THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY FOR MANAGING ROBOTIC-MILKED TRANSITION COWS
- john28855
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the title of a 1966 Clint Eastwood western. I must admit that I have never seen the film. The title is cliché, and it came to mind after some recent conversations about managing the transition period for robotic-milked cows. We have the good – the industry standards for transition management relating to stocking density, feed availability, pen moves, cooling, and body condition. We have the bad – real life limitations like existing buildings, seasonal demands on labor, forage harvesting challenges, and inconsistent calving patterns, which make it difficult to achieve the good. We have the ugly – DA’s, ketosis, infertility, mastitis, low peak yield, and general unthriftiness – when attempts to resolve the difference between the good and the bad are unsuccessful. It all comes down to working towards the good, minimizing the bad, and preventing the ugly.
