Dairy Final

How many pounds of water are required to make 1 pound of milk?

4-4.5

How much of milk is water?

87%

How much of the body weight is water?

56-81%

What factors influence water intake?

• physiological state

• milk yield

• DMI

• diet composition

• body size

• ambient temperature

• humidity

• wind velocity

How much water should lactating cows consume?

30 to 50 gallons/day OR 255 to 425 lbs/day

What are the primary sources of water?

• drinking water- 60-80% (free water intake)

• feed moisture -25-35%

How much water should calves consume?

1.3 to 3.5 gallons/day

How does heat effect water intake?

water trough visits increase from 8 to 16 times/day

When is most of water consumed?

• during day (75%)

• within 2 hours of milking/feeding (25%)

• 10 total minutes of drinking/day

• immediately after milking (10%)

Water troughs

• 3.5 inches/cow

• at least 2 waterers/pen

• 12 feet clearance around waterer

• 24-32 inches above standing surface (raised)

• guardrail 24 inches above water (keep cows out!)

• 6-7 gallons/minute capacity

• no more than 50 feet from feed lane

• 1-2 fee linear space/cow (parlor return)

Water quality

• total dissolved solids should be below 1,000 mg/L

• sample yearly

Why should you not use softened water for calves?

high Na disrupts calf electrolyte balance

Kansas Water right allocations

• water permit needed if using more than 15 acre-feet per year

• Most KS dairies need a permit

Dairy location and water

• Large diaries in KS are located where water resources are available

• there is opportunity to establish in southeast KS, but water wells are smaller (more required)

Goal of vaccinations

Provide general level of herd immunity to minimize spread or severity of clinical illness

Common vaccinations on dairies

Viral

• Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)

• Bovine herpesvirus (BHV-1)

• Parainfluenza-3 (PI3)

• Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV)

• Infectious rhinotracheitis virus (IBR)

Bacterial

• Leptospira serovars

• Endotoxin vaccine for coliform mastitis

Others given on farm-farm basis

Neonatal calves vaccination program

• Oral vaccine at birth and 30 minutes before colostrum (bovine rotavirus and coronavirus)

• May use injectable in dam instead to increase colostrum antibodies

Pre-breeding heifers vaccination program

• IBR, BVD, PI-3. BRSV

• Leptospirosis, clostridial

Brucellosis

• contagious, infectious disease

• spontaneous abortion, reduced production, infertility

• effectively eradicated in US

• may be required for entry of breeding animals to certain states

• vaccinate heifers between 4 to 12 months of age- by vet permanent tattoo and ID

Pre-calving vaccination program

• 60 days pre-calving

  • IBR, BVD, PI-3, BRSV, leptospirosis and clostridial

  • annually

• 21 days pre-calving

  • E. coli mastitis and calf diarrhea diseases (if not giving intranasal)

Internal parasites

• deworm heifers

• confined cows do not require deworming

Flies

• can reduce daily milk yield up to 30%

• $13 to $85 annual loss/cow

Fly control

• Sanitation

• sticky tape

• Parasitic wasps

• oral larvacides

Use combo of all methods to increase effectiveness and avoid resistance

What hormones are used in synchronization protocols?

GnRH, FSH, LH, and PGF2a

Days to First Service

From calving to first breeding. 65-75 days

Heat Detection Rate

Detecting to be bred. 50%-60% (visual) and 60-70% (synch)

Preg Rate

22-25%

Conception Rate

40% overall (50% 1st service)

Services/Pregnancy

How many times to breed for pregnancy

<2.5 

Calving Interval

Time between Calvings

<13 mo

Average Days Open

Days not pregnant

<120 days

Estrus Cycle Duration

Heifers: 21 days

Lactating: 23 days

Duration of Estrus

Heifers: 13.8 hours

Lactating: 8.7 hours

Double Ovulation %

Heifers: 1.9

Lactating: 17.9

Twinning Rate %

Heifers: 1

Lactating: 8

Pregnant/AI %

Heifers: 74.4

Lactating: 39.0

Major goal of reproductive programs on Daires

Maximize pregnancy/AI (pregnancy rate)

-AI service rate

-Conception rat

What questions should you ask when designing a Reproductive Management Program?1

How and when are cows submitted for first insemination?

How and when are nonpregnant cows identified and re-inseminated?

Heat Detection Rate

# of cows inseminated over 21 days / # of cows eligible to be bred over 21 days

Conception Rate

# of cows pregnant / # of cows inseminated

Pregnancy Rate

Heat detection rate x conception rate

Voluntary Waiting Period

Time between calving and DIM at which breeding can commence. Allows for uterine involution and overcome negative energy balance. Industry standard- 80 days, min: 60

Breeding Strategies

1. Let the bull do it

2. Detection of Estrus

3. Timed AI

Detection of Estrus

Historic strategy with implementation of AI

Major limitations: time to monitor estrus daily

cow biology: greater producers = shorter estrus, ovulation without estrus, ovulation failure, not in estrus

Timed AI

Inseminate Cows at a fixed time. Overcome need for visual detection of estrus. Synchronization protocol to control ovarian cycle. Breed all cows on the same day of week

Benefits of Timed AI

Reduces days to 1st services vs estrus detection

Increases % pregnant at 60 and 100 DIM

Presynch program

Try to synchronize cows before ovsynch. Fewer injections and costs

breed off signs of estrus during presynch. combined with ovsynch

can increase conception 10-20%

does not work on anovulatory cows

Double Ovsynch

Helps promote ovulation in non-ovulatory cows

Increases progesterone concentrations

increases number of injections required

do not breed on signs of estrus

Ideal pregnancy test

1. High sensitivity

2. high specificity

3. inexpensive

4. simple

5. ability to diagnosis at time test is preformed

Pregnancy Tests

• Direct test- Gold standard

  • transrectal palpation, ultrasonography

• Indirect test

  • Prenancy associated glycoproteins

    • Blood or milk

  • test at 32 days post breeding, recheck at 74

  • delay in diagnosis-sent to lab

How many days after AI should you preg check?

32 to 39 days, recheck 4-6 weeks later and at dry off

Resynchronization

When the cow is not pregnant after AI. Administer G1 1 week before preg diagnosis, breed 3 days after preg check

Sexed Semen

Y chromosome has 4% less DNA than X, sorted through flow cytometry - 90% accuracy

What are the benefits of sexed semen?

• Can practice greater genetic selection

• Excess females can be sold for income

• Can focus use on heifers to minimize genetic interval

Disadvantages of Sexed Semen

• reduction in fertility

• greater cost per unit

• may limit use mostly to fertile heifers

Should you raise more heifers than you need?

No! Expensive

Why is sexed semen primarily used in heifers?

• better conception

• greatest genetic value

Beef on dairy

Use beef semen on: low genetic merit dairy cows/heifers, cows that have been bred multiple times and not conceived

How do you calculate the number of replacement heifers needed?

Annual heifers retained= herd size x (age@1st calving/24) x cull rate x (1 + heifer non-completion rate)

Heifer non-completion rate

% of heifers born on farm that leave before first calving

Neonatal calf care

• Separate from dam within 1 hour

  • Reduce time to pick up pathogens

  • ensure adequate colostrum intake

• Dip naval cord

  • 7% iodine solution

  • Prevention of infected navals

Feeding calves

• No developed immune system

• newborn gut is permeable for 4-6 hours, complete closure 24 hrs

• excess colostrum should be frozen for when needed

Immunoglobulins

Antibodies in colostrum, absorbed across gut wall, necessary for the first 2 weeks

What are the 3 types of immunoglobulins?

• IgG 80-85%

• IgA 8-10%

• IgM 5-12%

Goal for colostrum feeding

1 gallon fed within 1-2 hours

How much immunoglobulins do calves need?

at least 100 g IgG

What tool is used to measure IgG in colostrum?

Hygrometer (colostrmeter)

Colostrum should be free of:

Johne’s and E. coli

Should colostrum be pasteurized?

No!

How do you know if calf received needed immunoglobulin levels?

Measure calf blood total protein with refractometer >5.2 g total protein or >8.2 (digital)

90% of calves should achieve this by 1-7 days of age

Feeding Milk Replacer- Traditional

• expensive

• wean at 6-8 weeks

• transition to calf starter at weaning-cheaper

• dry feed with grain and protein supplement

• very palatable and high texture

• wean from milk when consuming 2 lbs/day

• starter should be available from 2 weeks of age

Methods for feeding calves

• Individual hutch with bottle

• Robotic feeder-group housing

Accelerated calf growth programs

• require high-protein milk replacer

• feed 2-2.5 lbs of powder (double)

• Target: 25-30% CP and 15-30% fat

• protein-high biological value

  • be cautious of plant protein

Accelerated growth results

• reach mature weight faster

• reach puberty earlier (weight less)

• 6x as much mammary parenchyma weight (as a %)

Disadvantages to intensive feeding

• struggle to transition to feed - do not have necessary rumen development

Individual Calf Housing

• Historic method

• prevents disease transfer

• monitor health & intake

• Challenges:

  • Labor intensive

  • feeding intervals

  • social development

Group Housing

Benefits:

• social development

• weaning pen transition

• feeding labor

• costs

Risks:

• disease transfer

• higher incidence of respiratory disease

• disease detection

• control of intake

• cross sucking

• groups of <7 have less risk

Automated feeding system

Benefits:

• control

• information

• benefits

Risks

• cost

• disease

• skills

• maintenance

• milk replacer quality

ABCDEFGs of Healthy Calves

Attention to detail

Bedding

Cleanliness

Dry

Environment

Feeding Utensils

Growth success

What are the goals of raising heifers?

• cheap

• adequate lean growth

  • weight at breeding and calving

• maintain adequate body condition

  • excessive BCS decreases milk yield

What is the most expensive part of raising heifers?

feed

Heifer raising costs

• $$$

• must pay for pre-lactation costs after calving before she makes a profit

• don’t raise more heifers than needed

• 80 lbs/ day @ $22.50/cwt = $18 $2651 (raising cost)/$18 = 147 days to pay for costs

Target breeding weight

13-15 months

55% mature body weight

target calving weight

22-24 months

90-95% mature body weight

95% mature height

Why is excessive weight gain a problem for heifers?

• deposit more fat than lean tissue

• directly impairs mammary development

• calving problems

• metabolic disorders

• unnecessary costs

  • Rapid growth in the first 7 weeks is not the problem

Suggested weights and heights for breeding-age heifers

Holstein- 750-800 lbs, 48-50 inches (withers), 50-52 inches (hip)

Jersey- 525-575 lbs, 43-45 inches (withers), 45-47 inches (hip)

Weight at first claving

• milk yield is reduced if heifers do not reach 90% mature weight by calving

• mammary gland competing with energy for growth

Dry period

Period between cessation of lactation and initiation of next lactation.

Reasons:

• regenerate mammary cells

• prepare for calving/next lactation

• re-establish body condition

Length of dry period

45-60 days

Determined by:

• management decisions

• level of production (higher producers have to be dried later)

• calving date

Dry off

• Infuse antibiotics to prevent post-dry off infection

• Infuse sealant to prevent leakage and provide barrier to pathogen enter

Dry off steps

1. Milk

2. disinfect teat end with alcohol wipe

3. insert tube tip into teat end

4. massage upwards into mammary gland

5. repeat 2 and 3 for sealant

Dry off considerations-high production

if greater than 30 lbs/day, wait, reduce milking freq., reduce energy intake, new product that uses metabolic changes to reduce milk production

Manage dry period body condition

Goal: maintain

heavily rely on forages- cheap

controlled energy diets

3.0-3.5 BCS

Dry period phases

Far-off dry period

• first 4-5 weeks

• udder involution is occurring

Close-up dry period

• final 3 weeks

• feed specialized diet

• udder development is occurring

• intensive management

Prepartum DMI

Declined, esp. immediately before calving

• calf growing rapidly

• insulin resistance

Why is prepartum nutrition so important?

Can alleviate postpartum challenges

Hypocalcemia

• low blood calcium

• <2 mmol/L or 8 mg/dL

• High demand for Ca at calving, 10 to 30 g/day

• very costly

Hypocalcemia Prevention

• Low Ca diet

  • stimulate PTH

  • low quality forages

  • used when low DCAD is difficult to achieve

• Mineral binders in diet

  • same as low Ca diet

  • bad bc may also bind other minerals

• Negative/low DCAD diet

  • feed more anions than cations

  • Cl and S

  • induces metabolic acidosis

  • low K forages is key

What is important to monitor if using DCAD program?

Weekly urine pH (ideally 6-7)

What challenges face the cow during the transition period?

• Increased nutrient demand -lactation

• Stress

  • Calving

  • environment- pen changes

  • diet

  • immune depression