Cow Care
At McCarty Family Farms, the cows come first! We work to provide each cow with the best care, the most comfortable environment, and a well-balanced diet, specially formulated to meet their needs.
Excellent Nutrition
Excellent nutrition is an essential part of maintaining healthy cows. On our farms, fresh water and feed are always available. In fact, dairy nutritionists create specially formulated diets to meet the nutritional needs of our cows. Milk from our farms is Non-GMO Project Verified, which means we can only use non-GMO ingredients. We mix alfalfa hay, corn silage, soybean meal, vitamins, minerals, and other high-quality ingredients to create a nutritious blend for our cows. The mix is then chopped to ensure every bite is perfectly balanced.
Comfortable Housing
Our cows live in freestall barns, specifically designed to create and maintain a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. From proper ventilation to soft sand bedding and slip resistant flooring, we've worked with dairy science experts to build and equip our barns from top to bottom with science-backed technologies to ensure our cows are happy and comfortable. Read More >>
Predictable Milking Routine
Dairy cows are creatures of habit, thriving with a predictable and comfortable milking routine. While our cows only spend approximately 10 minutes in the milking parlor three times a day, we aim to provide a calm and relaxing milking environment. Our parlors are equipped with smart fans and rubber flooring for added comfort, while the dedicated milking team carefully preps each cow before putting the milking unit into place. Once the milk flow decreases, the milking unit automatically releases to ensure we never over milk or cause any potential stress to our cows.
Real-Time Health Tracking
Our highly trained animal health team utilizes a variety of tools and technologies that help to accurately record and monitor the health of each cow. Ear tags, EID buttons and activity trackers all work together to aid our care. For example, if a cow is due for a wellness check, vaccine or hoof trim, she's automatically directed to the care team after leaving the milking parlor. In addition to supporting preventative care, our milking system and activity trackers also help detect irregularities in a cow's activity level or milk production which could be early signs of an ailment.
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Judicious Medical Attention
The well-being of our cows is a top priority. We work diligently to prevent potential illnesses through proper care, excellent nutrition, and vaccination programs. However, just like people, cows can get sick. When a cow needs extra attention, she is moved to a hospital pen, where she receives individualized therapeutic care from our animal health team and/or veterinarian. If treatment involves antibiotics, the proper medication is administered judiciously and that milk is disposed of until withholding times are met. In addition to our own safety tests, all milk is tested again at the processing plant to ensure no antibiotic residue enters the milk supply.
Learn more about McCarty Family Farms and our work with Where Food Comes From
Verifying Our Care
We collaborate with animal health and nutrition experts to ensure our cows have everything they need from balanced, nutritious diets, to high-quality veterinarian care. Additionally, we partner with third-party experts to verify our farming and business practices because producing safe, high quality milk in a socially and environmentally responsible way is essential to us. We proudly hold some of the most stringent certifications available to dairy farmers, which not only validates our efforts but also helps us continually identify opportunities for improvement.
