The health of our herd is one of the most important things we focus on everyday at Larson Acres. In addition to having expert herdsmen on staff, we have gone to great lengths to put measures in place that monitor the health of our herd and quickly address any issues that may arise.
Our Computerized Monitoring System
At Larson Acres, we have
a computerized system designed to carefully
monitor and track the health of each animal
in our herd. Each cow has its own identification
number and an electronic ID.
The data for each individual
cow downloads into our computerized monitoring
system, which allows us to keep track of
production levels, milk weights, cows that
are expecting to be in heat and the waiting
period for pregnancy, so we know what to
expect and how to react.
When they walk into the milking
parlor we know who’s there, which pen they
are in, what time they
were milked and how much milk they produced
because of this monitoring system. We are
also able to match the nutrient level in
their diets to their milk through our computerized
system.
Taking advantage of technology to monitor health
At Larson Acres, the health and comfort of our cows is job number 1. All of our animals are equipped with ear tags that allow us to constantly monitor everything from milk production to how far they have walked each day. Utilizing this technology allows us to better track the health of all of our cows and detect when a cow may not be feeling well even before there are visible signs.
Special-Needs
Areas
Special-needs areas, including
maternity and postpartum, are on site and
staffed 24 hours a day, every day for our
animals. Each animal gets screened every
day and monitored for abnormalities and if
any are found, the cow gets cared for in
the special-needs areas.
Taking care of our cows during their time of need
Many
cows have special needs, and the
special-needs areas are specifically
designed for the high-risk times
in our cows’ lives. Fresh cows,
cows ready to calve, cows currently
calving and cows with health concerns
are cared for in these dedicated
areas.
Herd Hoof Care
Hoof and foot health is one of Larson Acres’ major areas of concentration, as care is scheduled no less than twice per year. Larson Acres takes part in a study on hoof and foot health with the University of Wisconsin, and each cow’s foot care data is on file at the UW to advance the study of foot and hoof health.
Professional Consultants
We work closely with outside
consultants, such as nutritionists, veterinarians
and agronomists to promote the best possible
health of our herd. Nutritionists ensure
our herd receives customized, mixed rations
formulated to meet their specific needs,
and our on-site veterinarian works with local
veterinarians, who make weekly visits to
the dairy. Our milk quality veterinarian
monitors the parlor and udder health, our
hands-on veterinarian regularly uses computer
monitoring, and the UW veterinary school
comes on a regular basis so we can show them
how we use our systems.
Dr. Fred Ehle - Our Animal Nutrition Specialist
From housing to health to nutrition, the welfare of our animals at Larson Acres is job number 1.
Cow Comfort
Our animals spend their time in
areas where their comfort and ease of handling are
top priorities. To prevent discomfort, the entire
adult herd is housed in covered free stall barns
with sand bedding, which make it possible for us
to provide our animals with plenty of shade, fresh
air, water and protection from extreme weather conditions.
The free stall barns provide the temperature,
comfort and surroundings our animals need and enjoy,
and ample room for our cows to freely move around.
During the sweltering heat of a Wisconsin summer,
it’s important that our free stall barns are equipped
with cooling components, time-controlled sprinklers
and optimal air flow techniques to keep the herd
cool and comfortable.
Our cows lie comfortably in sand bedding, which provides a cooler environment and promotes cow health, including protection from developing mastitis. The sand bedding, which is cleaned and recycled on a regular basis, encourages the herd to lie down. This is when they are most comfortable, and it’s best for the cows if they lie down at least 12 hours a day.
The benefits of free stall barns
Cow comfort is job 1 at Larson Acres. We believe our free stall barns help increase cow comfort for all of our animals. Mike Larson helps explain even further the benefits of our free stall barns.
Creating a comfortable, controlled environment for our cows
It is best if our cows lie down at least 12 hours a day. In order for this to happen, they need a comfortable, controlled environment. David Rhoda, D.V.M, explains the techniques we employ at Larson Acres to help keep our cows comfortable.
Specialized & Customized Diets
Keeping our cows healthy is our top priority. Quality housing, constant health monitoring and proper nutrition ensure the long term health of our cows.
The herd is fed a customized mix ration, formulated with help from a nutritionist to meet each cow's specific needs.
Balancing the diets of each of our herd groups
We get custom-designed supplements for each of the cow groups to balance the ration wtih home-grown feed and select ingredients delivered weekly by Landmark Services Cooperative. It's important to track the phosphorous levels in the diet, and we take a proactive stance in the nutrition of our herd.
Controlling phosphorous in the diets to protect the environment
At Larson Acres, animal nutrition is a priority, but so is protecting the environment. That is why we go the extra mile to ensure that the diet our herd receives is low in phosphorous.
