Got milk? Cow expert speaks to pre-vet students

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Got milk? Cow expert speaks to pre-vet students
Veterinarian Gordie Jones shared ABCs of dairy farming with pre-vet students, Oct. 12.
Abigail Engel | Courtesy

 

When veterinarian and dairy herd performance specialist Gordie Jones consults for a new dairy farm, he said he focuses on the ABCs of dairy farming: air, bunking, and comfort.

Jones shared nearly 40 years of experience as a veterinarian and dairy consultant with students Oct. 12 in Strosacker Science Center.

Although Jones started as a veterinarian, he said he grew tired of his work and transitioned to consulting for dairy farms before eventually founding and managing his own dairy farm.

“The problem with being a dairy vet is that we want to fix cows,” Jones said. “So my best day was a dairyman’s worst day, and that was a terrible relationship. I was excited they had surgeries to do because I got to do the surgeries.”

After transitioning to his consulting role, Jones said he was able to focus on adjusting dairy facilities and protocol to maximize milk production. He has traveled to more 38 countries to help improve dairy farms’ productivity.

“Milk is the absence of stress,” Jones said. “If I make a cow’s life stress-free and she eats one more bite of rations and goes to bed one more hour, I get more milk. My job is to be a counselor for cows — get them fresh air, a good bed, and remove stress.”

Jones said understanding how cows survived before the early Mesopotamian farmers first domesticated them is key to increasing overall milk production.

For example, cows feed in groups and are most active at dusk and dawn, just after the tigers finished hunting for the night and before the humans began hunting for the day. Consequently, dairy farmers should make plenty of food available at peak eating times in order to improve milk production. Likewise, comfortable, well-ventilated stalls help prevent disease and encourage the cows to spend extra time resting — another factor Jones said would improve milk production.

While these principles sound simple, Jones said he analyzes farm routines and the cows’ daily, yearly, and biyearly routines for ways to reduce stress and improve conditions.

“He’s obviously a big-time consultant, but he made the concepts really accessible,” sophomore Sienna Clement, a member of the Pre-Veterinary club, said. “It was inspiring to see how much he enjoys his work.”

Given the important role of cows in early farming and their continued role in providing protein and power, Jones said humans owe cows an amazing debt. Senior Devin Ward said the talk helped her learn more about dairy herds and the importance of understanding where food comes from.

“Some people really don’t understand where their food comes from at all,” Ward said. “I had no idea how productive cows are. I love cows, but I didn’t realize they made so much milk.”