How to use herd data to create effective change on farm

We have access to more herd data than ever, but how can we ensure we are using these data effectively to improve the areas that are important to us?

The main objective should be to identify changes that will improve health and productivity, not just recording for the sake of it.

See also: Data collection for dairy herds: What to consider

What is important to you and your team?

• Are you measuring and interpreting the data that aligns with your farm goals?
• Prioritise – it is better to improve in one area than give up because you are trying to do too many things at once.
• Communicate with the team the purpose behind recording those particular data and how they can help reach the farm’s goals.

How can you make sure the data get recorded, analysed, discussed and acted upon?

Different things work for different people. Suggestions include:

• Turning the data into action by creating an action plan, ideally written somewhere that it will be viewed regularly such as on a whiteboard (whiteboard pens also work on windows), or on paper on the wall or door. These methods of visual reminders can also be used to collect data.
• Scheduling time in your calendar to regularly record, input and review data analysis.
• Creating routines that make it simple: pick a day of the week that the task will get done, or stack the new task onto an existing habit – for example, recording the body condition score of the cow when noting her calving date in the computer.
• Putting reminders in your phone to pop up – these can be recurring.
• Asking someone else to hold you accountable.
• Taking photos and sending the data to an agreed staff member or creating a WhatsApp group to keep photos of collected data together for inputting later. Take a photo as a record before starting on next month.

What data are needed for metabolic disease treatment and prevention?

Record what is happening on farm: disease or treatment data, body condition scoring, rumen fill scoring, dry matter intakes, sole bruising/sole ulcers, milk yields.

Also sampling results: milk recording, blood test results (ketones on farm, further energy/protein assessment bloods) and urine testing.

Knowing whether diseases are increasing or decreasing is useful, so calculate as a percentage of cows calved each month, or create a graph – some on-farm/vet software will do this.

Identify whether diseases or concerning samples are resulting after a change in management; this can be useful to make further changes, and keep you and the team motivated to continue a particular protocol.

If disease recording has been sporadic, you can get an estimate of whether diseases are worse at particular times (for instance, associated with turnout, weather, diet, higher dry cow stocking densities) by looking at treatments given or purchase records by month.

You and your vet could agree a level where a certain number of treatments used in a month triggers a discussion to create an action plan.

This could be recorded as a tally on a whiteboard or phone.

How to monitor body condition score

Body condition loss during the dry period and excessive loss in early lactation are associated with reduced milk yields and fertility.

Recording a proportion of the cows (those cows seen at the routine vet visit plus the dry cows) helps identify important herd trends.

If you can record score data into farm software to be imported into vet data analysis programmes, your vet can interpret this data in a quick, effective way.

Why should you get together with t[he wider team to discuss data analysis?

Meetings (in person, remotely or a mix) can be a productive way to find links between what is being noticed on farm and what is recorded in the data.

For example, has a different team member noticed that colostrum quality is poorer? Has the foot-trimmer been picking up more sole bruising than usual for your farm?

Colostrum quality and quantity are linked to cows’ transition nutrition, and weight loss leads to a reduction in the size of the fat pad that sits under the pedal bone in the foot, which can result in increased sole bruising.

Make the most of meetings by ensuring you create an action plan that the whole team is on board with.

Delegate tasks with a due date and review these at the start of the next meeting.

By implementing some of these strategies you can stop just recording and, instead, start creating change.-