Diary cows Flashcards
Aus industry
- location driven by where you can grow feed (digestable pasture) high rainfall area
- needs to be good quality feed for good milk production
- ## proximity close to major cities (in order for quick milk supply to city)
what states are these dairy farms in
VIC has 2/3rd of aus dairy cows
- fewer farms with more higher producing cows
what drives the price of milk
- quality
- transport costs (cost of production)
- demand and supply
Walk through dairy
- older method
- disadvantage: humans need to bend over
- low throughput, low volume system
herringbone
- come in a mass and organise themselves (there is food) once milked they leave all at once
- humans don’t need to bend down
- more efficient throughput
- can milk a herd of 300
rotary dairy
- more efficient
- a continuous system
- less labour per cow
- automatic cup
- only need 1 labourer to cup the cow
whats a vat
- to store milk in a higenic way to wait for tanker
dairy cows and sources of income
- milk
- older cows get sold for meat
- male calves can’t be milked so they are sold
- heiffer calves excess can be sold
- excess feed can be sold
cost incurred in dairy farming
- growing grass for feed
- cost of land and capital
- fertiliser
- cost of labour
- AI
- animal health treatment
- suplementary feed (grain, which can be a major cost)
- cost of infrastructure
whats the life cycle of a dairy cow?
- first calf at 24 months old
- gestation period 9 months
- stay in heard for 5-6 lactations (depends on the health and productivity of cow)
- produce a calf every 12 months (which allows them to be in sync with the herd, grass growth)
months at which calf is in lifecycle
- Calves : lactating and non pregnant (3mnths)
- Mated: pregnant and lactating (6mths)
Dried off: pregnant, non lactating (3mths)
- Mated: pregnant and lactating (6mths)
single calf facts
- 30-35kg
- 24 hrs with mum
- colostrum (important for calves immune system
when is a Bull calf sold
- sold at 7-14 days
extra heifer calves
- not all needed for replacement
- milk for 8-12 weeks
- weaned
- mated at 15 months
- first calf at 24 months
whats included in a milking herd?
- heifer calves
- mature cows
- dry cows
- breeding bulls
(culled once finished dairy production)
AI use
- used to allow farmers access to a higher quality semen (animal genetics) from an elite bull
- its more cost efficient
role of mop up bull
- will breed with cows who haven’t gotten pregnant
- it enables beef crossed calves which are easy to manage
what is quality of milk
components:
- water 87%
- butter fat 3-4%
- protein 3-3.5% (80% casein, 20% whey)
- carbs 4.9% (lactose)
- minerals (calcium)
- vitamins (especially vitamin A)
what determines the quality of milk?
- butterfat+protein=milk solids
=bulk milk cell count (BMCC) - bacterial count
- freezing point
- residues
- sediment
seasonal calving
- most common in late winter, early spring (cows are calved over a restricted period)
benefits of seasonal calving
- in pasture areas it allows synchronisation with cows lactation curve and the grass growth curve
- utilise different prices of milk throughout the years
- efficient utilisation of labour (only need during one period)
- most efficient
disadvantages of seasonal calving
- if a cow fails to get pregnant then you have to cull
- carry over dry sows
- milk stale cows over dry period
- slows down improvement of herd halted
Split calving system
- 2 or more caalving periods in a year
benefits of split calving
- retains some of the efficiencies of seasonal
- limits the consequences of poor reproductive performance (less carry overtime)
- rather than a cow get preganant late you can delay a bit and have it in the austumn when growth of pasture is still high
- can supply milk in the winter (payment incentive, winter milk prices are higher)
disadvantages of split calving
- more complicated herd management
- poor reproductive performance can become acceptable
- no period of no milking (you need labour whole year which is costly)
year round calving
- the most applicable when there is a steady feed all year round
benefits of all year round calving
- ensures year-round milk supply sought by some milk factories (can take advantage of winter milk prices
disadvantages of year round calving
- prolonged inter calving intervals lead to reduced production
- workload spread over a whole year
what is mastisis
- inflammation of the mammary gland in the udder, typically due to bacterial infection via a damaged teat
- most economically important to dairy industry as it can lead to poor milk quality whcih leads to reduced payment, antibiotic use
- cost of treatment is expensive
- culling cattle
sub clinical mastitis
- no visible changes in milk, udder or cow
- decreased milk porduction
- decreased milk quality
- not generally treated during lactation
- dry cow therapy
what is low input in dairy farming
when pasturing is limiting production (pasture based systems)
what is high-input farming
all year to maximise production (total mixed ratio)
what is good reproductive performance ?
- fewer cows sold because empty or late
- better production in each lactation season
- better production per cow/per year
- more calves and genetic gain
- more efficient pasture use
herd reproductive performance
- calving pattern has major effect on subsequent mating season
- a high proportion of herd must calve in 1st 3 weeks to maximise reproductive perfromance
features of cow management
conception, timing and selection of the right cow
what is the target weight for jersey cows
300-320kg
what is the target weight for friesan cows ?
380-400kg
when should a heifer reach its target mating weight
by 15 months
ideal factors of heifer cows
- calves at 24 months
- conceves 83 days later
- 12 month calving interval
(heifer must calve quickly after planned start of calving if herd reproductive performance is to be maximised
- what is mammogenesis
- growth and development of the mammary gland in preparation for milk production
- lactogenesis
- the process of developing the ability to secrete milk and involves the maturation of mammary cells
- galactopoiesis
- the maintenance of lactation once lactation has been established
- involution
the shrinkage and return of the mammary glands to its inactive state (once cow is dried off)
- post-calving contraction of the uterus and expulsion of fluid and membranes
factors about heat (oestrus) detection
- its needed when using AI
- oestrus detection is a major task of reproductive management
- cows come on heat every 21 days
- at standing heat will see: stand to be mounted, have hari tails ruffled, slobber on back and mucus on tail
what does the successful rearing of calves from birth to weaning depend on
- healthy dams that calve without difficulty
- clean calving area
- early ingestion of good quality colostrum
- comfortable and adequate housing
- adequate nutrition
calving problems
- dystocia (difficulty giving birth)
1. calf is too big
2. malpresentation (cow is the wrong way)
3. calf developmental abnormality
heat detection issues
- cold wet weather
- few cows cycling
- inattention by humans (poorly trained)
heat detection aids
- tail paint (will get rubbed off during mounting)
heat mount detector ( heat pressure sensor bubble will burst) - pedometer
oestrus synchronization
- compact mating periods
- improved heat detection (optimal labour utilisation)
- efficient AI
measuring reproductive performance: primary indices
- 6 week in calf rate: number of calves diagnosed as becoming pregnant during 1st 6 weeks of mating divided by number of cows in herd
- not in calf rate % at end of mating
secondary indices
- 3 weeks submission rate %: of cows that received at least 1 insemination by 3 weeks after MSD
- conception rate % AI insemination that resulted in positive pregnancy test
- 10 day submission rate % of non preganant cows that were submitted for mating in the 1st daus of mating
factors which effect the conception rate and 3 week submission rate
- previous carving pattern: affects SR late cows may not cycle in time for mating start date
- reproductive disease: can increase interval from calving 1st oestrus and lower CR
- nutritional status: affects calving oestrus interval and fertility
- AI: quality of semen used and delivery and handling of semen affect CR
- heat detection: needs to be efficient
- age: heifers and older cows
what bull to select
- breed can’t be too large and temperamentally suited
- size, performance, disease, age
housing of calves
- hutch not really used anymore
- hay shed (keep calves in like groups, those that are born at the same age for management and dieasease control
- dedicated shed
colostrum facts
- material secreted at time of calving
- high % of protein (=antibodies) the calf doesn’t digest antibodies it goes into bloodstream through the gut (good for immune function)
- effective delivery of colostrum most important single act for good calf health (passive immunity)
timing of colostrum
- is only produced by cow for short time after patriuition
- the best colostrum is avialable in 12 hours of giving birth
- the antibodies are only absorbed by the calf for a short time
quality of colostrum
- can vary with age of cow (better if older)
- can vary with breed
- driven by concentration of antibodies
quantity of colostrum
- 2 hours in first 12 hours
failure of colostrum transfer (calf factors)
-inability to digest sufficient colostrum
- weak calf (calving problem)
- inability to stand (calving or congenital)
cleft palate
- removed from mother too soon
failure of colostrum transfer (cow factors)
inacessible teats (cow down or dead)
- poor mothering
- small amounts of colostrum
age dam (heifer poor colostrum)
dripping milk prior to calving
- poor cow immunity
milk source for cows
- frozen and stored or stored at room temp
whole milk: fed once colostrum suplly is finishined - calf milk replaces: usually skim milk, powder and fats and vitamins
milk volume and frequency rec
- lifetime productivity gains can be made by feeing claves greater volumes of milk
- bigger heifer are generally more productive in their first and subsequent lactations and tend to calve more and get back to calving sooner
- 20% BW daily
scourers
- due to infection
- may need electrolyte orally
male dairy calves (bobby calves) selling laws
-at least 5 days old
- must be birght, alert, strong and vigorous
- must be fed within 6 hours of sale
- umbilical cord should be driend and shrivelled
- transported vehicals with enclosed fronts
- must have electronic tag in VIC
-
weaning
- age varies 6-8 weeks
heifer rearing excess
don’t need all dairy breed heifers (keep replacements at least 20-25%
- sell the rest
heifer rearing
- aim of rearing heifers to produce well gwon heifers at critical time of mating
- cope with 1st gestation better
- having a heifer 50 kg heavier at first calcing will produce more milk
common management pre and post weaning
- dehorning
- health (vaccination, drenching)
mating management
- generally mated at 15 months
- aim to achieve min mating weights
Natural vs AI
Natural: good heat detection and low labour requirments BUT rely soley on bull soundness, you need a bull and low genetic progress
Ai: increase genetic progression, dont need bull BUT tricky heat detection, labour required, synchronisation
welfare issues for cows
- calf management (handling, time of weaning)
- lameness
- mastitis
- tail docking
- Conditions of life
Calf docking
- Trying to phase out
- Why cut off tail: to stop mastitis and hitting labourers, milk hygiene
- In australia flies are an issue for docked cows
Rather trim the hair on the tail
Lameness
- Around 5% may have lameness
- Increased by:
· Wet conditions
· Rough or stony laneways for moving cows
· Poor handling, rushing cows on laneways
· Excessive grain in diets
Infectious conditions
- Increased by:
Mastitis
- Around 15% of cows may have an episode of mastitis
- May be increased by:
· Wet conditions
· Milking machine problems
· Poor hygiene in the dairy
Not clearing up previous cases or persistently infected cows
- May be increased by:
Downer cows
- A late pregnant or recently calved cow that is recumbent (lying down on her chest or side) and unable to rise
- A downer cow is an animal health emergency
- Without good nursing secondary damage may occur
Could be due to injury
conditions of daily life are affected by
- Back drop of increasing herd size and intensification
Use technological aids to help monitor cows
