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.

How do you know which stall divider loop to purchase? In this episode, we discuss the design and functionality of various types of loops on the market, the pros and cons of each, and the importance of picking a loop that optimizes the cow's ability to rest without the risk of injury.

The freestall divider defines the lateral limits of the resting space, facilitates the lying direction of the cow, permits or prevents side lunge, and determines the height of the neck rail. Dr. Nigel Cook and Courtney Halbach talk about what makes a good stall divider loop.

We welcome our first guest, Dr. Terri Ollivett, to talk about troubleshooting respiratory disease in young dairy calves where she says characterizing the condition is crucial. We can do this by paying attention to who is getting sick, who is dying, and what the clinical and subclinical signs are. Then we can investigate the risk factors ranging from comorbidities, management decisions, and the environment.

We continue our discussion about stall design by talking about brisket locators and neck rails for positioning cows when lying and standing in the stall. While the brisket locator defines the front of the resting space, the neck rail positions the cow in the stall when she is standing. Hear about how to place these key stall components correctly in this episode.

We're diving in to the components of freestall design by kicking off with a focus on facilitating a cow's natural rising and lying movements. One goal of freestall design is to allow the cow to rise and lie down as naturally as possible without obstruction to the lunge and bob of the head or the forward stride of her forelimb. We discuss how stall length, width, and mounting systems influence how a cow can lunge and bob.

What's the ideal footbath and how do you implement footbathing on farm to control for digital dermatitis and foot rot? We cover the research that has shaped current best practices and discuss footbath placement in robotic milking herds.