It is crucial to create a positive environment for your animals if you wish to have a successful dairy farm. Hence, it is crucial to be aware of the cows' needs before making any major changes to an operation. Here are 4 ways which will ensure a positive environment for your cows:

Cow Comfort

• Cow comfort is the priority. Cows must be happy in order to produce best quality milk. Hence, it is crucial to ensure beds are clean and comfortable at all times.

• Stall size, neck rails and brisket boards are equally important.

• Stall sizes may vary but the key here is to ensure maximum comfort.

• Neck rails should be at a comfortable height and developed from a metal that will not irritate the necklines.

Rumination, Milk Production & Crowding

• Studies showed that a lactating cow will chew her cud on average 400 - 600 minutes per day.

• Monitoring the rumination of the cow is a good way to gauge the cow's well being.

• Overcrowding tend to reduce rumination time, which in turns reduce milk production.

• Hence, it is crucial to provide adequate space for the cows at the bunk.

Nutritional Attentiveness

• Ensure that there is ration consumption for the cows following milking as they need to consume sufficient nutrients for high milk production.

• Water should be clean and accessible at all times for the cows. It will also increase dry matter consumption for the cows.

• It is encouraged to clean, dry and scrub the water troughs at least once a week, if not daily.

• It is also important for the farmers to be aware of the economic impacts of their practices and manage outside influences such as birds in order to make sure that the animals are healthy and have sufficient nutrients.

Consistency

• Cows are creature of habits.

• Farmers should work towards being consistent in their practice.

• Pay attention towards the cow's comfort, rumination and nutrition.

• Remember, a happy and healthy cow will produce high quality milk.