Update animal records on a daily basis.

For most dairy farmers it is the most natural thing in the world to immediately put all data, calving, heats, inseminations, drying off, treatments, etc. into the computer.
Then you are not only always up to date, the system can also provide much more and correct information via the well-known lists and overviews to properly manage your company and cows.
Keeping a good cow calendar provides a lot of information. Also if you decide not to inseminate a cow again and put it on Cull Decision, lists remain clear.

But sometimes it is not done because the farmer has, for example, Management Program and that data may not automatically go to DelPro.
Then it often comes down to both programs being half used.
If your program gives also good information it is okay but otherwise it would be a great pity if we miss the clear information that DelPro can offer!

Then get over it and make sure DelPro has all the information. You will enjoy this afterwards! Then just use the info from your Management program to put the data in DelPro.

Cows losing milk in layingboxes.

Some dairy farms are more or less bothered by milk outlayers.
Then there is (a lot of) milk in the boxes, sometimes even from cows that were milked not so long ago.

What could be the possible causes of this?

Of course the milking technique, the correct puls-rest ratio with pulsations, correct vacuum, good liners and especially not too high milk flow by take-off moment.

It is also important that a cow does not come too late or too early after her previous milking.

When stressed in the milking parlor or milking robot, the cow often does not milk properly.

This can be caused, for example, by bad or slow attaching teats, attached too early or too late (oxytocin), leakage current, too tight in the box, feeding concentrate too short, a restless environment, small waiting area and “struggle” to get to the robot or milking parlor, etc. , etc.

These things are often all tackled, but must be mentioned.

Leaking milk is also hereditary. In certain bulls and cow families with a high milking rate, losing milk when they are laying is more common.

Furthermore, a common cause is the box cover.

There are mattresses that get very warm from the cow lying on them. But also in summer when it is warmer, those mattresses are already warm by themselves and when the cow lies on it and is sensitive to lying out milk, this is considerably strengthened and milk loss can be a consequence.

Either hard or no box cover. If the cow lays a bit clumsy, she can also squeeze some milk from the udder in addition to lying out.

With teat top callus, teat points close less well. And teat lock muscles that do not close good enough and not fast enough are literally an open door for bacteria, in addition to letting milk out!

Add to that the fact that milk in the boxes gets dirty quickly and also likes to be visited by flies, and then you know that the risk of infections increases considerably!

Furthermore, it appears that of the minerals, especially a Calcium deficiency causes poorer closing of the sphincter muscle around the lock hole of the teat. With Calcium you should pay particular attention to the Calcium / Phosphate ratio 2 : 1 This ratio is necessary for good absorption.

This ratio is also very important during the dry period, but it also deserves attention in (pregnant) young stock.

Zinc is also seen as an important mineral for this, but then you have often already sounded the alarm because of fertility problems, sluggish behavior and dull hair.

Also Magnesium is an important mineral for the (lock) muscles.

Shortages can arise, for example, because roughage is fed from monotonous crops that have been little fertilized, or old or unpalatable batches.

These minerals, including Calcium, can be added during feeding.

Less palatable rations or rumen acidosis can lead to low intakes.

It may also be that the need is sufficiently met, but because cows, for example, receive a lot of iron or manganese (via drinking water?) , it is not absorbed sufficiently and we still get into problems….

Not too long in separation area.

It’s great if you have an extra section where cows are kept and controlled, such as a straw or sand pen for example. Especially if the cows can be easily guided to and from the robot from here. Or to the hoof trimming box.
Yet we often see too many cows that stay too long in this area. It’s really for care cows!
Usually the cows that stay in this (straw) pen are only milked twice a day. It also often happens that the water supply and roughage supply are less generous than in the rest of the barn. Then, for example, they can drink what is necessary but they have to drink a lot, they can eat what is necessary to live but not what they can eat extra.

This is exactly what a cow needs to get healthy, for example to make a good start to the new lactation or to recover.
After all, a cow is a herd animal.

Radio on in the stable?

Radio on in the stable and with the robots gives peace of mind. Quiet music, but always noise, makes the animals less startled by strange noises, strange people, etc.

And cheerful music often makes for a happier farmer.
And cows notice that  !!

Drying off cows earlier?

There are more and more cows that give a lot of milk at the end of lactation.
But there are also cows that give too little per milking at the end of their lactation, or are milked incompletely more often then. Then it might be wise to dry them earlier because it presents a possible risk of an increase in conductivity and cell count.
If the cow does not get an increase in conductivity and somatic cell count at the end, those few liters that are not milked at the end of this lactation will be more than made up in the next lactation!

If they are dry for longer, they must have a ration with low energy, sufficient protein and a high structure content for at least the first month. They want to grow easy and the rumen takes its rest. And it is precisely that rumen that should keep things very active.

Everything to make sure the next lactation is TOP!!