Dr. Dörte Döpfer sits down with us for a conversation exploring the intersection of digital dermatitis (DD) and artificial intelligence (AI) in dairy cattle. We begin by talking about how not all lesions are created equal and ways to prevent and treat DD before discussing how we can leverage AI to enhance the detection and management of DD.

Depending on the situation and location, water can be an effective way to cool cows by enhancing cooling through soaking the cow directly or using a fine mist or evaporative cooling pad to cool the air before it reaches the cow. This episode discusses the various ways to cool cows with water and the pros and cons of each so that you can use water strategically and efficiently on farm.

Dr. Jennifer Van Os is back to help us bust some myths about using water to cool cows specifically focusing on the difference between soaking vs. misting, water droplet size, and how cows behave around water.

Is summer PPTV the next "hot" topic? Our opinion may be a bit "inflated," but we think you’re going to be a big "fan" of these systems! This episode highlights the latest heat abatement research using PPTV to provide fast moving air to calves with tips on how to design the PPTV system. 

Heat stress in cows has long been recognized, but what about in calves? Dr. Jimena Laporta opens our eyes to the importance of cooling calves and discusses on farm heat abatement strategies and how to know if they're working.

Dr. Jennifer Van Os joins us to talk about dairy cow welfare as it relates to heat stress with specific focus on the limitations of using the temperature humidity index (THI) to assess individual cow responses. Understanding thermal comfort and how cows respond individually to heat stress allows us to intervene and better manage our cow cooling strategies.

Dr. Cook takes a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the days when herds were moving out of tiestall facilities and into freestall barns and expanding herd size. As herds got larger, mature cows didn't perform as well as relative to the heifers. But why? Poor cow comfort was holding these herds back so Dr. Cook got into the remodeling business. Hear how to remodel barns so that cow comfort doesn't hold back milk production.

Do cows need to live for five lactations? It's a question being asked around the world. We look for answers to that question by exploring current trends in cow longevity and turnover rates, and discuss the impact of breeding and management decisions on culling strategies.

It's time to give heifers their time in the spotlight! We cover all aspects of heifer facility design from stalls, bedded packs, flooring, feedbunks, and ventilation. You don't want to miss this episode if you're looking to build new facilities for your replacement heifers.

Farmers are noticing reverse corkscrew claw syndrome in their heifer populations. What causes it and how can we prevent it? We answer those questions and more with the help of a case study to solve a new twist on an old lesion.