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Barns — page 2

Mathieu Larose of Ferme Laroselait in Verchères shows the mechanism for lowering and raising the baffles. All that's missing is the drill to operate the mechanism.
Barns, Dairy

Managing cross ventilation with the right baffles

Adding baffles meant removal of two large cross ventilation fans at this farm

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After a summer in their new barn with cross ventilation, Mathieu Larose and Nancy Clouâtre of Ferme Laroselait in Verchères installed canvass baffles in 2020 to force air down onto the cows in the stalls and cool them in the summer. According to Larose, it’s a must-have for cross ventilated barns. Why it matters: Ventilation […] Read more
Soft bedding like sand makes it easier to lift lame cows (not this cow), prolongs their lifespan and increases milk production.
Barns, Cow health, Dairy

Dairy cows need to be optimized for resting time

Cows need to lie down for 12 hours to maximize milk production

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The message often conveyed in terms of animal welfare is that dairy cows need to be given more resting time. According to researcher Nigel Cook, we should instead seek to optimize the resting time. In a webinar with co-host Courtney Halbach, an extension specialist, Cook, an expert on the impact of the environment on dairy […] Read more
Beef cattle grazing in belly deep pastureland, wearing collars with orange circular receivers that alert them to virutal fencing.
Barns, Dairy, Livestock

Cattle virtual fence provides management options

Ontario farm is managing two groups of cattle with the new system

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[Updated: June 11, 2024] Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz were like many livestock farmers and faced the costly prospect of rebuilding fences. One of the areas that needed work was in a rented pasture and that meant much higher potential rents if the owner had to rebuild the fences. They found a new option in […] Read more
Starbucks sweetens pot for FCC sustainability program
Barns, Cow health, Dairy

Starbucks sweetens pot for FCC sustainability program

Coffee giant to support ‘top achievers’ and ‘most improved’

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Starbucks has joined Farm Credit Canada in its Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program, which offers Canadian dairy farmers interest rate rebates for sustainability initiatives. Why it matters: Starbucks says milk products are a significant source of the company’s carbon footprint. The announcement represents entry into the Canadian dairy sector of a company that has already made […] Read more
Cows have more freedom to lay down as they wish in a bedded pack compost barn.
Barns, Cow health, Dairy

Moisture management is key in compost-pack barns

Compost barns could be a transition option for those who now milk in tie stalls

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Compost bedding packs that get too wet can be bad news and result in problems with slower composting, milk quality and the need to add more bedding. Those are findings from recent research projects on Ontario dairy farms, conducted by students at the University of Guelph, including Angie Wilson, who is completing her post-doctoral research […] Read more
As employee numbers increase on dairy farms, farmers have to learn to communicate the process improvement that has been part of their own way of working.
Barns, Cow health, Dairy, Milking equipment

Make your dairy processes lean and clean

Stopping and observing are the first steps to efficiency

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Dairy farmers work through similar processes every day, but taking another look at ordinary tasks can yield significant time and financial savings. Process evaluation has many names, including lean, Kaizan or Six Sigma, but the concepts are similar: constantly improve, find bottlenecks and reduce waste, says Dr. Chris Church, a master’s student at the Lang […] Read more
Panelists discuss their diversified dairy farm operations at the Canadian Dairy Xpo’s Canadian Dairy Business Conference. They included Korb Whale, left, Joel LePage, Gilbert Matheson, Bonnie den Haan and moderator Dan Matheson.
Barns, Dairy, Milking equipment

Diversifying dairy means more than milking

Here’s how four dairy farms grew their businesses beyond milk production

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Farmers who diversify their dairy operations can make it work with luck, great planning and a willingness to take risks. The Canadian Dairy XPO’s new Canadian Dairy Business Conference brought together four farmers who have diversified so milking cows is just part of what they do. Why it matters: Dairy farmers who want to grow […] Read more
It’s predicted that an increase in the number of heat stress days will increase butterfat by one per cent, so ventilation will play a crucial role in reducing this increase.
Barns, Dairy, News, Nutrition

Dairy management changes may offer answers to butterfat equation

With feed additive, analyze the numbers to see if it pays

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Enhancing ventilation may be one of the most cost-effective ways to increase butterfat content in a herd’s milk over the long term instead of using feed additives, according to two experts from Lactanet. Economist Simon Jetté-Nantel and director of innovation and development Débora Santschi spoke to dairy producers about butterfat, and what pays back, at […] Read more
Diego Nobrega, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary says artificial intelligence will have impacts on dairy farming, but farmers should be careful of automated advice.
Barns, Dairy, Livestock, Milking equipment

AUDIO: AI for AI

Artificial intelligence can help dairy decision making, but make sure to check for accuracy

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The use of artificial intelligence tools in farming is expected to grow quickly in the next five years, automating and enhancing decision making for farmers. At this point, however, most of the artificial intelligence (AI) uses are arriving around the edges of technologies farmers use, and are coming in the form of delivering answers to […] Read more
No simple solutions for SNF surplus
Barns, Dairy, Livestock, Milking equipment

No simple solutions for SNF surplus

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Effective solutions for dealing with the surplus of solids-not-fat (SNF) in the Canadian dairy processing sector will not be simple no matter how big or small the processors are, Université Laval assistant professor Dr. Julien Chamberland told attendees of the recent Southwestern Ontario Dairy Symposium. Chamberland, the university’s teaching leadership chair in cheese technology, explained […] Read more

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