Based on my last 14 years studying cow behavior, three specific areas rise to the top of my list for improving cow comfort. If these three tips are addressed on your farm, your cows are or will be rewarding you with fewer cases of disease and an increase in milk production.

The six freedoms of a cow outlined by a dairy farming training organization are space, rest, water, air, light and feed. These freedoms have aligned benchmarking goals to help producers realize higher returns on current and future farm investments.

Small tweaks to facilities can get a dairy operating at its full potential, with cow well-being and comfort at the forefront. However, there are some common bottlenecks that can interfere with achieving success.