Super Tuesday--Dairy Style

Even though we didn't have elections in Arkansas  today on Super Tuesday, this has been a Super Tuesday for having new calves born on the dairy farm. We have baby calves born throughout the year but in the spring and fall of each year, a group of heifers will give birth to their first calf.  Right now we are waiting on thirty six heifers to give birth in the next couple of weeks.

Calving season, in my opinion, is more exciting than the political season because we are anxiously waiting  to add these new heifers to the milking herd to insure the continuance of our family dairy farm. It is a great feeling of accomplishment to watch theses dairy heifers that have been born and raised on our dairy farm grow and develop and produce their first calf. Our commitment to providing high-quality milk begins with taking good care of our cows and heifers and begins at birth.

We've been anticipating the arrival of new calves for several weeks and today was a hotbed of activity as two heifers and one cow gave birth within just a few hours. It's not really unusual to have two or three new calves to care for when a group of heifers are calving but today's births brought us to twelve new calves in three days. Adding more calves at bottle feeding time gives new meaning to Super Tuesday for us on the dairy!

Raw Weather Dairy Care

Although we work outside every day in all kinds of weather, when the weather changes from a light jacket day to "can't put enough clothes on" day--that's what we consider, as my grandmother might have said,  a "raw" day.  Today's thirty two degree temperature with wind was a perfect "raw" day in northwest Arkansas! When we scheduled the hoof trimmer for his monthly visit to the farm, we had no idea it would be such a chilly day.  Even though we had several layers of clothes on, the cows actually seemed to enjoy this cooler weather!

Hoof trimming is important to the health of our dairy cows in preventing lameness or correcting problems that create lameness.  On hoof trimming day, the cows walk from the milk barn after being milked to the feed barn into a pen and alley that is connected to the special hoof trimming tilt table that is brought by Ben, our hoof trimmer.  With this special tilt table, Ben is able to secure each cow to keep her safe and comfortable and tilt the table to position the cow for easy access to each hoof.  Ben is like an artist at work as he shapes and trims each cow's hooves with his tools.  Every movement is done with precision and accuracy with the intent to provide cow comfort.

Our commitment to providing high quality milk begins with taking good care of our cows--regardless of the weather!

Dairy Farmer's Ultimate Goal

It makes no difference how many cows you milk--50,300, or 1000--the ultimate goal of every dairy farmer is to produce safe,high quality milk and dairy products by taking good care of the cows and the land.  On a recent visit to Scott Brothers Dairy located in San Jacinto,California, I enjoyed meeting Brad Scott's family and listening to the information  provided  by Brad during a tour of his family's dairy farm.   Crops are raised on the land that surrounds the 1000 cow dairy.  Every decision in managing the farm requires consideration of   environmental quality.     Innovative methods of using reclaimed water from the nearby urban population is just one of the best management practices in place for protecting the environment and utilizing available water.  Although the landscape is extremely different than Arkansas, it is quite beautiful with the mountains surrounding the dairy.

Scott Brothers Dairy also has its own processing facility located in Chino,California. I loved the art work on their milk transport truck and on one of the trailers that was parked on the farm!  You can find more information about the variety of products that are manufactured by Scott Brothers Dairy  and the history of their family operation at http://www.scottbrothers.com/.

It's obvious--dairy farmers love to promote a great product with a smile!

Well-Cow Check-ups

Yesterday was a scheduled day for the veterinarian to examine our dairy cows in the milking herd. It could be compared to well-baby check-ups only on the dairy farm it happens at least once a month and continues through the life of the cow. We actually call these exam days--herd health. Although Dr. Gary comes monthly for herd health, monitoring the health of our cows is our responsibility everyday.

On our farm herd health check-ups occur in a special exam area called the management rail. This special exam area is basically an alley with a rail on each side and a gate on each end. After being milked, the cows walk from the milk barn to the management rail. Ten cows will be walked into the alley in single file and positioned side to side so the vet can examine them.  After the exams are finished on each set of cows, the gate is opened and the cows will walk to the feed barn to eat,drink water, and then return to the pasture to rest.

My job on herd health day is to be on the front end of the cow, reading the cow's tag number,  providing information to the vet about each cow such as breeding date or health issues that we are following and recording all the exam results. Most of our exams yesterday were to determine which cows were pregnant.

Well-cow check-ups , like  well-baby check-ups, are  important to the health of the cows. By working closely with our veterinarian to provide periodic check-ups, vaccinations and prompt treatment of illness, our cows are healthy and comfortable.  We're committed to providing high-quality milk and that begins with taking good care of our cows everyday.

Nursing Baby Calves

The weather was perfect last week when I had University of Arkansas nutrition students touring the dairy farm. When we were looking at baby calves in their individual calf hutches, one of the students asked me what we did when the weather got cold. My quick reply was that I put on warmer clothes.  I didn't realize that I would be adding those warmer clothes this week! When the weather man said it was twenty nine degrees with wind this morning, I suited up for calf feeding chores with my hooded sweatshirt and coveralls.Although you can't see it, I always have my nursing hat on when I go to feed calves!

Temperature and weather changes like we have had this week create a stress for our baby calves and stress can lead to illness. Even though the inside of the individual calf hutch is warm and cozy, each calf will be closely monitored for any signs of pneumonia.  As we feed the calves, I observe their activity and eating behavior and listen for coughing or unusual breathing that may occur if they are getting sick.  After all the calves are fed, I will walk through the rows of hutches for a second observation of each calf.   It is important to monitor baby calves closely and if necessary treat with medication prescribed by our veterinarian.

Raising healthy baby calves is a job I take seriously because these calves will eventually be part of our milking herd. I've used my nursing degree everyday on the farm-raising baby calves and kids!  Our commitment to producing quality milk starts every day in the calf hutches with consistent,vigilant care making sure each calf is healthy.

Power for Dairy Food Safety

Power outages usually occur when least expected.  Last week was the exception when the electric company notified us that our power would be turned off for a two hour period while existing lines were replaced.  Power outages at home are inconvenient and often irritating but, it's more than inconvenient when you are looking at 300 dairy cows that are ready and waiting in line to enter the milk barn and the lights go out!

Thank goodness we have a plan of action for the dairy when the power does get interrupted. Electrical power is important for cow comfort, quality milk and dairy food safety. Our cows' comfort depends on keeping to the milk schedule.  Electricity is used to run the equipment in the dairy barn to milk the cows, cool the milk and keep it cool until it leaves the farm for processing. Power is also needed  to run the system that washes and sanitizes the milking equipment after all the cows are milked before the next milking time.

Until last year, we used a generator that could be hooked up to the tractor to generate enough electrical power to get the cows milked. After experiencing five days without power from an ice storm and fearing that our small generator might not survive another lengthy power outage, we decided to invest in a stand alone generator.  This generator is much larger, runs more efficiently and provides enough power to get the cows milked,keep the milk cool and sanitize the milking equipment.

Dairy food safety is powered not only by electricity but by every dairy farmer's  commitment to provide safe,high quality milk and dairy products.  Hope you will power up with  some great dairy product this weekend!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                  

Quality milk begins with caring for our animals everyday on the dairy farm. One of my daily chores is to feed and care for the baby calves. Every heifer calf that we raise is important to the future of our milking herd.   I'm thankful for each new calf that is born on our farm and for the opportunity to live and work on a dairy farm. 

Dairy Delivers Commitment 24/7

Although the calendar says it is still summer, it's got the feel of fall with the cool eighty degree days and fifty degree nights in Northwest Arkansas.  On the farm, fall means time for harvesting. Fall harvesting for us includes chopping corn for silage to feed the cows, baling and wrapping hay and closely watching our dairy cows and heifers give birth to a new crop of baby calves.  We have brought both cows and heifers that are due to calve in the next two weeks to the pasture next to our house for closer monitoring during the day and night.  It is our hope that each cow or heifer will calve in the field without assistance but if assistance is needed, we can quickly move the animal to our maternity ward  which is a small open barn with three clean stalls filled with sawdust bedding for the cows to lie on and access to water.

Fall calving has begun! Yesterday we had four new calves born. Two calves were born in the field during the day and two at midnight. When the two cows at midnight were not progressing in their labor it was decided that assistance was needed. Both cows were walked to the maternity barn, put in seperate stalls and examined for progress. Delivery assistance was needed for both cows because the calves were coming backwards (feet first). Close observation and delivery assistance saved both calves.  From our dairy farming experience  it's obvious  that dairy cows and heifers do not check the clock for convenient delivery times!

You can find more information about dairy farming at http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/.  Our commitment to providing high quality milk begins with taking good care of our dairy heifers,cows and calves.  It's a 24/7, 365 day commitment!

Dairy Farm Water Tank Patrol

During a typical Arkansas summer, heat and humidity make a very uncomfortable environment for our dairy cows. Milk production may decrease by as much as fifty percent. While we can't control the weather, we do strive to reduce heat stress by providing plenty of water. Water is the primary nutrient needed to make milk and aids in the cow's digestive process. On an average day a milking cow will drink a bathtub full of water but with increased temperatures and humidity, the cows may drink up to fifty percent more water.

It is critical for our cows' health to make sure that water is readily available. Our cows have easy access to water tanks located in the feed barn and in the pastures close to shade. Additional water tanks have been placed in pastures to make sure that the cows have enough water to drink during the extreme hot weather we have been experiencing in these last couple of weeks. Our cows are monitored closely during the day and water tanks checked frequently. If water should become unavailable due to power outage or a malfunction in the well pump, we have an emergency plan in place for how we will haul water to the cows. We are on high alert to make sure that our water system is working properly and water tanks remain full.

Patrolling the water tanks is an important job in making sure that our cows stay healthy during these stressful hot days. Quality milk begins with healthy cows!

Cow Candy

Before I married the dairy farmer, quite a few of my first summer time dates were spent riding on the tractor with the dairy farmer as he chopped green hay grazer grass to feed the dairy cows. Late this afternoon just before the sun was setting, Ryan and I jumped into the truck and went on a farmer date to drive to the field and check on the hay grazer crop that was planted several weeks ago.

Even though we have only received about an inch of rain since this seed was planted several weeks ago, it has grown waist high--perfect cow candy time! This grass can be harvested by green chopping or baling. When it is green chopped, it is actually chopped up and blown into a truck or wagon that will transport it to the dairy and be fed fresh. If it is baled, it is mowed and baled like hay. Either way it is harvested, the cows love this cow candy! Our dairy nutritionist will formulate a diet that adds cow candy with all the other feed ingredients to make sure that the cows are receiving a completely balanced diet. With the drought that we are experiencing, we are grateful for any crop that we will harvest.

Cow candy and dates with the farmer are all about how we work everyday on the dairy farm to care for our animals and produce quality milk!

Routine Commitments

Our daily routine on the dairy farm includes milking 300 Holstein cows at seven thirty in the morning and seven thirty at night,twice a day, three hundred sixty five days a year. We are committed to providing quality milk which begins with consistent routine daily care of our dairy cows. Routine daily care includes activities such as feeding the dairy cows,milking the cows and making sure the cows are comfortable. The word routine might sound dull and boring but I can tell you that when working with cows, there is never a dull moment. In everyday's schedule we must have flexibility to deal with the unplanned events such as delivery of a calf,repairing equipment, mending fences,or driving to town for an item that we didn't plan on needing. The intense heat that we have had in this past week also adds increased monitoring of the water supply and comfort of the cows.

As I walked back to the house tonight from a trip to the dairy barn before the evening milking, I noticed about half of the first herd of cows were already standing at the gate, ready to enter the parlor to be milked. Cows are very much creatures of habit and when time to be milked, you will often find the same cows at the head of the line. Routine makes the cows happy! Just like the dairy cows, I find a certain amount of comfort in following routine and schedule--it's one of the reasons I do like living on the dairy farm and working every day with my family!

Hay Dates with the Dairy Farmer

Providing a balanced diet for our dairy cows assures that our cows will be healthy and provide good quality milk. Hay is one of the important ingredients in our cow's diet. We purchase alfalfa and orchard grass hay from a farmer in Missouri who is located about 45 miles from our farm.


On our return from visiting a friend at St. John's hospital in Joplin this afternoon, Ryan and I had a hay date to sample the hay that our hay farmer baled last week. Hay sampling will provide information about the quality and nutritional value of the hay. This hay is wrapped in plastic to help preserve the nutrients. Ryan used a hay probe to sample six different bales from each row of wrapped hay. My involvement on this hay date was to follow behind the farmer and cover the entry site of the probe with Gorilla tape. A farmer's wife will do anything to spend a little quality time with the farmer!


The six samples from each row will be mixed in a bag , labeled with information about the hay and mailed tomorrow to the lab for analysis. The hay analysis will contain a long list of information about hay nutrients such as the moisture content, the percentage of dry matter and protein. All of the results from this sample will provide important nutritional information for our dairy nutritionist to use in formulating a perfect diet for our dairy cows.


Hay dates with the dairy farmer provide good nutrition for our cows and quality milk for all consumers!