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Y4 FA - Mastitis > Cattle housing and mastitis > Flashcards

Cattle housing and mastitis Flashcards

1
Q

What are some reasons for housing cows

A
  • 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
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2
Q

What is the aim of housing cows?

A

Maximise number of cows per unit area of building without compromising welfare and the five freedoms and whilst maintaining production and good health

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3
Q

List the 5 freedoms

A

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

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4
Q

Which type of bedding is best for cow comfort?

A

Sand

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5
Q

How can housing contribute to mastitis?

A

Cows that aren’t being kept in a sufficiently clean environment -> environmental pathogens

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6
Q

What are some features of a desirable cow environment?

A

Light, well ventilated, clean, spare cubicles, no blind ends

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7
Q

What is the space demand a cow needs for rising?

A

0.7-1m

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8
Q

List the basic features needed in cow housing

A
  • 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
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9
Q

What is the required feed space for a milking cow and a dry cow?

A

60cm per milking cow
90cm per dry cow

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10
Q

Loose housing is most commonly used for which cows?

A

Most commonly dry cows, calving area, transition cows

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11
Q

Describe hygiene in loose housing

A

Wet warm straw (urine, slurry, trough overflow, running milk) = ‘bug food’ = bacterial stew
Increased environmental mastitis risk

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12
Q

How much space does a cow require per 1000kg of milk prduction?

A

1.3m^2

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13
Q

What % of housing should be bedding vs loafing space in loose housing?

A

70% bed, 30% loafing

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14
Q

How can hygiene in loose housing be improved?

A

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

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15
Q

When should cleaning frequency in loose housing be increased?

A

Increase the frequency of cleaning if:
- Disease prevalence increases
- The area fails the squelch test
- The bedding is hot to touch deep inside

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16
Q

What is the main impact of a cow drinking less?

A

Decreased milk yield

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17
Q

Describe a suitable water supply for cows in loose housing

A
  • 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
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18
Q

Each cow cubicle is composed of which parts?

A
  • Concrete base
  • Top layer with bedding: mattress, sand, straw
  • Division
  • Brisket board
  • Head rail
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19
Q

How can you test is the cubicle bed is comfy enough for a cow?

A

Knee test

20
Q

What is the purpose of the head rail in a cubicle, when can it cause issues?

A
  • 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
21
Q

How could cow behaviour indicate that head rails are positioned incorrectly?

A

Cows are seen standing half in/half out of a cubicle

22
Q

What are the aims of cubicle design?

A
  • Comfortable lying/standing
  • Slight upward incline kerb-front
  • Dung passed over kerb with minimum deposited on cubicle rear
  • Minimise pathogen growth
23
Q

At least what % of cows should be lying down/interacting with a cubicle (CCQ)?

A

Less than 50% = poor
More than 80% is acceptable

24
Q

How can the cow comfort quotient be calculated?

A

number of cows correctly interacting with a cubicle/number of cows interacting at all with a cubicle X100

25
Q

SUI stand for?

A

Stall use index
= the proportion of cows that are in the pen, not feeding, and that are lying down in the stalls

26
Q

SSI stands for?

A

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

27
Q

Which factors provide evidence of poor cubicle design/use?

A

Increased disease
- Lameness
- Mastitis
- Lesions – neck, hock, stifles, back
Behavioural

28
Q

If a cow has reversed into a cubicle, what does this indicate?

A

Too high a kerb as cows dislike reversing down a steep step, prefer to reverse upwards and descend forwards

29
Q

A cow standing with hind feet in passage and fore feet in cubicle indicates?

A

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

30
Q

Cows lying diagonally in cubicles indicates?

A

The cubicle is too wide

31
Q

If a cow is overhanging the kerb what does this indicate?

A

Not enough room lengthways, tail in muck, udder hanging over

32
Q

If a cow is seen ‘dog sitting’ in the cubicle what does this indicate?

A

Not getting up properly – cubicle dimensions not right

33
Q

Lesions seen on hocks may indicate what issue?

A

Insufficient substrate/bedding or the cubicle is too short. May also occur on poor quality shavings

34
Q

Callus/hair loss on neck may indicate ..?

A

Low feed barrier

35
Q

What are the main consequences of standing half in-half out of cubicles?

A

Excessive standing on hind feet and feet increasingly stood in slurry
-> sole ulcers
-> heel horn erosion
-> increased environmental mastitis

36
Q

Cows lying backwards or diagonally can have what consequences?

A

Dung, urine and milk deposited into cubicle -> increased risk of environmental mastitis and high SCC

37
Q

What type of bedding is unacceptable and will cause pressure sores and pain

A

Concrete with a light scattering of substrate

38
Q

Describe mattresses and a bedding choice

A

Foam
Gel filled
Water fille

39
Q

Describe sand as a bedding choice

A

Hygienic
Requires daily raking and repositioning to avoid waste

40
Q

Which bedding choice can increase the risk of streptococcus uberis?

A

Deep straw

41
Q

Describe suitable lighting in housing to maximise yield

A

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

42
Q

Describe the types of floor grooving seen in housing

A
  • 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
43
Q

How many rows of cubicles should there be per feed barrier?

A

2

44
Q

Describe an appropriate building design for housed cattle

A
  • 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
45
Q

What is the stack effect essential for?

A

Air movement

46
Q

The stack effect requires which features?

A
  • Inlet area in walls
  • Outlet above the inlets i.e. root outlets
  • Enough body mass and heat to move the air

Y4 FA - Mastitis (6 decks)

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