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.

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.