Approach To Group Calf Health Flashcards by Kayla Stauffer

what information should you gather in the pre calving period

History

Feeding (nutritionists?)

Vaccination status

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how much space is required per cow in pre calving pens

7.5m^2 per cow

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how much feed space does a cow need in a pre calving pen

7m (simultaneous)
3 (ad lib)

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what effect does undernutrition have during pregnancy

Affects milk yield/quality

Alter mineral status — slow calving syndrome

Increases size of placenta — increases BW of calf?

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what affect does over nutrition have during pregnancy

Increases BCS of cow — dystocia

Metabolic disease (ketoacidosis, LDA)

Increases BW of calf?

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when should you BCS a cow before calving

6-8 weeks

feed her what she needs

don’t adjust in last 3 weeks

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what records should the farmer have during the pre calving period

scanning/PD results

dry period length

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what sampling can you take in pre calving period

BCS

bloods for NEFA (BHB), urea, albumin, globulin

idodine: TH/metabolism

copper

selenium

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what should the BCS be at calving for a dairy cow

2.5-3

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what is the importance of copper during pre calving

growth

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what is the importance of selenium in pre calving

WMD

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what are critcal control points pre calving (5)

cows fed too much
cows fed too little
heifers to small to be bred
mineral inbalance
infectious disease status (abortions)

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what are possible controls pre calving

Dry cow nutrition adjustment (increase/decrease energy/protein/mineral)

Delay breeding heifers

Alterations in environment

Investigate vaccination programme

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what are some factors that affect dystocia in cattle

season

nutrition

calf sex

age at calving

gestation length

cow body weight

cow BCS

cow pelvic area

breed of cow/bull/calf

calf mortality

twins

calf birth weight

uterine torsion

malpresentation

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how can management influence dystocia

Sire selection

Heifer growth

Management in pre-partum period

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what history can be gathered during calving

Stockmanship (what happens when cow calving?)

Feeding calcium?

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what size of area is needed for calving

12m^2

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what should the calving profile of a dairy be

How many each month (dairy)

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what should the calving profile of a beef be

target 9 weeks

long and short problems

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what calving records are useful

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what cow mortality should be a target at calving

5% cows, 15% heifers cow mortality at calving

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what perinatal mortality should be during the first 24h

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what sampling can you take during calving

PM of dead calves (establish cause — dystocia or issue before calving, liver minerals)

Blood sampling fresh calved cows (Ca)

Between 12-48 hours

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what are critical control points of calving

Control facilities

Stockmanship (supervision and intervention)

Mineral balance

Dystocia — multiple reasons (inappropriate bull, cows too fat, heifers too small)

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what are possible control measures at calving

Change in bull (especially for heifers) Change in calving pen environment Tightened calving interval (easier to watch but…) Staff training in obstetrics

what are calves born with

Low energy store, high thermal stress No humoral immunity Direct opening to vascular system (umbilicus) Massive environmental pathogen challenge

what history information can you gather during the neonatal period (4)

1. colostrum management 2. navel management 3. stockmanship 4. vaccination

what is the ideal amount of colostrum and when

4L in first 4 hours (?beef) --\> this is a lot * 10-15% of calves BW in first 6-12hrs * Split into two feedings from own mothers milk clean equip +/- pasteurization

what does good navel managment look like

10% iodine (+/- spirit) or oxytet spray dip not spray

what observations can you make during the golden hours

What is actually happening? Look at the calves Clean equipment (bacteria bind IgG) Mis-mothering If calving a cow = good opportunity for observations

how many grams of IgG are needed and when

150-200g of IgG in first 6-12 hours of life

what records are taken during the golden hours

Medicine book/computer records (calf and cow diseases/treatment) * \<5% calves treated (morbidity) born alive then die Colostrum records

what sampling can you take during the golden hours

1. colostrum quality from cow 2. assessing colostrum passive transfer in calf 3. PM of calves

how can you assess colostrum quality from cow

Visual inspection Colostrometer (temp dependent = 20ºC) Brix refractometer (not temp dependent)

what is the colostrometer target for good colostrum from cow

\>1.050 (green) = \>50g/L IgG

what indicates good colostrum in Brix refractometer

\>22% = \>50g/L IgG

how can you assess colostrum passive transfer in the calf

1. total protein 2. immunoglobulin 3. RID 4. GGT 5. Brix

what is the cutoff of total protein that indicates passive transfer

below 5.2 – 5.5 g/dL or total serum IgG is below 10 mg/mL. high risk \<50g/L low risk \>60g/L

what % on brix would indicate FPT

below 8.4%

what are critical control points in the golden hours (24hrs)

1. colostrum 2. navel treatment 3. environment 4. susbequent milk feeding

what are possibe controls in the golden hours

Remove calf from mother 2 hours after birth and stomach tubing 4L colostrum to every calf Calving beef herd outside towards end of calving Changing product/method used to treat navel

what can be misleading wiht dehydrated calves and assessing FPT

dehydrated calves can have artificially high TP levels

what is a pre-ruminant

first 3 weeks duration cannot be changed no fermentation

what is the transition period in pre weaning

VFA production starts weaning at 7-8 weeks in dairy much older in beed

how much kg of conc per day needs to be consumed before weaning

need to eat 1kg/day in conc

how much CP should a milk replacer contain

25-27% CP from a milk based protein source (whey)

what is important in the pre weaning diet

fresh water daily (milk is not a water source) access to fresh fodder access to conc from 7 days

how should milk be fed during pre weaning

Same time each day Same temperature Same concentration

how much should be fed during pre weaning

15% BW/day 2L BID is not enough

what should a weaning process in dairy look like

6 weeks min eating 1kg/day conc gradual reduction in milk no bloating no disease

what are management tasks in pre weaning that are important to history

DH/castration method used?

what are history questions in the pre weaning period

1. management tasks (DH/castration), method used 2. what happens with sick calves? isolated, avoid adding new calves to diseased pen 3. treatment protocols 4. vaccines used 5. stockmanship

how much space does a calf require in pre weaning period

45 kg calf needs 2m^2

what should the environment of pre weaned calves be like

No smell of ammonia (well ventilated) Minimal draughts Similar age groups (no more than 5d age difference in groups) All in all out (even if just done at pen level) Temperature (15-25ºC neonate, 0-28ºC for 4 weeks) Clean/dry bedding 30cm per calf feed face Visual and tactile contact Adjustments needed as animal grows

what records should be taken in pre weaning period

Daily live weight gain (DLWG) and range of weights 2. medicine records (morbidity) 3. herd register/caving records (mortality)

what is the target DLWG in dairycalves

700-900g/day minimum (ideally 1kg beef higher) Double weight in 6 weeks

what is the target % of calves treated for diarrhea

\<10%

what is the target % of calves treated for pneumonia

\<10%

what is the target for mortality from birth--weaning

what samples can be gathered during pre weaning

Depends on infectious disease risk/presence * Negative on Scottish government BVD scheme Post mortem Scour sampling? Pneumonia pathogen testing?

what should you be aware of if you are attempting pathogen specific management of neonatal calf disease

Attempting pathogen specific management of neonatal calf disease without attention to common risk factors is very likely to fail Do it if the result is going to change what measure you advise on farm Farmers attitude

what are critical control points in pre weaning period

nutrition environment infectious disease control (diarrhea + pneumonia)

what are possible controls in pre weaning

ncrease volume of milk fed Open up ridge in roof to improve ventilation Treat calves with pneumonia for 7 days rather than 3