Our ability to keep good records (now data) varies tremendously – sometimes a fair bit from one day to the next.

How often has the calving book been lost or accidentally destroyed by the calf being warmed in the feeding pickup? Or when has information failed to be recorded toward the end of the calving season because our attention turns to other matters that time of year?

A well-prepared calving area with proper equipment that emphasizes safety and accessibility, ensuring proper cattle nutrition and having a solid emergency plan with detailed records to fall back on will serve you well.

Calving season is an ongoing process that can occur over a few months, rather than a single short-term event like pregnancy checking or weaning. Recording calving records provide great benefits and opportunities to collect data and details that can then be used to evaluate and rank cows in the herd.

“Big data,” a term that can be defined as enormous amounts and various types of data that can be used to analyze patterns, trends and associations, has allowed researchers to better understand how dairy cow health, growth and milk production have changed over time.

Cattle producers face a list of virtually unending challenges, tasks and responsibilities, and when tackled without the aid of a bovine veterinarian, they can become overwhelming in both size and intensity.

In order to stay abreast – or surpass – your competition, you need to effectively manage data to continue to make the most of your resources.

To capture the full potential of genetics, facilities, feed and precision technology, dairies need to establish and maintain a strong culture of goal-driven management and human accountability.