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Most dairy cows experience a period of energy deficit following calving due to increased energy demands of lactation coupled with decreases in nutrient intake. Inability to adapt to this period results in metabolic disease such as ketosis.
When dairy cows transition from late gestation to early lactation, they often enter a state of energy deficit as increased energy demands are not met by the level of intake.
Mastitis is the most common reason for antimicrobial use for cows on U.S. dairy farms – about 80% of all antimicrobial use was for treatment or prevention of mastitis, which included dry cow therapy.
Fresh cows are the most important, and most vulnerable, group of cows in the barn. Between post-calving stress and the metabolic demands of lactation, the immune system of a cow is suppressed during the transition period, leaving her susceptible to a variety of diseases – like mastitis and metritis – that can impact your herd’s milk production and overall profitability.
We all know infectious diseases exist on dairies. They can present as an outbreak, be endemic in the herd or potentially both, and some cattle diseases may even pose a health risk to farm employees.
As a dairy producer, you often focus on areas widely known to impact your herd’s health and overall profitability, such as genetics and nutrition. However, there are countless other underlying factors.
Late at night, after the drone of the pumps are quiet, every producer has wondered, “How could I get more out of my cows?” As most good questions do, this too leads to another question. “Nutritionally, what is holding fresh cows back from maximum production?”
Even a few parasites in a high-producing dairy cow have the potential to reduce herd performance. Parasite-free animals convert feed more efficiently, have fewer disease problems, enter the milking string sooner, produce more milk and have fewer reproductive difficulties.
On-farm culturing is a useful tool for mastitis management. It allows for faster response to infections, saves money and helps to identify causes to help with prevention, according to Dr. Ginger Fenton, dairy extension educator at Penn State University.
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