Animal welfare on dairy farms is critical and depends heavily on comfort assessments. In other words, taking good care of dairy cows means providing them with living conditions that are comfortable and where they are not subjected to unnecessary stress or discomfort. That is why comfort assessments are key: through them, we can identify areas where the environment of the cows can be improved and made more comfortable, which improves their health and productivity. In this episode, Lindsay Ferlito talks about cow comfort and lameness, and the crucial role of ensuring that cows are treated ethically and adequately. Besides discussing comfort assessments on dairy farms, she also talks about calf barn ventilation and design.

“Lameness is one of the most obvious welfare concerns on a dairy farm.” - Lindsay Ferlito

What you’ll learn:

Highlight (00:00)
Introduction (01:20)
COWS programs and herd assessments all over the US (3:52)
FARM animal care program (6:06)
Overcrowding cows and its effects on their performance (12:13)
The issue of lameness in the US dairy industry (15:38)
Successful approaches to reducing lameness (20:24)
Calf facility design (22:07)
Final questions (28:38)

Meet the guest: Lindsay Ferlito

Experience:

Current: Regional Dairy Specialist at Cornell University.
Past: COWS Program Manager at Novus International, Inc.; Mobile Dairy Classroom Facilitator at BC Dairy Foundation; Research Assistant at Animal Welfare Program @ UBC.

Background:

B.S., Animal Science (The University of British Columbia);
M.S., Dairy Cattle Behavior and Well-being (The University of British Columbia).

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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Lindsay Ferlito: Animal Welfare in Dairy | Ep. 15