Understanding underperformance in dairy herd

Question 1

Define KPI

Answer 1

Key Performance indicator

Question 2

What objectives can be used to investigate dairy herd performance?

Answer 2

• replacement heifer rearing
• calving
• care of young calf
• fertility
• culling
• low milk yields

Question 3

Outline aims for heifers at service

Answer 3

• aim to calve at 24 months

- service at 15 months, weight 375kg, height 132cm

Question 4

Outline calving score

Answer 4

0 no hand touches calf
1 hand touches but no rope
2 rope is used, gentle pull
3 rope is used and hard pull
4 caesarian
* AIM for score 3 and 4

Question 5

What is life birth rate and aims for this?

Answer 5

= % calves born which are alive and survive for 24 hours

• COW: 97%
• HEIFER: 92%

Question 6

What to analyse in calving records?

Answer 6

• consider cows and heifers separately
• analyse by bull/sire
• analyse by sex of calf
• analyse by operator

Question 7

How long can you leave a cow/heifer that is straining?

Answer 7

• COW 1 hour

- HEIFER 1.5 hours

Question 8

Outline care of calf at birth?

Answer 8

• immediately dip navel
• 7% iodine and totally immerse
• repeat after 24 hours
• absorption better when suckled from dam or consumed in dam’s presence
• 6L colostrum in 12 hours (2L in 1 hour, 2L within 6h, 2L within next 6 hours)

Question 9

Outline storage of colostrum

Answer 9

• keep at 4 degrees
• freeze immediately in a packet with high surface area to volume ration, plastic pocket
• thaw at 37 degrees

Question 10

How to monitor colostrum quality?

Answer 10

• TP (lab, satisfactory is 55g/L or 5.5g/dl)
• zinc sulphate turbidity test (VLA)
• blood sample healthy calves at 2-7 days
• clotted red tube for serum
• send to lab or use refractometer

Question 11

What determines calf milk replacer (CMR) feeding success?

Answer 11

• how it is prepared

- how much is fed (litres, kg powder, /day or /feed, what concentration is fed)

Question 12

How do you prepare CMR properly?

Answer 12

• hygiene essential
• 125g/L, 2 litres BID (i.e. 12.5%, common %)
• 150g/L, 2.5 litres BID (i.e. 15%)

Question 13

Describe concentrate feeding

Answer 13

• maximise calf concentrate intake by time of weaning
• should be eating at least 1 kg of concentrate/day, then can wean
• weaning must not be a time where calves are starved into eating concentrate

Question 14

Target and interference for calving index

Answer 14

• target 365d

- interference >380 days

Question 15

Target and interferenec for earliest service date (ESD)

Answer 15

• target 50d

- interfere

Question 16

Target and interference for calving - 1st conception interval

Answer 16

• target 65d

- interference >75 days

Question 17

Target and interference for calving - conception interval

Answer 17

• target 85 days

- interference >95 days

Question 18

Target conception rate -first servie

Answer 18

-__

Question 19

Target conception rate - all services

Question 20

Aim 120 day in calf rate

Answer 20

& cows pregnant at 120d post-calving (aim >64%)

Question 21

Aim 210 day not in calf rate

Answer 21

% cows not pregnant 210d post-calving (aim

Question 22

Define longevity

Answer 22

length of time a cow spends in a herd based on number of lactations (average is 3 lactations)

Question 23

What is the biggest cull loss?

Answer 23

the heifer which leaves the herd before the end of its first lactation

Question 24

How to analyse culls

Answer 24

• reason
• lactation/age
• days in milk

Question 25

How to investigate low milk yield?

Answer 25

• compare against expectation
• always consider with fat% and protein%
• fat acidosis - SARA
• protein (long-term energy deficiency)

Question 26

Howto analyse feed?

Answer 26

• sufficient trough space
• food palatable
• silage face management
• is it ‘heating’ when fed

Question 27

What is the minimum space allowances per calf if

Answer 27

The legal requirement is for 1.5m2 minimum area per calf. The minimum legal stocking density remains the same up until the calves are 150kg, but the recommended and preferred area increases such that it is recommended that calves of 45kg or less have 2m2, those from 45-100kg have a recommended area of 3m2 per calf and those of 100-150kg have a recommended area of 4m2 per calf.

Question 28

Minimum space allowances per calf 150-200kg (in m2)

Answer 28

Between 150-100kg minimum legal area is 2m2 per calf, recommended is 5m2 per calf at this size.

Question 29

Minimum space allowances per calf if 200kg (in m2)

Answer 29

Minimum legal requirement to give the calf 3m2per animal, the recommended space allowance is actually 6m2 per animal

Question 30

How to work out stocking densities in buildings?

Answer 30

use indoor areas as this is where animals will huddle if it is raining or cold.

Question 31

Can calves how too low a stocking density?

Answer 31

Yes - Remember that understocking is also an issue as this will mean that you get cold calves and where a shed relies on hear from the animals for airflow, ventilation may be insufficient due to understocking.

Question 32

Are cubicles for cows measuring 0.9*1.89 sufficient?

Answer 32

probably sufficient for animals of just under 300kg. They are probably too small for the animals once they reach optimum service weight of 400kg. Cubicle training beneficial but cubicles shouldn’t be too small/big. Aim to have 10% cubicles free at any one time.

Question 33

What % cubicles should be free at a given point?

Answer 33

10%

Question 34

At what point is FPT a herd problem?

Answer 34

if >33% calves have TSP