Cow Comfort

Mr. Fokko H. TolsmaDairy Management Consultant – CRV

October 22, 2010

Avari Hotel Lahore

Cow Comfort

g Housing

g Cooling

g Feeding & Watering

g Hygiene & Health Careg Hygiene & Health Care

Housing

g Shed direction

g Airflow

g Stall type

g Flooringg Flooring

g Facilitate Water intake

g Facilitate Feed intake

g Cooling equipment

Total surface of the animalHeat production and humidity

Surface, heat production and humidity

Animal Weight Milkproduction/day Surface of Heat ProductionAnimal Weight Milkproduction/day Surface of Heat Production

the body production gr H2O hour

Calf 45 500 grammes/day 0,92 110 40 - 100

Cow 500 10 kg day 5,67 800 250-700

Cow 500 30 kg day 5,67 1150 300-750

Good ventilation important

g Optimum barn temperature 10ºC

g Temperature inside and outside must be nearly the same (max 5ºC) ---> (no draft !!)

g For removal of harmful gasesg For removal of harmful gases

4 carbon dioxide and ammonia

4 cow exhales 12 ltr water vapour

g Air inlet

4 should be at least 150% of size of

air outlet opening

g Air outlet

Cow comfort important Imitating the movements in the meadow is important

g Stature of the cow Box measure

g Dutch cow till now 1,10 - 115 cm wide

(680 kg) (norm 1999)

1.22 cm (norm 2006)

g 140 - 150 cm ( 740 kg) 1,19 - 1,27 cm wide

g > 150 cm > 127 cm

Sleeping comfort important

g Cow is laying down 14 hrs/day

g Cow goes 9 till 11 times into box

g Ruminating 5 - 9 hours

g When cow is laying down > bloodstream

g Laying down 1 hour extra ------> 1 kg more milk Laying down 1 hour extra ------> 1 kg more milk

g Experience in Holland

g Good cow comfort: cow lays down 14 - 15 hrs

g Bad cow comfort “ “ 8 - 10 hrs

Length of the box Welfare norm

Length of box 2.75 m Knee beam till back beam : 1.96 m

Length Neckbeam till backside(back beam) 2.15 cm

g Norm Mr Wandel Germany:

g sRL x 1,11= ……+ 20 (headhole) + 75 + 10( back beam)

cm = ……….. cm

g How cow stands up:

g 1. Head of the cow goes in front in combination with knees

g 2. Behind legs goes up

g 3. Fore legs goes up

4 Cow start first with behind legs --> measure not good

Filling of a box

g 15-20 cm sand or sawdust in box: important

g cow lays down 13 - 14 hrs/day

g < 10 cm sand or sawdust 12 hrs /day

g Cow mattresses 13 - 14 hrs/day

Comfortable bedding important

g Boxes need soft, dry and hygienic bedding material4Chopped straw

4Saw dusth 0,5 - 1 kg

per cow dailyper cow daily

4Rubber matsh lifetime 10 years

4Bedding mattressesh Shredded rubber, 75 €

h Water 120 €

4Sandh about 3 kg/day

Stable with comfort

g More intake of dm ---> 1.5 - 3 KG MILK EXTRA

g Reducing of costs ----> 175 Euro/cow/year

Manure

EU rules Maximum urea in 2010 : 20

. Storage of manure !!

g Planning the manure disposal !!

4with strawh 10 kg straw/cow/day10 kg straw/cow/day

h cow alley behind feeding rack

– storage for manure

4with boxesh mechanical scraping system

– hoof problems /dirty

h slatted floors (interspaced 3 or 4 cm)

h concrete slip resistant top surface

Quality of floor

g Concrete : normal

g Soft floor better : step longer (80 cm)

g Rubber : + 1.5 kg dm intake

g Dry floor

Walking alley with rubber mat

g Price: 50 Euro m2

g Cow shows more heat

signssigns

Feeding rack

Feeding rack high enough?

Feeding alley + 15 cm?

Cooling

g Airflow & Shade

g Sprinklers and fans

g Misting and fans

g Controlled Environment Shedsg Controlled Environment Sheds

Fans and Sprinklers

g Fans placed in the barn (wind position?)

g Sprinklers right above the feeding table

g Soaking the herd 4 to 6 times per hour

g Constant fans

Sprinklers right above the feeding table

Soaking the herd 4 to 6 times per hour

Don’t forgetHydraulic hoofcare box

Feeding & Water

The basis for good milk production

Not for a maximum production but an optimal

production

Two groups of dry cows important

g DRY COW PERIOD IMPORTANT

g How long dry period?

4 group often forgotten

4 preparatory period for the next lactation

More milk with two groups g More milk with two groups ( old study of 1064 Dutch farmers)

One group Two groups

53% 47% (more concentrate)

+ 400 kg/milk next lactation

Fat + protein same

Feeding ration dry period (period 1)

Ration from Dairy Practical Training

Centre in Oenkerk, The Netherlands

F e e d K g K g D M F U M G d c p G c p C a P M g N a K

G r a s s s i l a g e 2 0 8 6 4 8 0 7 2 0 1 2 0 0 4 0 3 2 1 8 . 4 2 0 2 0 0

B a r l e y s t r a w 3 . 5 3 1 5 6 0 3 0 1 2 0 6 3 3 . 6 4 . 5 3 6

T o t a l e i n t a k e 1 1 8 0 4 0 7 5 0 1 3 2 0 4 6 3 5 2 2 2 4 . 5 2 3 6T o t a l e i n t a k e 1 1 8 0 4 0 7 5 0 1 3 2 0 4 6 3 5 2 2 2 4 . 5 2 3 6

R e q u i r e m e n t 8 0 0 0 8 0 0 1 3 2 0 3 5 3 0 2 5 1 0 3 5

A n a l y s e s o f r o u g h a g e

% D M F U M G d c p G c p S u g a r C a P M g N a K

G r a s s s i l a g e 4 0 8 1 0 9 0 1 5 0 6 0 5 4 2 . 3 2 . 5 2 5

B a r l e y s t r a w 8 5 5 2 0 1 0 4 0 2 1 1 . 2 1 . 5 1 2

Close-up Period g Close-up period important

4 2 - 3 weeks before calving

4 Negative energy balance mostly causes problems

h --> 15.8 kg

h --> 13.6 kg

14 kg dm intake

h --> 11.3 kg

h --> 9.0 kg

h --> 6,8 kg 7.0 kg dm intake

4 First milk yield increases energy demand

7 kg dm intake

15 20

Eastland Cash farm

Feeding method dry period

g Don’t keep close-up cows with the milking herd

g Too much protein or energy --> often mastitis!h Staphyloccus Aureus

g Feed well,1/3 part of roughage of the feed for fresh cows

4 3 weeks before calving 1 kg concentrates

4 2 weeks “ “ 2 “

4 1 week “ “ 3 “ ( 14 % crude protein)

4 Feed concentrate with degradable grain starch to produce

propionic acid --> develop rumen papilla

Fill Rumen important

Directly after calving warm water

(ab libitum) 38°C

Rumen of a cow

Warm water against displaced

abomasum

Feeding Period 1 g Most critical

period

g Fresh cows-->

4 no appetite

g Need Max

Dry Matter IntakeDry Matter Intake

4 Excellent roughage always first period

g First 2 -3 months after calving most critical period

4 Highest milk yield

4 Negative energy balance --> loss of body weight

4 Fresh cows a lot of metabolic problems

Feeding Period 1

g First 3 weeks after calving

g - More structure

g - Same feed like in close-up periodg - Same feed like in close-up period

g - Increase slowly concentrate

High producing cows IRAN

Good feeding method the basis

g High genetic potential cows -> need good nutrition

g Dry matter: Daily intake for a high producing cow is 4% of their live weighttheir live weight

g Cow 700 kg 4x7= 28kg dm

g Dm roughage: 1,8 - 2,5 kg dm per 100 kg live weight

Ration for high production (1)

Ration high producing cows 34 kg-milk Tanaail

g Maize silage 30,00 kg , 9,0 kg dm

g Hay alfa alfa 4,00 kg , 3,4 kg dm

g Soya cake 2,4 kg , 2,1 kg dm

g Barley 3,06 kg , 2,6 kg dm

g Maize 6,00 kg , 5,2 kg dm

g Salt 0,06 kg , 0,05 kg dm

g Calcium 0,12 kg , 0,11 kg dm

g Bicarbonate 0,048 kg , 0,043 kg dm

g Total 23,00 kg dm

Minerals and Vitamins

4 Minerals (50 - 100 gr/day)

4 Macro minerals

4 - Strengthening skeleton

4 - Need for vital functions

wSodium(Na),Chlorine(Cl),Cal

cium(Ca),Phosporus(P),Pota

ssium(K),Magnesium(Mg)

4 Vitamins

4 Vitamins in small amounts are essential for overall

health, maintenance of the body,structures,milkprod,

growth and reproduction

wVit A and D cannot be made

by the cow herself

januari 2001 10

and Sulfer(S)

4 Micro minerals

4 - Essential for cow’s health

w Iron(Fe),Copper(Cu), Cobalt

(Co),Manganese(Mn), Zinc

(Zn),Iodine(I), Molybdenum

(Mo) and Selenium(Se)

by the cow herself

4 Fat-soluble (A,D,E,K)

w for optimal functioning of

specific structures

4 Water-soluble (B,C)

wactivators of enzymes at a

biochemical level

Micro element Selenium

Needs of SE (mg/kg dm/day)

0.20

mg SE 0.18

kg/dm/day

0.160.16

0.14

0.12

0.10

dry period high prod low prod

Manure high producing cows Iran 2008

Ration high production (2)

Low Production ration + dry cow ration

Condition Score Important

Dry cows Gippsland Australia

Condition score cows

g Always 3 ribs !!

g Score: g Score:

g 1 2 3 4 5

BSC of two individual cows

Over conditioning cows gives a lot of problems (cow 145)

Displaced abomasum

g Cow loses too much body condition ( loses two points in 100 days)

g Retained placenta

g Fertility problems

4 Late ovulation

4 Cystic Ovariesg Fatty liver --> less heat activity --> 14 days later --> 1e heat 68 days

g Depressed production

4 Milk production will peak earlier

Foot Care ManagementMetabolic Disease

g Laminitis (40%)

g A disorder that occurs around calving4 - a bruckled toe

4 - growth rings

4 - fluid or blood in the horn

4 - defects in the white line- defects in the white line

4 - double sole

4 -weak hooves --> weight bearing problems

g Treatment4 Trim claw 3 times a year

4 If necessary, fix a block under healthy claw

4 STRAW / RUBBER FLOOR

g Important:

g Enough intake of energy after calving

g No fat cow

g Not too much concentrate

g Good roughage before calving

Provision of water

g Water provider per 30 - 40 cowsh Dry cows 30 - 60 lt/day

h Cow 10 kg milk 30 - 70 lt/day

h Cow 30 kg milk 90 - 150 lt/day

h Cow 50 kg milk 100-200 lt day

h Calves < 1 year 5 - 15 lt/day

h Calves 1 - 2 year 15- 25 lt/dayCalves 1 - 2 year 15- 25 lt/day

h Bull for meat 20- 60 lt/day

h Sheep/goats 1,5 - 6 lt/day

4 Dry cows --> individual water supply possible

4 Temp: 7 – 15°C (temp 30 – 33°C increase intake with 3.4 – 6%)

Health Assesment

g Healthy animals give an optimal milk yield

g Prevention: detect sickness at an early stage

g Foot and udder infections can lead to a 20% lower milk yield

g Animal behaviour--> relation human - animal important

g Stress by cows can lead to 38% lower milk yields

Health Assesment (normal situation at the farm)

g Disease Norm your farm?

g Milkfever < 10% ?

g Retained placenta < 5% ?

g Abortion < 5% ?

g Clinical Mastitis < 20% ?

g Cellcount milk in tank < 200.000 c/ml ?

g Lameness < 15% ?

g Dying calves < 5% ?

g Scour calves < 10% ?

Check the health status of your herd (1)

g Frequent, close checks for Health status

4 Make it a habit to check your herd on a daily basis

g One of members the management team is responsible

g Watch the herd

4 Compare the cows in the herd

4 Compare the different groups

4 Watch during milking

Check the health status of your herd (2)

g How to watch the herd?

g - Are the cows spread over the

whole place?

g - Are the cows using the walking roads and boxes?

g - Too much cows at one place?

g - Cows need to stop?

g - Conflicts?

g - Does everything goes uniformly?

Take your time for observation

The individual check

g Take a cow out when she behaves differently

4Tie her up

g Let the cow rest before beginning the inspectiong Let the cow rest before beginning the inspection

4 the heart-beat needs to be normal

4 the breathing level needs to be normal

Five steps

g 1. General impression of the cow

g 2. Check the respiration system

g 3. Check the heart-beat

g 4. Check the temperature

g 5. Keep an eye on the cow during the following days

General Impression of the animal (1)

g Activity Alert?

4Attention to her surroundings?

4 Ears active?

4 Ruminating?Ruminating?

g Body condition and rumen filling

4Look behind the cow for the full rumen (left side)

4Look for the consistence of the manure of the cow

Condition of the cow

4Condition scoreh Stage of the cow

h How many days in production?

4Fill rumen4Fill rumenh Intake

General Impression of the animal (2)

g Hair

4A healthy cow looks fine and shiny

4A sick cow has long and rough hair

g Abnormalities

4The feet

4Locomotion score

4Udder

4Mucous membranes

Respiratory System

g Healthy cow breathes easily

4 exhales 10 - 30 times per minute

4 a calf exhales more (around 30)

g Respiratory disease

4 a cracking sound can be heard on the rib cage above the hearth

4 Breath that smells strongly of acetone indicates ketosis

Heart function and heartbeat

g Heart function is important

41 kg milk requires 400 litres of blood

g Heart rate

4 normal rate: 60 - 80 beats a minutenormal rate: 60 - 80 beats a minute

4 higher than 80 --> infection, heart loses its capacity

4Afflicted valves--> unable to process the bloodstream--> heart oedema --> culling cow

h The heart can be found behind the left elbow

4 Feel and count the heart-beat by using the arteriesh artery of the tail

Body temperature

g Body temperature healthy cow between 38 - 39ºC

4Cow in heat 1/2 ºC higher

g Cow with fever several parts will feel cold, Cow with fever several parts will feel cold,

4Ears

4Tail

4Teats

4Cow feels cold --> drop body temperature--> ketosis

Milk productionand follow-up

g If no problems are detected, control the cow in the following days

g Milk production normally decreases 50 - 120 g Milk production normally decreases 50 - 120 gr./day

g If you don’t trust the situation --> call your veterinarian

What kind of manager are you?

4Cow manager?h Feels how to work with cows

h Knows what is welfare for a cow

4Managers who like computer or techniqueh They often forget the signs of a cow

4Managers who like to reduce the cost?4Managers who like to reduce the cost?h Forget to invest

4Managers of a production unit?h Like industrial farming system

h Planning by paper

h Work with groups, no time for a individual cow

Thank you for your

attention!attention!