Explore research-based management strategies to enhance Animal Welfare and Herd Health, recognizing the relationship between optimal animal care and the success of dairy business.
Handling cows is necessary to harvest milk and provide animal care, but these interactions also present a risk of injury to personnel. Inappropriate cow handling threatens animal welfare, milk production, and public trust in dairy farming. But how can the industry best teach these skills? Interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training.
When it comes to health issues on a dairy farm, lameness is usually a main concern along with mastitis and reproductive issues. Lameness includes any abnormality which causes a cow to change the way she walks.
The sheer volume of information collected on a dairy farm may seem daunting to keep track of, but proper recordkeeping can play a vital role when making decisions. One area that may not receive as much attention is animal health events, especially hoof health. How would your current animal health records rate if they were compared to the requirements established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 21CFR530.5?
Nutrition affects more than just the cow’s digestive system. The effects of an imbalanced diet can be seen throughout the animal’s body. Of particular interest are concentrates, such as grain-based feed ingredients, that typically contain high amounts of sugar and starch.
Dairy cow housing facilities are a double-edged sword regarding hoof health and lameness. Built right and managed properly, housing facilities can limit the problem and aid recovery.
Hoof health is essential for not only the overall health of the animal, but also for her welfare. Digital dermatitis (DD), or hairy heel warts, is an extremely painful condition for dairy cattle, reducing their ability to walk to and from the milking parlor, or to the feed bunk. Based on USDA NAHMS 2017 data, 16.8% of all cows and 2.6% of bred heifers have lameness on a dairy operation.
Raising calves is a huge expense on any dairy farm and getting them off to a great start is important in cold weather as much as warm weather. Cold stress can increase the risk of disease in pre-weaned calves.
Digital dermatitis, commonly known as hairy heel warts, is a common infectious foot disease that causes lameness in cattle and often leads to decreased milk production, performance, and fertility in cattle. Learn how it affects robotic milking farms and strategies for prevention in this video.
Digital dermatitis, commonly known as hairy heel warts, is a common infectious foot disease that causes lameness in cattle and often leads to decreased milk production, performance, and fertility in cattle. Watch this video to learn more.
Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive farm. Monitoring soil health and maintaining soil integrity can improve water filtration, boost crop production and health, and foster biological and physical components of soil. Fields that receive dairy manure are likely to receive higher copper concentrations than non-dairy manure.
A footbath is one of the most important tools used on dairy farms to prevent lameness and maintain hoof health. When used properly and paired with a disinfectant, a footbath can prevent and control foot rot and digital dermatitis on dairy farms. Recently, the recommendations for footbath dimensions have changed after new research was conducted at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
There are times when cattle producers need to come to the aid of a downed animal. Daily observations should identify cattle that are unable to stand and there must be a plan in place for how to quickly respond to help these animals.
