of replacements or sale of replacements to improve cash flow or provide special funds

Allows for an economically beneficial cull rate

Raise heifers or contract their raising

Provide incentives for animals calving under 24 months of age

Use the best bulls possible within economic parameters

Dr. Skinner is a great resource for heifer raisers

Dairying contains a huge number of variables

Sorting out appropriate, economical and correct practices and treatments takes alarge numbers

Problem breeders example-flipping a coin

In the end, significant science will point to the best decision

Involves trusting veterinary professionals to provide up to date science to help you make decisions

Don't make decisions based on "it worked on this cow!"

Often much space per cow in barnyards, at feedbunks and in freestall barns

Dominant and Non dominant cows can co-exist without the non-dominants suffering

Design freestall barns and cross alleys with the non-dominant cow in mind

Recognize the maximum "milk producing capacity" of your facility

Group heifers, non-dominant cows and lame, sick or injured cows away from dominant cows whenever possible

Don't forget socialization effects in dry cow groups

Ovysnc, Cosync, Resync, Kitchensync

Programs are administered on certain days and guided by computer generated lists

DC305, Dairyplan, PCDart can all generate these lists

Dairies have scheduled day of the week for shot giving, breeding and vet check

All these programs rely on seen heats for opportunity to excel

Ovysync, Cosync, Resync can all increase pregnancy rate

Less places for injury

Not hurried in cow movements

More recognition of special cow needs

Personnel who handle cattle have more "cow sense"

Train, motivate and require personnel to handle cows in a "cow friendly" manner

Educate employees as to the danger of injuring cows with crowd gates, rapid exit bars, etc (as well as the relationship of these injuries to their future employment

Investigate and determine how to prevent cow injuries

Evaluate lame cows in a timely, efficient and correct manner

Provide an environment where cows of special needs can be treated "specially"

Regular and correctly applied vaccination programs

Regular and correctly applied footbaths

Using the veterinarian to design and review programs to prevent disease which renders cows unproductive and reproductively less efficient

Apply vaccination programs regularly and according to veterinary guided protocol

Make sure vaccines which need a booster get one

Take the time and trouble to run footbaths regularly and to have cows trimmed as needed

Surgical expertise for DA's, HBS, teat repair

Ultrasound and palpating services

Diagnosis of sick cows, including helping those, who often can diagnose their own, with more difficult cases

Treatment of sick cows, including non-responsive cows being treated by regular treatment personnel

Breeding large groups of cows

Trimming lame cows feet in a timely manner

Emergency services for:

Providing governmental mandated testing

Backup to prevent important tasks from being completed

Dehorning, vaccinating, etc.

Many other services

Protocols

New Ideas

Employee Education

Testing and Providing Reports

Heifer raising evaluation and consel