Dairy Cow Management and Production

What changes have occured in the last 5-10 years in UK dairy farming?

Increased herd size, decreased manpower, increased milk yields

What are the operational costs of a dairy farm? (7)

Crop production, labor, replacement rearing, nutrition, milk production, machinery, animal health

What proportion of revenue on a dairy farm comes from milk sales?

85-90%

What is the single most important biological event for a dairy farmer?

A pregnancy (and successful parturition)

What is the highest percentage of costs spent on for diary farmers in the bottom 25%?

Herd replacement costs

The general concept of production medicine is based around two systems…

Explain how profits can be maintained (in general).

Broken biology → develop a problem → correct the problem

The general concept of production medicine is based around two systems…

Explain how new profits can be achieved.

New understanding of biology → new opportunities → __

What is considered the “profit period” of dairy cows?

Day 0 to 170 post partum

What is considered the “break even period” of dairy cows?

Day 170-250

What is considered the “loss period” of dairy cows?

250-300 (Dry period)

How long is the targeted dry period of dairy cows?

60 days

When do dairy cows experience an energy gap/deficit?

Week zero to ~week 18 of lactation

Why should we monitor dairy herds?

To find if something is broken and to determine if managment changes are beneficila or not

What types of data can we provide for monitoring dairy farms?

Data with a range of values and binary data

What BCS are we aiming for in our dairy cows at dry-off?

3.25-3.75

What BCS are we aiming for in our dairy cows at calving?

3.25-3.75

What BCS are we aiming for in our dairy cows at early lactation?

2.5-3.25

What BCS are we aiming for in our dairy cows at mid lactation?

2.75-3.25

What BCS are we aiming for in our dairy cows at late lactation?

3-3.5

What BCS are we aiming for in our growing dairy heifers?

2.75-3.25

What BCS are we aiming for in our heifers at calving?

3.25-3.75

Why do we not want overconditioned cows in dairy farms?

They have poorer performance, longer period of negative energy balance, higher incidence of fatty liver and metritis and metabolic diseases

Poorer total lactational milk yield

What is the biggest difference between overcondition cows and "healthy BCS cows?

Much worse first service conception rate

What are the problems seen with thin cows at calving?

Poor yield, poor persistency of lactation, poor fertility, immune suppression

At 50-100 days in milk, what proportion of the herd should be pregnant?

50%

At 200 days in milk what proportion of cows should be open?

10% or less

By 100 days in milk a cow should ahve produced __ of her annual profit

50%

When will a cow have peak lactation?

6 weeks post calving to 12 weeks post calving

After peak lactation, how quickly will the lactating dairy cow milk yield drop off by?

2.2% per week

What are the two most important reasons a cow leaves the dairy?

Infertility and Mastitis

What proportion of the herd is replaced each year?

1/3

Replacing a cow too early is __

Replacing a cow too late is __

Expensive, expensive

If you are working with a dairy farm with high cull rates, low calf losses, and good heifer raising what is the trajectory of this farm?

Herd expansion

What activities should be charted when monitoring dairy herds?

Eating, lying, social time, drinking, milking, management

Why is cow comfort important?

Reduces stress and allows “natural patterns”

What can cause a dairy cow to exhibit stress?

Hunger, thirst, socail change/separation, lameness, disease

What requirements tdo dairy cows have for being happy?

Feed quality and accessibility, water quality and accessibility, adequate space, light, air, and rest

Time to compensate

What is the activity that a well cared for cow will spend 12 hours a day doing?

Lying

What are three ways to emasure cow comfort?

Lying index

Free-stall use index

Cow comfort index

What does the lying index quantify??

Number of cows lying/ total number of cows in the pen

What does the free-stall use index quantify?

Number of cows lying/ Total number of cows lying or standing but not eating/drinking

What does the cow comfort index quantify?

Number of cows lying/total number of cows lying or standing in a stall

When using the freestall use index, what proportion of cows should be lying down at a given time?

90% or greater

When using the freestall use index, what proportion of cows should be standing in the stalls at a given time?

5% or less

What are the top four breeds in dairy farms?

Holstein/Friesian, Guernsey, Jersey, and Ayrshire

What are some important considerations when managing bulls/considering owning one or some?

Human safety is a priority, how many bulls are needed, where are the bulls coming from, Bio-security considerations, how will bulls fertility be evaluated, will bulls be housed with cows, when will breeding begin, etc.

Why may natural servicing from bulls potentially lead to increased costs?

Inbreeding (eventually), dystocia, limited genetic progress

What are the 10 myths of natural service?

The best herds are doing it, herd bulls make more pregnancies, bulls are better heat detectors, young bulls produce no calving problems, bulls ahve minimal health risks, bull PTA’s are better than average, bulls lower the potential of inbreeding, using bulls reduces breeding costs, bulls are safe

BULLS ARE SAFE!?!?

If you have a mature bull, how many open cows do you expect him to be able to service naturally?

35 to 50

If you have a 2 year old bull, how many open cows do you expect him to be able to service naturally?

25 to 35

If you have a 15 to 20 month bull, how many open cows do you expect him to be able to service naturally?

10 to 20

On a breeding soundness exam, what should the minimum scrotal circumference of naturally servicing bulls be?

>34 cm

How can bulls detect cows in heat?

mostly by sight, some by smell/olfactory detection

What are the typical energy requirements for a 600kg dairy cow?

200-210 MJ/day