As I was bottle-feeding two calves, I had one standing perpendicular between me and the two I was feeding. Then another that kept trying to bite my right arm and side while a fifth calf was watching closely on my left side. Needless to say, calves are social creatures.
These social tendencies stick with the animals even as they mature. In the article "Large farms must overcome learning curve in milking with robots," Jack Rodenburg talks about how he is cautious about designing barns that require pen moves between 20 and 150 days in milk because it can be too disruptive to the cows’ social needs.
The social standing of cows in groups is even more apparent in a robotic milking environment, and eliminating the number of times a pecking order needs to be established helps keep the cows calm and productive.
Beyond the cows, farms are social environments. In fact, the positive attitude of dairy farmers towards milk quality has been shown to impact bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC), as explained in the article "Positive attitudes can yield positive reults on milk quality." The more the members of the farm team socially accept mastitis management practices, the lower the farm’s SCC.
People are social, too. Even the farmer who chose the profession so he or she could deal with animals instead of people all day still appreciates a little social interaction from time to time.
Farms that have grown to incorporate more than one individual might benefit from reading the article on page 16 about team building. It explains that with clear roles and effective communication, farm team members are better able to interact and work together.
If you are a member of a farm team yet don’t feel like your opinion matters, I encourage you to look at Elaine Froese’s article "Have your voice heard at the decision-making table." She particularly focuses on non-family employees and how they can create a voice for themselves in decision-making, but it is a good read for every team member to improve the social environment on the farm.
For an interesting story on how the dairy industry and many others across Canada came together to improve societies during World War II, read the interview with two individuals from Kin Canada in article "3 open minutes with Nadyne Esson and Sarah Welton of Kin Canada."
They recently released a documentary on the Milk For Britain campaign that united two countries during wartime, put smiles on children’s faces and served as the backbone for Kin Canada’s many service projects that have taken place since then.
The feats that were accomplished and the people brought together at a time when communication was much more difficult than it is today is nothing but remarkable.
We are now fortunate to live in a digital era, where communication across provinces, borders and oceans is much easier. At Progressive Dairyman, we are always working on ways to engage our readership.
I hope those of you that subscribe to our Extra enewsletter are enjoying the additional content you receive each month in your inbox. For those who have yet to subscribe, just follow the steps at the bottom of the previous page.
I also strongly encourage you to find and follow our new Canada-specific social media channels. Like us at Progressive Dairyman-Canada Facebook and follow us at Twitter Pro Dairyman-Canada to keep up with articles, news and other great content we are able to share with you.
As these items come up on your news feed and you feel they are share-worthy, please feel free to pass it along to your social network.
If you prefer the old-fashioned face-to-face interaction, get out and visit with your fellow farmers at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Sept. 13-15 in Woodstock, Ontario. While you’re there, stop by and see us at the EastGen Dairy Producers Pavilion. We’d love to take a minute to socialize with you! 
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Karen Lee
- Editor
- Progressive Dairyman
- Email Karen Lee
