Keeping your dairy cows happy pays off in the long run

Keeping your cows happy reduces your farm expenses, says cow behaviour expert Darold Klindworth.

Klindworth is a scientist from the Department of Primary Industries in Ellinbank, Australia, and is in New Zealand sharing his expertise at the Dairynz Farmers’ Forum in the Waikato.

Farmers can make a real impact on their farm’s bottom line by making a few changes to the milking process, he said.

‘‘When a cow is stressed, it can lead to lower milk yields, increased milking time and higher animal health costs. Plus, if your cows are stressed and acting out, that often creates stress for staff as well.

‘‘While many cows demonstrate outward signs of stress, some cows do not. That’s why it pays to learn a bit about how cows are naturally hard-wired to react to certain stimuli around them. That way, you can create a better milking experience for the animals and farm staff.’’

Klindworth ran a Thinking Like a Cow workshop at the forum at Hamilton’s Mystery Creek Events Cen- tre. The workshop provided information about what causes cow stress, how to identify signs of stress and changes to get the best behaviour out of the herd.

‘‘In the wild, dairy cows’ survival depended on their response to activities around them. For instance, their natural response to a sudden movement or noise is to flee.

‘‘So if a farmer suddenly flaps his arms and shouts, cows will get agitated and flighty rather than choose to walk calmly into the milking shed.’’

Klindworth said research shows that, if a cow is stressed, the increased adrenalin in her system can adversely affect milk let-down times by as much as 30 minutes.

‘‘So, if we can eliminate activities such as forcibly pushing cows into the shed, for instance, we can speed up milking times significantly.’’

Decreasing cow stress can also have a significant impact on animal wellness, he said.

‘‘Stress is one of the many factors that can increase a cow’s probability of being infected with mastitis.

‘‘Additionally, stressful trips down the race or anxiety due to crowding inside the yard can contribute to lameness.

‘‘In the end, happy cows can lead to a decrease in farm working expenses and increased profitability.’’

Klindworth has been heavily involved in Australia’s ‘Cowtime’ programme. This programme helps dairy farmers improve their milk harvesting processes by showing them how to spend less time in the dairy shed, save money on labour and decide on improvements that are right for their circumstances.