Adult Dairy Husbandry

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of pre-milking teat dipping?

To improve milk quality

To enhance milk production

To reduce milking time

To remove bacterial pathogens from skin (correct)

Clinical mastitis can be identified through the conductivity of milk.

True

Name one method of post-milking teat dipping.

Manual dipping or automated systems.

Somatic cell count is a significant indicator of ______ in dairy cattle.

mastitis Signup and view all the answers

Match the following factors with their type in relation to lameness:

Nutritional = Management Environmental = Infectious Genetic = Nutritional Management = Genetic Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of dry cow therapy?

Prevent new infections during the dry period Signup and view all the answers

A high £PLI bull is expected to return less profit compared to an average bull of £0 PLI.

False Signup and view all the answers

List one direct and one indirect cost of mastitis.

Direct cost: Discarded milk; Indirect cost: Decreased milk yield Signup and view all the answers

The optimal time to collect embryos is on day to after flushing.

6, 8 Signup and view all the answers

Match the type of mastitis sources with their categories:

Mammary gland organisms = Contagious Environmental = Environmental Improper milking hygiene = Contagious Dirty bedding = Environmental Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a common therapeutic approach for mastitis?

Antibiotics (intra-mammary and/or systemic) Signup and view all the answers

Flushing is the process of retrieving embryos from the uterus of a cow.

True Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical pregnancy rate in maiden heifers after embryo transfer?

60-70% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of monitoring Body Condition Score (BCS) in dairy cows during the dry period?

To maintain optimal health and prepare for lactation Signup and view all the answers

Potassium is recommended to be low in forage during the transition phase for dairy cows.

True Signup and view all the answers

What is the average lifespan of a dairy cow?

6 years Signup and view all the answers

A lactating dairy cow consumes an average of _____ tonnes of concentrate.

1.0 Signup and view all the answers

Match the following nutrients with their importance in dairy cow nutrition:

Calcium = Essential for milk production Potassium = Regulates fluid balance Protein = Supports tissue growth and repair Energy = Provides calories for daily activities Signup and view all the answers

What is a common sign of oestrus in dairy cows?

Mounting behavior Signup and view all the answers

The average interval from calving to conception should be less than 80 days.

False Signup and view all the answers

In the parlour feeding system, what component is often mixed with concentrate?

Total mixed ration Signup and view all the answers

A high-energy diet is particularly important during the _____ stage of dairy cow feeding.

lactation Signup and view all the answers

What is a key benefit of synchronisation in reproductive management?

Increased fertility rates Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Adult Dairy Cattle Husbandry

Subject covered in lecture by Luisa Soares LMV, FHEA, MRCVS, lecturer in Production Animal Medicine at the University of Surrey.

Learning Objectives

Understand the basic life cycle of a dairy cow.
Understand important practices to optimise health, welfare, productivity and profitability.
Understand key performance indicators and target values.
Understand production values.
Understand the importance of record keeping and evaluation.
Describe key feeding times of a dairy cow.
List the importance of maintaining key micronutrient intake (calcium, magnesium, potassium).

Husbandry

Disease and poor productivity are a failure of management.
Health, welfare, productivity, profitability, and sustainability are all important in livestock husbandry.

Cattle Behaviour

Cattle are herd and prey animals.
Flight zones exist, where potential threats trigger cattle to move away.
The balance point (shoulder) is a key concept in cattle behaviour. Positioning in front of this point causes the cattle to move backwards, and positioning behind it causes them to move forwards.

Cow Lifecycle

Breeding age: 15 months
Age at calving: 24 months
Pregnancy: 9 months
Calving to conception: 85 days plus
Calving to calving interval: 365-420 days
Average cow life: 6 years
Average number of calves and lactations: 3
Lactation length: 10 months
Dry period: 2 months
Milk yield: Jersey 5000L/year; Holstein 10000L/year

Nutrition

Feed costs account for 33% of milk production costs (labour is the second biggest cost).
Average lactating dairy cow consumes:
- Concentrate: 1.0 tonnes
- Silage: 10 tonnes or 1-2 tonnes hay.
Energy from fiber and starch
Protein
Major Minerals (Ca, P, Mg)
Vitamins
Trace elements

Dairy Cow Feeding Stages

Lactation: Very high energy needs (14-100 DM) during early lactation.
Dry: Keeping Body Condition Score (BCS) 3 and enabling rapid DM intake after calving. Reducing concentrates to avoid over-conditioning in weeks before drying.
Transition: Last 3 weeks before calving and first 2 weeks of lactation.

Dairy Cow Feeding Stages (Dry)

Recommend hay, straw, and low D-value forages to maintain rumen fill while avoiding excess energy.
Low in potassium (<1.5%).
Low calcium, high magnesium

Dairy Cow Feeding Stages (Transition)

Support calf growth and compensatory increase in dry matter intake (DMI).
Increased energy requirements.
Rumen weight may increase by 50%
2-5 kg concentrate, similar to milking cows feed.
Low potassium forage - same as milking cows
Adjust dry cow allowance (DCAB) for potassium.
Urine pH should be 6.5-7

Cows at Calving

Lifecycle phases
Lactating only (A); 2 months
Pregnant and lactating (B); 7 months
Pregnant, no lactation (C); 2 months
Transition (D); 2 weeks before calving and first 2 weeks lactation

Dry Matter Intake

Dry matter intake ability is about 2.5% of body weight plus 10% of milk yield.
Minimum forage: 40%
50% of total feed needs to be 2.6 cm to aid cud digestion
Concentrates: 60%
Amount per cow: 700 kg cow at peak lactation (50 liters) consumes 17.5 kg DM + 5 kg DM = 22.5 kg DM. This includes 9 kg minimum forage and 13.5 kg concentrate.

Calcium homeostasis maintains blood calcium levels essential for muscle contraction, neurotransmitter release, and hormone secretion.

Peripartum milk fever is caused by an insufficient speed of adaptation, not a nutritional deficiency of calcium.
Inability to adapt metabolism to release enough calcium for milk.
Need to mobilise bones.
Cannot mobilise calcium from the bones fast enough
Decrease the amount of Ca given before calving ( transition or dry period) ensures that calcium homeostasis is activated
Spring grass is high in water, potassium and low in calcium.
Diet contains too many positive ions (sodium and potassium) and not enough negative ones (sulphur).
Calcium cannot be mobilised from bones.

Manipulating Diet - Calcium Homeostasis

Option a: Low calcium diet pre-calving. Improve calcium absorption efficiency, stimulate mobilisation from bone. Limit calcium in dry cow diet to less than 50g/head/day (ideally less than 30g).
Option b: Reduce potassium. Maintain potassium levels below 0.65% to 0.70% and K:Mg ratio of 4:1.
Role of magnesium: Adequate magnesium, change in parathyroid hormone receptor shape. Essential for nervous system function. Stored in bone, dietary magnesium is important. Potassium and high rumen PH reduce magnesium retention. 0.2-0.3% of diet is needed (15kg DM= 30mg Mg). 30g Mg per day is essential.

Maximising Milk Production

Extra vitamin D very close to calving to increase short-term bone mobilisation and gut absorption.
Commercial mineral supplement containing a balance of anionic salts and additional calcium during peak lactation = aid acidification of the diet.
Changes in parathyroid hormones for milk calcium mobilisation.
Dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) is manipulated via supplements

Common Health Problems

Poor fertility
Mastitis
Lameness
Nutritional problems
Metabolic problems

Cow Fertility vs Production

Optimize fertility.
Maximise lactational yield/quality.
Minimise metabolic diseases.
Up to 50% of fresh cows have an adverse health event during the first 60 days of lactation (mismatch in energy intake and requirement).
Optimize transition from low-energy (dry period) diet to high-energy diet (lactation) in 3–6 weeks to peak lactation.

Fertility

Oestrus cycle: 18-24 days (average 21).
Evidence shows cycle of ~22 days in high yielders.
Voluntary waiting period = 45 days.
Fertility is low before this period.
Uterine involution.
Heat detection rate should exceed 70%.
Percentage of eligible cows served should be high.
Calving to conception - 80-150 days.
Conception rate after AI (~40%).
Pregnancy rate - 21 days.
Aim for 32–36% heat detection to conception ratio in a good herd.

Signs of Oestrus

Coming into heat: 6–24 hours (standing heat = 3–30 hours).
Increase in walking, bellowing and general restlessness,
Mounting other cows
Ovulation & going out of heat: up to 24 hours
Signs such as dirt and marks, chin pressing, swelling of vulva and mucus discharge, and a bloody discharge.

Oestrus Detection Aids

Mounting behaviour
Heat mount detectors
Tail paint
Increased activity
Pedometers

Artificial Insemination

After oestrus detection
Timed AI

Reproductive Management

Servicing protocol
Synchronisation
Prostaglandin
Intra-vaginal progesterone implant
Pregnancy diagnosis (~+30 days)

Pregnancy Diagnosis

Smart devices or wireless bug.
Waterproof technology.
850 grams
Improved flexibility
128 elements
32 channels, 26 frames per second
Use calipers to measure embryo size.
Record videos & save images on devices.
Low cost lithium batteries with a life of up to 5 hours.

Bull Fertility and Breeding Soundness Exam

Physical exam (general, genitalia).
Eliminate up to 2/3 of bulls.
Scrotal circumference standards around 34cm depending on the breed.
Semen collection (electro-ejaculation).
Semen evaluation (gross motility, progressive motility, % morphologically normal).
Libido and service ability evaluation.

Embryo Transfer

Super ovulation (5–10 embryos).
Embryo collection (day 6–8: morula/blastocyst - 'flushing').
Embryo transfer to synchronized recipients or freezing.
Pregnancy rate: 60–70% in maiden heifers.

Profitable Lifetime Index

£PLI is a within breed genetic index, specifically for UK dairy farms.
£PLI value shows additional profit from high £PLI bulls with their milking daughters over their lifetime compared to an average bull.

Economics of Mastitis

Direct costs: discarded milk, drug/veterinary costs
Indirect costs: Decreased milk yield. Penalties or reduced income from changes in milk composition.

Mastitis - Sources of Infection

Mammary gland and contagious organisms
Environmental contamination

Mastitis Therapeutics

Antibiotics (intra-mammary and/or systemic).
Withdrawal periods: milk must be discarded and meat withhold.

Dry Cow Therapy

Cure of existing intra-mammary infections (IMIs) at drying off.
Prevention of new infections during the dry period.
Internal sealant (Bismuth); Milked out post-calving; Application at drying off only; physical barrier.

Parlour Routine

Avoid damaging teats.
Minimise the spread of infection

Parlour Hygiene

Udder/teat preparation: Wash teats with warm, sanitized water only if needed. Dry with new paper towels/medicated wipes after washing each cow. Milker hygiene = Wash hands and wear disposable clean gloves frequently during milking.

Mastitis

Prompt identification of clinical/subclinical mastitis.
Clinical signs.
Foremilk from all quarters (time-cost benefit?).
In-line filters.
Rapid milk test.
Conductivity.
Milk recording every 5 weeks.
Somatic cell count, Bactoscan, Protein, Fat, and volume.

Teat Dipping

Pre-milking teat dipping for acceptable level of teat skin decontamination before milking. Prevent environmental pathogens colonization between milkings.
Post-milking teat dipping removes pathogens from the skin and shin lesions, avoiding colonization.
Manual dipping using a cup, manual spraying or automated systems.

Lameness

Environmental factors
Infectious pathogens
Nutritional imbalances
Genetic susceptibility
Management strategies

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Test your knowledge on dairy cattle management and health with this quiz focusing on pre-milking and post-milking practices. Explore key concepts like clinical mastitis indicators and the relationship between somatic cell count and dairy cattle health. Enhance your understanding of factors related to lameness in cattle.