What are the 6 freedoms of a cow?

“Focusing on the six freedoms of a cow proves to be beneficial for increasing your dairy’s return on investment (ROI). 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.”

“In the U.S., a dairy cow on average stays in the herd for 2.8 lactations. This means many cows are culled before they reach their highest and most productive lactation, typically achieved during the fifth or sixth lactation. Reasons for culling include reproduction, mobility and illness. Also bringing down the average is a longer-term trend for promoting genetic superiority, which involved incorporating younger animals into herds faster. Slowing this trend down are higher rearing costs for replacements and economics.”

Read the full article by Amelie Mainville with Progressive Dairy