A Practical Approach to Herd Health at Prins Dairy

Simon Prins, herd manager at Prins Dairy LLC in Southern Washington, has been working with AHV since October 2022. Operating an open-lot dairy, Simon faces the everyday challenges many dairy farmers know well: fresh cow health, mastitis, pneumonia, and keeping cows on feed. His decision to start using AHV was driven by a clear goal—reduce the need for tubes and injections while improving overall cow health.

At Prins Dairy, AHV protocols are now a routine part of daily management. For fresh cows and heifers, Simon uses Metri and Milk Start immediately after calving. Cows are placed in the hospital pen, and instead of flushing, he relies on these products to support recovery. According to Simon, within two to three days cows are back on track, eliminating the need for flushing altogether.

Seeing Results Without Tubes

One of the biggest changes Simon has noticed is in his protocol for udder issues. Rather than solely relying on tubes, he now uses Aspi, Quick, and Extra, depending on severity, mainly of cell count. When the health monitor systems show a sick cow alert, he adds Extra, and if cows are on low rumination of flagged by the system as a sick cow, he drenches them with a Booster.

“The Booster really helps,” Simon explains. “When cows have mastitis, they dip and don’t eat as much. You give them a Booster, get water through their system, and they start right back up.”

Simon has seen udder health cases resolve within one to two days, allowing cows to return to the pen faster. For cows that don’t respond, decisions can be made quickly without waiting through long withdrawal periods. He’s also applying similar protocols for immunity issues, a common theme in open-lot dairies. Early detection followed by Aspi Quick—or Aspi Quick combined with Extra and Booster—has proven effective in getting cows back on feed.

Fewer Sick Cows and Stronger Fresh Cow Performance

Since consistently using AHV, Simon has noticed a clear shift in herd performance. There are fewer off-feed cows, and fresh cow problems have decreased significantly. “Once we started doing it more and kept up on everything, we just had a lot less issues,” he says.

He also appreciates the simplicity of oral products. “Sometimes cows do better on pills than shots because it goes throughout their whole system,” Simon explains. For him, this means easier treatments, less stress on cows, and more flexibility if a cow’s condition worsens.

What Simon Tells Other Farmers About AHV

When asked what he would tell a neighbor considering AHV, Simon is straightforward: “For our herd, it works great.” He highlights improvements in fresh cow health, mastitis recovery, and pneumonia management—all while reducing the need for tubes and injections.

With measurable improvements in cow health and day-to-day efficiency, AHV has become a core part of Prins Dairy’s management strategy. For Simon Prins, it’s not about changing everything—it’s about using the right tools to keep cows healthy, eating, and productive.

PRODUCTS USED BY SIMON: