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It was a massive undertaking, and continues to be an ongoing project, but Canada now has its own nationwide numbers to better understand disease prevalence and herd management practices throughout the industry.
Since the Canadian Johne’s Disease Initiative (CJDI) began in July 2009, several provincial programs have been coordinated, and a lot of dairy producers participated in the start of the control efforts.
As consumer visions of agricultural-related products become continually skewed toward using fewer chemical inputs, the need for more natural alternatives to prevent the illness of livestock and support healthy environmental habitats grows stronger.
Today’s Holstein cow can peak at 65 kilograms of milk at 40 days post-calving and cruise along to complete her 305-day lactation, all the while producing components, cycling and getting in calf.
“The thoughtless person playing with penicillin treatment is morally responsible for the death of the man who succumbs to infection with the penicillin-resistant organism. I hope this evil can be averted.”
—Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish physician and microbiologist who discovered penicillin
With the goal of increased efficiencies, many dairy producers are considering renovations or expanding their current buildings. The decisions they make today will affect the hoof health of the herd for decades to come.
Lameness is a clinical sign due to an injury or disease of the foot or leg. In a study the Calgary Lameness Research Team performed across Canada in 2011, on average 20 percent of dairy cows housed in freestall barns walked lame, with a range of 0 to 69 percent.
An investment on a dairy barn floor should set the operation up for the future. However, a faulty floor can lead to costly losses due to down cows and lameness.
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