Dairy herd health
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Transcript of Dairy herd health
M Asfar ZamanRoll no
106
Subject to the same diseases and parasites as beef cattle
However, dairy cattle do have some health considerations that need to be emphasized
Needs to be developed for maintaining the health of the dairy herd
Effective plans put emphasis on the prevention of problems
Vet services should be used on a regular and planned basis
A regular planned program of testing and vaccination should be carried out for the herd foro Brucellosiso Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)o Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD)o Parainfluenza-3 (PI3)
Keep health records Follow a parasite control program Follow a planned program for mastitis control Keep accurate reproduction records Follow a planned calf health care plan
Proper feeding of the herd Good facilities with
ventilation Using dry, clean bedding Proper cleaning and
sanitation Controlling disease
carriers-flies, birds, rodents Raising replacements
needed for the herd Requiring health records of
replacement animals and isolating them for 30 days
Isolating sick animals Using a vet Controlling access to dairy
herds Require visitors to wear
protective footwear Do not allow visitors
unlimited access to where cattle are kept
Have bulk milk and feed delivery points as far away from cows as possible
Designed to help dairy farmers produce high quality milk
Participation is voluntary Developed by the National Milk Producers
Federation and the American Veterinary Medical Association
Producers are certified by going through a 10 point check list of management practices with a Veterinarian
Program identifies critical control points that help herd owners produce a high quality product
Emphasis is placed on following a preventative health program
Serious economic problem Causes losses by
o Lowering milk production from infected cowso Increasing the cull rate in the herdo The cost of treatmento Loss of infected milk that must be thrown awayo Increased labor cost to treat infected cowso Possible loss of permit to sell milk if infection
becomes serious enough
Caused by bacteria that enter the udder through the teat opening
Bacteria may also enter through injury to the teat May be acute or chronic
Inflamed udder Swollen, hot, hard, tender quarter Drop in milk production Abnormal milk
o Lumpy, stringy, straw-colored, contains blood, yellow clots
Cow goes off feed, shows depression, dull eyes, rough hair, chills
Death may result
Abnormal milk-clots, flakes, watery Slight swelling and hardness of udder that comes
and goes Sudden decrease in milk production
May not show any symptoms Often not treated Sometimes does not respond to treatment More of an economic problem than the acute
form Both acute and chronic mastitis may cause
permanent udder damage
White blood cells that fight infection Mastitis increases their presence
Somatic cells are leukocytes and other blood cells
All normal milk contains some somatic cells Goal of the dairy herd should be an average
of no more than 150,000-200,000 cells per milliliter
90% of the herd should be below 200,000 cells per milliliter
Somatic cell count can vary greatly from month to month in cows that have mastitis infection
Daily per head losses increase as somatic cell counts increaseo Ranging from 1.5 lbs at 72,000 cells/milliliter to 6.0 lbs
at over 1 million cells/milliliter Somatic cells counts over 500,000 usually
indicated a bacteria infection, a cow in late lactation, udder injury or an old cow
Problem cows should be culled
Picked up at the farm it cannot have a somatic cell count exceeding 750,000 cells/milliliter
Violation results in the loss of the farms Grade A permit
Several test Most common is the California Mastitis Test (CMT) Used to test the herd for mastitis and should be
used at least once a month
A small paddle with 4 cups is used About 1 teaspoon of the first milk from
each quarter is placed in each cup, each quarter must be checked separately
A chemical that reacts with the milk is placed in each cup
The presence of leukocytes is shown by the reaction o Slight precipitation show a low counto A heavy gel and purple color show a high count
Lab Chemical Electronic
The following practices should be followed for an effective mastitis control program:
o Maintain milking equipment in proper operating condition
o Practice proper milking procedureso Identify the bacteria causing the infection and
determine the extent of the infection in the herd
o Promptly treat identified cases of mastitiso Treat all quarters of cows when at drying off
timeo Cull cows with chronic mastitis problems that
do not respond treatment
Also called DA Condition where the abomasums moves out of
place in the abdominal cavity More common in dairy cattle than beef Majority of cases occur shortly after calving Symptoms
o Poor appetiteo Reduced fecal dischargeo Soft or pasty feceso Diarrheao Drop in milk productiono Dull, listless, thin appearance
Type of ration being fed appears to be involved
Too rapid an increase in grain feeding just before calving increases the chance of DA
Poor quality, moldy roughage or too much silage in the ration also increase DA
Do not over feed silage and concentrates to dry cows
Increase the amount of concentrate slowly at calving time
A condition in which the placenta is not discharged within 12-24 hours after calving
Normal for 10-12% of dairy cowso A higher rate indicates a problem that needs attention
Infection in the reproductive tract during pregnancy
Deficiencies of vitamin A or E, iodine, and selenium
Calcium to phosphorus ratio in diet out of balance
Cow too fat Stress at calving Breeding a cow too soon after calving Good management is the best practice to
prevent retained placenta.
Nutritional disorder in dairy cattle Blood sugar drops to a low level Caused by not feeding enough high energy feeds
to meet the cows needs for high milk production Usually occurs in the first 6-8 weeks after calving
Cows go off feed shortly after calving Drop in milk production Loss in body weight Cows become dull and listless Odor of acetone in breath, urine and milk
Feed a properly balanced ration Common Treatments
o Glucose injections into the bloodstreamo Hormone injections (cortisone or adrenocorticotrophic
hormone)o Oral feeding of propylene glycol or sodium propionate
Feeding molasses will not cure Ketosis
Infection of the uterus Affects cows within 1-10 days after calving Higher rate is seen in cows that are too fat at
calving
Loss of appetite Fever Drop in milk production Abnormal (thick, cloudy, grey, foul odor)
discharge from the vulva Standing with the back arched In severe cases, rapid death
Feed a properly balanced ration to dry cows Keep the calving area clean and sanitary Treat with intrauterine antibiotic drugs
Parturient paresis Caused by a shortage of calcium salts in the
blood More common in older, high producing cows Usually occurs within a few days after calving
Loss of appetite Reduction in quantity of feces passed In early stages excitement Staggering Depression Cold skin, dry muzzle Paralysis Lies on brisket with head turned back toward side Later stages, lies on side with head stretched out Bloating Death, if not treated
Feed a balanced ration to dry cows with the correct calcium-phosphorus ratio
Treat by intravenous injection of calcium
Follow a regular program of treatment All mature dairy cows should be treated for
worms after each lactation Replacement heifers should be wormed near the
end of their pregnancy
Use care when using insecticides on the dairy Use only insecticides approved for dairy animals
and facilities Follow label directions carefully to avoid illegal
residues in the milk
Effective herd health plan emphasizes prevention
Good management helps prevent health problems
Mastitis is the most serious disease that affects dairy cattle
Use care when using drugs to avoid illegal residues in the milk
Good herd health plans increase net profits
Control internal and external parasites.