Cattle housing and mastitis Flashcards
What are some reasons for housing cows
- Need continuous production and health
- Grass growth ceases
- Wet land becomes poached
- Newly growing grass easily damaged in the early spring
- Increased use of TMR and avoidance of grazed grass -> increased control of nutrition
What is the aim of housing cows?
Maximise number of cows per unit area of building without compromising welfare and the five freedoms and whilst maintaining production and good health
List the 5 freedoms
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Freedom from pain and discomfort
Freedom to express natural behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress
Which type of bedding is best for cow comfort?
Sand
How can housing contribute to mastitis?
Cows that aren’t being kept in a sufficiently clean environment -> environmental pathogens
What are some features of a desirable cow environment?
Light, well ventilated, clean, spare cubicles, no blind ends
What is the space demand a cow needs for rising?
0.7-1m
List the basic features needed in cow housing
- Lying area: loose housed on straw or cubicles
- Loafing area: natural interactions and oestrus behaviour
- Feed space
- Safe flooring and passageways
- Water supply
- Slurry handling
What is the required feed space for a milking cow and a dry cow?
60cm per milking cow
90cm per dry cow
Loose housing is most commonly used for which cows?
Most commonly dry cows, calving area, transition cows
Describe hygiene in loose housing
Wet warm straw (urine, slurry, trough overflow, running milk) = ‘bug food’ = bacterial stew
Increased environmental mastitis risk
How much space does a cow require per 1000kg of milk prduction?
1.3m^2
What % of housing should be bedding vs loafing space in loose housing?
70% bed, 30% loafing
How can hygiene in loose housing be improved?
Good drainage layer under bed
Store dry bedding under cover
Spread fresh bedding evenly daily
Scare feed/loafing area daily
Total clean out every 2 weeks
When should cleaning frequency in loose housing be increased?
Increase the frequency of cleaning if:
- Disease prevalence increases
- The area fails the squelch test
- The bedding is hot to touch deep inside
What is the main impact of a cow drinking less?
Decreased milk yield
Describe a suitable water supply for cows in loose housing
- Clean and ad lib (15-20l/min) consumption by a drinking cow
- Not in a dead end
- Large tough area: 1m2/60 cows in group
- Tilting tough
- Plugged drain hole
Each cow cubicle is composed of which parts?
- Concrete base
- Top layer with bedding: mattress, sand, straw
- Division
- Brisket board
- Head rail
How can you test is the cubicle bed is comfy enough for a cow?
Knee test
What is the purpose of the head rail in a cubicle, when can it cause issues?
- May aid cow position, often integral part of cubicle stability, frequently a cause of discomfort/interfere with normal behaviour
- Cows vary in size, cubicles are all the same: its unlikely that every cow will fit into the cubicles perfectly
How could cow behaviour indicate that head rails are positioned incorrectly?
Cows are seen standing half in/half out of a cubicle
What are the aims of cubicle design?
- Comfortable lying/standing
- Slight upward incline kerb-front
- Dung passed over kerb with minimum deposited on cubicle rear
- Minimise pathogen growth
At least what % of cows should be lying down/interacting with a cubicle (CCQ)?
Less than 50% = poor
More than 80% is acceptable
How can the cow comfort quotient be calculated?
number of cows correctly interacting with a cubicle/number of cows interacting at all with a cubicle X100
SUI stand for?
Stall use index
= the proportion of cows that are in the pen, not feeding, and that are lying down in the stalls
SSI stands for?
Stall standing index
- the proportion of cows touching a stall that were standing with all 4 feet on the stall platform or perching with the front 2 feet in the stall and the rear 2 feet in the alley
Which factors provide evidence of poor cubicle design/use?
Increased disease
- Lameness
- Mastitis
- Lesions – neck, hock, stifles, back
Behavioural
If a cow has reversed into a cubicle, what does this indicate?
Too high a kerb as cows dislike reversing down a steep step, prefer to reverse upwards and descend forwards
A cow standing with hind feet in passage and fore feet in cubicle indicates?
Head rail is too near the kerb causing cows to bang their head when standing up so they learn not to lie in it in the first place
Cows lying diagonally in cubicles indicates?
The cubicle is too wide
If a cow is overhanging the kerb what does this indicate?
Not enough room lengthways, tail in muck, udder hanging over
If a cow is seen ‘dog sitting’ in the cubicle what does this indicate?
Not getting up properly – cubicle dimensions not right
Lesions seen on hocks may indicate what issue?
Insufficient substrate/bedding or the cubicle is too short. May also occur on poor quality shavings
Callus/hair loss on neck may indicate ..?
Low feed barrier
What are the main consequences of standing half in-half out of cubicles?
Excessive standing on hind feet and feet increasingly stood in slurry
-> sole ulcers
-> heel horn erosion
-> increased environmental mastitis
Cows lying backwards or diagonally can have what consequences?
Dung, urine and milk deposited into cubicle -> increased risk of environmental mastitis and high SCC
What type of bedding is unacceptable and will cause pressure sores and pain
Concrete with a light scattering of substrate
Describe mattresses and a bedding choice
Foam
Gel filled
Water fille
Describe sand as a bedding choice
Hygienic
Requires daily raking and repositioning to avoid waste
Which bedding choice can increase the risk of streptococcus uberis?
Deep straw
Describe suitable lighting in housing to maximise yield
16-18hours per day (160-200 lux) -> maximum feed intake and milk production
Alternate with dark periods – enough light to move around and exhibit normal behaviour
Describe the types of floor grooving seen in housing
- Parallel lines 40mm apart, 6-10mm deep and each groove 10mm wide
- Squares or diamonds similarly measured
- The slope of the floor should be between 1.5-3% and grooving used to improve traction
How many rows of cubicles should there be per feed barrier?
2
Describe an appropriate building design for housed cattle
- 2.4m passage through every 20 cubicles as well as at the ends
- No dead ends
- 3m passage between cubicles and a 4.3m feed passage
- Central and peripheral feed passages
- Adequate feed rail height
- Smooth surface underneath feed = eat more
What is the stack effect essential for?
Air movement
The stack effect requires which features?
- Inlet area in walls
- Outlet above the inlets i.e. root outlets
- Enough body mass and heat to move the air
