Animal health
USDA reporting increasing numbers of crossbred dairy cattle.
Neil Michael, director of technical services for ABS Global, says many herds consistently achieve pregnancy rates of 20% to 25%, with many commercial dairies already exceeding 35% to 40%. He lists eight influencers of reproductive success that every dairy should monitor.
“Genomics is a big step forward, but we still need daughter information,” says says Kent Weigel, University of Wisconsin dairy geneticist. “We’re not yet at the stage where we can identify the next sires of sons without using conventional genetics tools.”
It’s almost accepted as gospel that a high somatic cell count (SCC) cow in a small herd can throw off the entire bulk tank even if the rest of the herd is doing well. When it comes to large herds, the conventional wisdom is that a few high-count cows can get diluted by their herdmates.
A comfortable cow is a happy, productive cow.
The challenge is to utilize wet corn correctly in your dairy rations
Clear expectations, firsthand knowledge breed success
Mark Wustenberg suggests simple places to check for a dairy’s source of bacteria problems in milk counts.
Since Elanco acquired Posilac from Monsanto in 2008, it has made re-education about the dairy production technology a priority. The Indiana-based company has reached out to the entire dairy food chain to promote Posilac’s safety and its role in affordability and sustainability, says Dennis Erpelding, director of corporate affairs for Elanco’s international business division.
Metritis, a common reproductive disease, occurs in 10% to 30% of dairy herds. Typically diagnosed during the first 10 days in milk, metritis is associated with other transition and fresh cow challenges.
Dutch veterinarian Joep Driessen gives producers a pretty straightforward formula for correcting common cow management bottlenecks: •Look at cows closely to detect problems. •Think about what’s causing those problems. •Act to correct them.
Tail docking of dairy cows was already an uncommon and diminishing practice in California when a state legislator introduced a bill in February 2009 to ban the practice.
Come August, dairy producers and calf raisers will no longer be able to buy milk replacers with Neomycin-Terramycin in the tried-and-true 2:1 ratio formulation.
Three years ago, Tillamook Cooperative Creamery switched to using the Foss Bactoscan for determining bacterial counts of milk samples. We also decided to test every load of milk received rather than testing weekly.
From June 2005 through November 2009, Osterkamp Dairy achieved a milk quality bonus for 52 out of 53 months—a 98% success rate. Those results, says owner Mark Osterkamp, don’t happen without teamwork. In fact, getting milkers to buy in to the team concept is key to making everything work, he says.
In late 2010 or early 2011, any dairy processor exporting to the European Union will need to certify that each farm that supplies milk for those exports is below 400,000 somatic cell count.
From birth, provide calves with a clean, comfortable environment with good colostrum management, consistent feeding and management practices and plenty of dietary calories
A new biological treatment could help dairy cattle stave off uterine diseases and eventually may help improve food safety for humans, a University of Florida study shows.
It’s one of those diseases that is always going to be a threat, but also can be minimized and managed with great success.
Progesterone is key to maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Use on-farm culturing to determine proper care.
Access to livestock drugs through over-the-counter (OTC) channels was curbed considerably starting in 2017. Soon, OTC antibiotics may no longer be available through traditional channels at all.
In the quest to find alternatives to antibiotics to fight disease in dairy calves, essential oils are the subject of a growing body of calf health research.
As one of the top scourges to calf raisers, cryptosporidium is an ever-present challenge that rarely takes a holiday.
Over-conditioned cows that lose weight after calving subsequently have lower fertility, produce fewer quality embryos and face higher rates of health problems.
As awareness of animal welfare grows, new methods of detecting and evaluating stress and pain in calves are being evaluated. Researchers are exploring heart rate variability as an accurate, non-invasive assessment tool.
It’s an old and frustrating disease that is not easily controlled. But Johne’s disease may soon be tamed by a new vaccine under development.
A highly fatal intestinal disease of adult cows, Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome (HBS), draws concerns from dairy producers, veterinarians and nutritionists, as it is also known as the sudden death disease of dairy cattle.