Dairy Cow Flashcards
Fawc five freedoms
1 freedom from fear and stress 2 freedom to express natural behaviour 3 freedom from pain, injury and disease 4 free from hunger, thirst and malnutrition 5 freedom from discomfort
Malnutrition
When cow isn’t getting enough nutrition, cannot see ruman
Ruminating
When cow is lying down and chewing the cud. Regurgitating food, chewing and then re swallowing
Byres
Type of housing - tied up by chains, fed and water in front of them, farmer individually Milks cows, stood up for long times
Brisket board
Prevents cows from sliding too far into cubicles
Green bedding
Solid fraction of slurry, extracting undigested organic fibres, acre press separator, fluffed up and then liquid drained away. Needs to be 35-40% dry matter
Mastitis
Bacterial infection of gland via test duct
Swollen, red, hot, painful, clotted milk
E.coli, staphylococcus aureus, streptococci
TB
Mycobacterium bovis
Respiratory disease
TB testing once a year in high risk areas or every 4 years in low risk areas
Zoonotic notifiable disease
How do they test for TB
Two injections in the neck
1 - bovine tuberculosis (bottom)
2 - avian tuberculosis (top)
Come back 72 hours later, if there is a lump it means it’s positive, no lump means negative
Johne’s disease
Mycobacterium subspecies paratuberculosis
Transmitted through colostrum, teat or faeces
Rapid weight loss and diahorrea
Occurs in first year but clinical signs in 3-4 years
How long does it take to irradiate johnes disease from a farm?
15-20 years
Prevention of johnes disease?
Snatch calving, vaccination, blood and milk testing
Loafing area
Non feed, non lying, non passage way areas where cows can roam free indoors our outdoors
Stress hormone adrenaline and cortisol
Inhibits the release of oxitosin which is the hormone for milk let down
How much water should a lactating dairy cow consume in a day?
70-120 litres
4 metabolic disorders
Milk fever, grass staggers, ketosis, hypomagnesaemia
Which are the best cubical designs
Dutch cantilever and super Dutch comfort
Different types of bedding
Shavings (harbours pathogens) sand (inert compound) green bedding (sustainable but gets dusty in dry weather and sloppy in wet weather)
5 clinical signs of mastitis
Hot, red, painful, swollen, clotted milk
How can lameness be prevented?
Foot trimming, foot baths, slurry management, cubicle design, cow tracks
Which hormone is inhibited when dairy cow is stressed?!
Oxitosin - milk lowering hormone
Good conditions causing lameness
Digital dermatitis, laminitis, white line diseases, slurry heal
