The approach to improve animal performance by managing the cows physiological needs is called “the inside-outside approach” which is in contrast to the classical “outside-inside approach” (Brand and Peeters, 2008). When applied in daily practice, the inside-outside approach is a holistic approach at the dairy farm integrating all external factors that influence the internal body management of the cow. Therefore, this approach requires an in depth knowledge of anatomy, physiology and metabolism of the dairy cow. The inside-outside approach acknowledges that the internal body management of the cow comprises a multi-system network of integrated metabolic pathways at tissue, organ, cellular, and sub-cellular level. The outcome of the cows internal body management is her performance (production, reproduction, growth, health and resilience).
In the near future, veterinary work will shift more and more from the curative approach to the preventive approach; from curing cows to preventing cows from becoming diseased. Preventive veterinary work will merely be based on advisory (consultancy) work. When this advisory work is based on the inside-outside approach cows will have an optimal performance, remain healthy, and therefore will not be in need for the use of (antibiotic) treatment. Also this indirectly will improve the economic results of the dairy farmer, and it supports the high demands of the dairy industry to produce milk in such a secure and sustainable way. Moreover, most public demands on animal welfare in the dairy industry can be fulfilled easily in this way.
It is the mission of VEERkracht to provide the inside-outside knowledge to veterinarians and other consultants in the dairy industry by bringing the newest science to practice in post doc education. Our core business is to facilitate knowledge transfer to the members of the cooperative by organising study sessions each semester. Scientists and highly specialized consultants are invited to share their knowledge with our members. Which they in turn will pass on in workshops and practical training sessions to non-member dairy vets and farmers as final users.
In addition, VEERkracht aims to be a source of knowledge and advise for other players in the field of dairy production. This has resulted in the presence of VEERkracht members in several committees and the implementation by a large number of Dutch dairy companies of the risk-assessment tool “Cow-Compass” as a tool for quality control at dairy farms.