Dairy Cattle Husbandry Flashcards
What is the aim of the UK dairy industry?
to produce profitable milk that is safe to consume under high standards of welfare
Side by side systems vs herringbone systems for milking
In herringbone systems, you can’t finish until the cow in front is done
What is the average age of breeding in a cow?
15 months
What is the average age of calving in a cow?
24 months
How long is the average cow pregnancy?
9 months
What is the average length of lactation?
10 months
What is the average dry period?
2 months
What causes Milk Fever?
Insufficient speed of adaptation so not enough calcium is released for milk production
What is the first option when a cow has milk fever?
Give them a low-calcium diet pre-calving to improve the efficiency of absorption
What is Milk Fever?
They are producing too much milk but they don’t have enough calcium to support it
Why does reducing potassium work?
Helps them mobilise more calcium from their bones
What is the role of magnesium in Milk Fever?
Helps prevent staggers by changing a parathyroid receptor to mobilise more calcium from bones
How long is the average oestrus cycle of a cow?
21 days
What is the average heat detection rate?
70%
How long is the average calving to conception?
80 to 150 days
How can you tell when a cow has been mounted?
Chalk/Paint rubs off, increased activity on pedometer
When can a vet diagnose pregnancy?
Around 30 days
How do you treat mastitis?
Inject Antibiotics
What is correct parlour hygiene?
Wash teats only if necessary with warm sanitized water, Ensure the teats are dried and that you wash your hands frequently
How can you tell if a cow has mastitis?
Rapid Milk test, test all 4 quarters, Somatic Cell Count, In-line filters
What is the purpose of pre-milk teat dipping?
to achieve an acceptable level of decontamination of teat skin before the milking
What is the purpose of post-milk teat dipping?
To remove bacterial pathogens from skin and skin lesions
What are some ways you can teat dip?
Manually, Automatically, or by manually spraying
what is Dry-Cow Therapy?
Cure of existing intra-mammary infections present at drying off
What is the profitable lifetime index?
How much £ a bull is expected to return from each of its daughters over her lifetime
What is ‘flushing’
collection of the embryos on days 6-8
What is the avg voluntary waiting period?
45 days
How much magnesium should a cow have per day?
40g, this can be hard on spring grass as it does not contain a lot
What is the point of balance in a cow?
its shoulder
What are some environmental issues on farms?
Faeces, Urine and Water management as well as methane and CO2 production
What is the problem with the production of phosphorous, methane and nitrogen
Damages the ecosystems when it gets into the water
What are some key things to look for in milk?
Volume, Low SCC, Milk solids (proteins and fats)
What is the benefit of rotary feeding?
Cows can enter and leave whenever they want
