Mastitis: Cattle Housing and Mastitis Flashcards
Why are cows housed?
- Need continued production and health
- Grass growth ceases
- Weland becomes poached
- Newly growing grass easily damaged
- Increase use of TMR and avoidance of grazed grass- control of nutrition
Below what temperature soes grass stop growing?
below 5 degrees
What are the basic needs of housing?
- Lying area- cubicles, straw
- Loafing area- oestrus behaviour
- Feed space
What feed space is required?
- 60cm per milking cow- RT
- 90cm per dry cow- RT
- RSPCA 75-100cm
Why is safe flooring and passageways required?
- Reduce injury risk
- Encourage mounting
- Uphill and into light
How much water trough space is needed?
What pattern for drinking is optimal?
- 10cm/cow for 10% herd
- Diurnal pattern- sunset and post milking
What are the two options for house design?
Loos housing
Cubicle
- What is used for bedding in loose housing?
- What cows are more commonly kept in loose housing?
- What shape is optimal for space?
- What kind of mastitis has increased risk?
- How can water be supplied?
- Straw ± sand
- Dry, calving, transition
- Rectangle
- Environmental
- Outside feed barrier, restricted passage, clear divide
What does each cubicle comprise of?
- Concrete base
- Top layer
- Division
- Brisket barrier
- Head rail
minimum 1 per cow 5% more good
What are the aims of cubicles position?
- Comfortable lying/standing
- Slight upward incline
- Dung passed over kerb Minimise pathogen growth
What is the cow comfort quotient?
% cows in cubicle
* over 80% acceptable
* below 50% poor
What disease is increased with poor cubicle design?
Lameness, mastitis, lesions
* Neck, hocks, stifles, back, carpi
* Hock- substrate/bedding/cubicle
* Neck- neck rail too low, feed barrier
* Solar ulceration- slurry
What behaviour is associated with poor cubicle design?
- Cow reversed into cubicles- kerb too high
- Standing with feet in passage- head rail too near kerb
- Cows lying diagonally in cubicles- too wide
- Too far forward, overhanding the kerb, half in/out
- Dog sitting
- Callus/hair loss along spine- insufficient lower rail height
What are the consequences of poor cubicle use?
- Half in/half out causes excessibe standing- solar ulcers
- Feet in slurry more- heel horn erosion, increased environmental mastitis
What are the different choices of beds for cubicles?
- Concrete only- unacceptable
- Rubber mats plus substrate- cheap
- Matresses- foam, gel, water
- 3kg straw/day
- Deep straw- increased strep uberis
- Sand- daily repositioning
- Paper ash- hardens when wet
- Green bedding- recycled maure solid
