When you think about where your milk, cheese, and yogurt come from, you might picture green pastures and grazing cows, but where is the dairy farmer in your vision? Behind every dairy product and the cows that produce them is a farmer working tirelessly to ensure their cows are healthy, safe, and comfortable. Cow comfort is not just a feel-good concept on today’s dairy farms. Cow comfort is a vital part of good animal care and sustainable farming. Comfortable cows produce more milk, so not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes financial sense for the dairy farm family to keep on farming.

Across the Southeast, dairy farmers are investing in modern facilities and technology to support their cows’ well-being. Cow comfort is housing cows in spacious bedded pack barns, equipping them with activity-tracking collars to monitor health and behavior, or installing rubber mattresses that provide a soft place to rest, and dairy farmers are going the extra mile. These innovations not only reflect a deep respect for the animals they care for, but also help cows stay healthier and produce more milk. In short, what’s good for the cow is good for the farm.

We’re highlighting four Southeast dairy farms where dairy farmers are using creative and compassionate approaches to make cow comfort a top priority. From daily routines to barn design, you’ll hear directly from the farmers about the choices they make to keep their cows content and how those choices shape the future of their farms and the quality of the milk they produce.

Chambers Dairy

Macon, Georgia

Chambers Dairy in Macon, Georgia, prioritizes cow comfort for cows and calves at every age.

“We use what we call ‘the buddy system’ where we keep calves in similar age groups together. This encourages them to eat, drink, and stay more active during their first stage of life. When they mature and become a part of the milking herd, they are kept cool and comfortable in freestall barns by using fans, misters, waterbeds, and always have access to food and fresh water.

“We also work with a nutritionist who helps us formulate a balanced diet for all the cows. This helps ensure that every animal gets the exact nutrients they need to stay healthy in each stage of life!”

Tri-Springs Jersey Farm

Cottage Grove, Tennessee

Tri-Springs Jersey Farm in Cottage Grove, Tennessee, is a great example of how dairy farmers are adopting technology to practice preventative care on their farms and provide the highest level of cow comfort.

Farmer Will Moss shares, “We were able to install activity collars (think a Fitbit for cows) on all the milk cows 3 years ago, and it has been a real game changer for our operation.”

“We are able to gather activity, rumination, and daily milk weights with them. We also use them to find sick cows before they show physical signs of being sick, using the collars to track a drop in rumination. Additionally, they help to monitor cows that have recently calved.”

Catawba View Dairy

Fincastle, Virginia

Catawba View Dairy in Fincastle, Virginia, prioritizes cow comfort through the type of housing they installed for their cows.

Kim Martin shares how they have two different types of housing systems, meeting the needs of multiple groups of cows on their farm:

“Here at Catawba View Dairy, the health and comfort of our cow herd is one of our top priorities. We know that a comfortable cow is a productive cow and that’s why we place a lot of emphasis on laying areas in our barns. We currently have both a free stall, and bed pack barns for cow housing. Our bed pack barn is tilled with a rotary tiller twice daily and bedded as needed. This daily routine helps the pack stay dry and soft for the cows. This is especially helpful for cows that are having issues walking or older cows. The free stalls have rubber mattresses installed and bedded with sawdust. These cows also rest very comfortably; the laying arrangement of the stalls allows us to have more capacity without sacrificing cow comfort.”

Hickory Hill Milk

Edgefield, South Carolina

Cow’s getting a massage? Say less. Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina shares just how much their cows enjoy getting pampered:

“Our herd loves their Delaval cow brushes. Not only do the brushes ‘get the itch they need scratched,’ the brushes massage their bodies while improving the herd’s coat by removing debris and assist in grooming (removing shedding hair), which allows the cows to more effectively cool their bodies.”