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Dairy producers rely on a number of professionals to help them day in and day out. While each professional works closely with the producer, more and more farms are learning that benefits can be gained when those professionals collaborate with one another.
Every dairy herd experiences lameness to one degree or another. The difference between a good healthy hoof and chronic problems is sometimes less than one thinks.
Implementing a whole-farm approach to mastitis can impact farm profitability. A partnership between farmer and veterinarian managing udder health, based around protocols and education, can see a milk-quality program develop to minimize losses through mastitis. That can be worth several dollars per cow per year.
The dry cow, in my view, is the most important care element for the dairy herd. What happens to the dry cow in that period makes or breaks a fresh cow.
Mastitis is among the most costly diseases of dairy cattle.
It is a complex disease with many causes, many presentations and many treatment options.
Prevention remains the most effective means of controlling this disease.
The transition period is a challenging time for the dairy cow. Her metabolism needs to adapt rapidly from a non-lactating to a lactating stage, in preparation for the forthcoming calving.
In addition, the reproductive system is preparing ovulation for the next breeding period.
This sudden change increases the glucose demand from the mammary gland and the fetus, which cannot be met solely by the liver.
The Ontario Dairy Hoof Health Project was created to investigate cases of dairy cattle lameness due to claw lesions from structural damage to and/or infections of hoof (claw) tissues.
The first-ever Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium was hosted last month by the University of Guelph and The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare in Guelph, Ontario. The event attracted 300 participants from around the world and served as a forum between dairy producers, researchers and allied industry.
Today’s dairy industry faces a number of challenges, a few of which can be addressed through animal welfare.
Jeffrey Rushen of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in his keynote address that by acknowledging animal welfare standards, dairy producers will likely see continued acceptance by consumers and the public of dairy farming, as well as increased profitability as a result of reducing economic losses due to poor animal welfare.
Having dairy producers spearhead the development of animal welfare standards is good, he added; however, it does risk the potential of eliminating consumer concerns.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have that gauge to determine how successful our transition cow program is at present? If we wait to see measurable “wreck” clinical outcomes such as milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, ketosis and displacements of the abomasums, we are late to the realization of a transition program going astray.
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The transition period is a challenging time for the dairy cow. Her metabolism needs to adapt rapidly from a non-lactating to a lactating stage, in preparation for the forthcoming calving.
