The Dairyland Initiative Podcast

Almost every calf barn in the Midwest has a positive pressure tube ventilation system (PPTV) installed, but what is it and how does it function? We cover the primary principles of choosing a fan, picking a tube, and positioning the holes so that a known quantity of air is delivered to the calf pen without creating a draft in the winter.

You installed a ventilation system, now what? How do you know if your ventilation/heat abatement system is up to par? We outline how to measure air speeds in stalls, what observations to make in the barn, and how to measure cow respiration rate.

There is no one perfect ventilation design that can be used universally given the wide variety of dairy barns and climates, but there are key criteria that need to be met when designing ventilation systems for adult dairy cows. We discuss how heat stress affects cows, the 6 common ventilation systems, and the 4 criteria for effective ventilation design.

There are various ways to ventilate a calf barn (natural, cross, tunnel, or neutral pressure ventilation systems), with natural ventilation supplemented with positive pressure tubes (PPTV) being the most common way. We go through the elements of naturally ventilated barns such as sidewall heights, ridge openings, and curtain management, and discuss how PPTV systems became of interest.

In this episode, we discuss what design elements every calf barn should have no matter how calves are raised. Stocking density, resting space, nesting scores, drainage, and ventilation are all part of the equation for ensuring that calves have a comfortable, dry place to rest and thrive.

Deep loose bedded sand stalls are best for cow comfort because we see fewer lame cows, fewer hock and knee injuries, and higher producing cows who stay in the herd longer. While there are many benefits to sand, there are also some challenges when it comes to manure handling and bedding management. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of sand and how to manage it in a freestall system.

What is "cow comfort" and how do we optimize rest in dairy cows? Building off of some of the first studies on lying time behavior, we discuss what we learned from watching hours of footage of freestall-housed cows and how that research has led to our design and management recommendations for allowing cows to achieve adequate rest.

From hutches to calf barns, there's no one way to house a nursing calf. We cover how hutches became the "gold standard" and the transition to indoor calf housing, which has its own benefits and limitations in regards to social housing and ventilation.

Why do we house dairy cows inside? Shouldn't they be outside grazing? Dr. Nigel Cook explains the reasons behind why we house cows indoors and when grazing is a viable option while Courtney Halbach plays the role of the consumer.

In the first episode of The Dairyland Initiative Podcast, we discuss the important role cows play in the sustainability discussion, and how the way we house cows can improve the sustainability of the dairy industry.