Long‑term cow health, fewer antibiotic treatments, and better lifetime production—that’s the goal driving Henry Yoder’s dairy operation. As a manager overseeing two Holstein dairies milking 1,100 cows, Henry isn’t interested in short‑term gains. He’s building a herd designed to perform for 10 years or more, and AHV plays a key role in getting there.

“We’re not here to milk a cow for three years. We want long‑term cows that are going to be here for 10 years.”

A Long‑Term Vision for Dairy Success

Henry’s long‑term vision is clear: cows that stay productive deep into later lactations. His benchmark is ambitious—300,000 pounds of milk over a cow’s lifetime, with 20% of the herd reaching fifth lactation or greater.

Today, the herd is trending upward, with around 10–12% already achieving that mark. Every management decision on the farm is guided by one principle:

“Everything we do on this farm, we want to be better than industry standards.”

Leveraging Technology for Smarter Cow Health Decisions

Managing cow health at scale requires accurate, real‑time data. That’s why Henry integrates smaXtec monitoring technology with AHV’s non‑antibiotic solutions.

As a manager, Henry tracks:

• Cow health and activity
• Early disease indicators
• Mortality and treatment rates
• Mastitis risk before clinical signs appear

“smaXtec plays a big factor in that. AHV plays a big factor in that.”

Together, smaXtec and AHV allow Henry to act earlier, often 24 hours before milkers would normally detect mastitis.

Staying Ahead of Mastitis—Before Milk Leaves the Tank

Early detection is where the AHV system truly shines. When smaXtec flags a cow at risk for mastitis, Henry immediately responds with AHV Quick and AHV Aspi.

“Normally it is 24 hours after I give that pill before the milkers will notify me that they have mastitis.”

By intervening early:

• Cows recover faster
• Milk often never leaves the tank
• Antibiotic treatments are avoided or significantly reduced

This proactive approach has fundamentally changed their mastitis protocol. “We are ahead of the curve.”

Cutting Mastitis Treatments by 50–75%

Since implementing AHV alongside smaXtec, Henry has seen a 50–75% reduction in mastitis treatments.

“All of a sudden they were treating these cows for two to three days and back in the tank.”

Eventually, the farm adjusted protocols further—waiting two to three days after AHV treatment before resorting to antibiotics. The result?

“After that, all of a sudden, we hardly had any treated cows.”

Dramatically Fewer Cows Out of the Tank

Reducing discarded milk has delivered major financial and operational benefits across both farms.

Before AHV + smaXtec:

• 10–12 cows out of the tank on average

After implementation:

• 5–6 cows out of the tank
• On the second farm: just 1.5 cows out of 570, averaged over three months

“Now we hardly have any milk that goes down the drain.”

This improvement is especially important because the farm feeds calves whole milk, making high‑quality, low‑SCC milk essential.

Lower Somatic Cell Counts Without Sand Bedding

Despite using sawdust bedding instead of sand, the herd has achieved impressive somatic cell count (SCC) results:

• Two consecutive months under 100,000 SCC
• Daily goal: under 150,000
• Target average: under 120,000

“It’s not like we are a sand barn… everything goes hand in hand.”

Clean stalls, proper prep by milkers, and early AHV intervention all contribute to these results.

Fewer Antibiotics, Less Resistance, Better Longevity

Henry is also focused on reducing antibiotic resistance and repeat mastitis cases.

“If you use a certain drug for years and years, they’ve got to build some resistance to it.”

With AHV:

• Most cows receive AHV Aspi and Quick first
• Far fewer cows require repeated antibiotic treatments
• Very few cows now need antibiotics twice in a lactation

A System That Supports Long‑Term Herd Goals

Because cows are not segregated into a sick pen, minimizing treatments also reduces:

• Risk of residue errors
• Labor complexity
• Stress on cows and employees

“Anytime we don’t have to treat a cow and put red bands on it, it is a positive thing.”

A Message for Other Dairy Producers

Henry doesn’t hesitate to recommend AHV to others—especially when they’re on the fence.

“When people hear you don’t have to treat as many cows, that is a good selling point.”

Reducing antibiotic use by 50–75%, keeping milk in the tank, and extending cow longevity speaks for itself.

The Bottom Line

For Henry Yoder, AHV isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about building a healthier, longer‑lasting herd.

“The sooner we get these cows under control, the more of a chance I have to get that cow to the next lactation.”

With AHV and smaXtec working together, that long‑term vision is becoming reality—one cow, one lactation, and one smart decision at a time.

producten USED BY HENRY: