Udder health when drying off and at herd level supported by sensor systems

/in , /by

 

Sensor systems currently are used to identify cows with signs of clinical mastitis. However, sensor systems have much more potential to support the farmers’ operational management of udder health.

Cows needing attention at drying off typically have an intramammary infection and need to be identified for appropriate treatment as part of a selective dry cow therapy program. Because there are disadvantages to both false positive and false negative alerts, the sensitivity and specificity of sensor systems should be equally high (over 90%). Alerts should be provided at an appropriate time (a few days before drying off) and detection performance should be reasonable.

Monitoring of udder health at the farm level can be done by combining sensor readings from all cows in the herd. Novel herd-level key performance indicators can be developed to monitor udder health daily. Disturbances at the group or herd level can be detected more quickly by utilizing sensor-based key performance indicators. Sensitivity should be reasonably high and because of the costs for further analysis of false positive outcomes, the specificity should be at least 99.5%. Moreover, sensor-based key performance indicators may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of dry cow and lactational therapy.

How can the management of clinical and subclinical mastitis be supported by sensor systems?

/in , /by

Current sensor systems aim to detect cows with abnormal milk or mastitis. Although they may be less accurate than visual detection in detecting clinical mastitis, sensor systems have the advantage of multiple measurements per day. Mastitis detection, however, should be approached from a need to intervene (management support) perspective rather than based on clinical mastitis paradigms.

Cows with severe clinical mastitis need to be identified and treated properly as fast as possible. Sensor systems should have a very high sensitivity (at least 95%), combined with a high specificity (at least 99%) within a narrow time window (maximum 12 hours) to ensure that close to all cows with true cases are detected quickly. Since very sick animals may not visit a milking robot, detection algorithms need to take additional data into account, not only milk sensor data.

Cows that do not need immediate attention have a risk of progressing into severe clinical mastitis. However, they should get the chance to cure spontaneously under close monitoring. Intervention is needed for cows at risk of developing chronic mastitis, leading to production losses and increased risk of pathogen transmission. Sensor alerts should have a reasonable sensitivity (at least 80%) and a high specificity (at least 99.5%). The time window may be relatively long (around 7 days). Additional actions may contain further diagnostic testing.

The 7 important and individual steps in the optimal cleaning and disinfection protocol for livestock barns 

/in , , , , /by

 

Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) of livestock barns between production cycles is crucial in achieving a good farm biosecurity. Optimal C&D takes 7 individual steps that need to be executed chronologically!

  1. Start with dry cleaning the barn to remove coarse manure, emptying feeders and waterlines, and removing finer dirt . The less organic material remains, the more efficient the C&D will be, saving product, water and time.
  2. In step 2 the barn is soaked first only with water and next with water and detergent for better dissolving of fats and dirt. Foam is to be preferred for its longer contact time, better visibility and effectiveness. Foam the barn from floor to ceiling upwards for longer contact time. Leave enough time for the foam to work on the dirt before the next step of rinsing with a high pressure washer between 50 and 120 bar.
  3. Rinse the barn from ceiling to floor downwards to prevent recontamination of the cleaned upper surfaces.
  4. Next, very important is step 4: drying before disinfection. Make sure to clear feeders and drinking cups from rinsing water and dry the floor. It is crucial to prevent dissolution of the disinfection product to ensure its efficacy!
  5. Disinfection in step 5 can be done in various ways: wet, thermal disinfection, foam, fumigation or combinations. Also all loose material, central corridors, technical and office rooms, clothing and footwear need C&D.
  6. Step 6 is drying of the disinfection solution. Rinse the animal feeders and drinkers to prevent the incoming animals to ingest any disinfection product.
  7. The last step, whilst very important is often overlooked: testing the efficacy of your C&D protocol which should not be limited to visual inspection but ideally involves taking bacteriological swabs to assess the pathogen load in the barn.

Practical aspects of milking dairy cows

/in , /by

Milking dairy cows is a complex action, which has to take into account the physiological aspects of the animal, hygiene, quantity and quality of milk, as well as the work ergonomics. The milking of dairy cows must be carried out within a specified time (8 min), which coincides with the secretion of the oxytocin hormone, which is responsible for the ejection of milk. Workers are careful that the milking is complete, to extract the entire amount of milk and fat, and to prevent mastitis. Those who carry out milking must ensure that the milking machine does not cause pain to the animal, as it may retain milk. Also, the physiology of milking is very complex and involves many factors that favor the ejection and evacuation of milk.

Regardless of the milking system adopted, the practical performance of milking involves the observance of some basic rules: the cows are milked at the same hours of the day and at regular intervals; milking is carried out quietly, in similar environmental conditions. These rules aid the development of favourable conditioned reflexes, and avoid triggering the mechanisms of inhibition of milk ejection (adrenaline synthesis). The training of milking staff is directly related to the efficiency of milking (a worker serves 30-35 cows per hour) and milk and udder hygiene (it is very important to clean teats before the start of milking and at the end of milking). The degree of hygiene is quantified by the total number of germs and the number of somatic cells.

Sensor technology and data monitoring in dairy cows

/in , /by

 

Sensors that can measure physiological, behavioral and production indicators in dairy cows (milk yield, temperature, animal’s activity, etc.) may assist farmers to improve animal health and welfare and identify diseased cows earlier.

Currently there are different sensors available on the market, such as sensor systems for mastitis detection (e.g. electrical conductivity), oestrus detection for dairy cows, oestrus detection for youngstock, and other sensor systems (e.g. weighing platform, rumination time sensor, temperature sensor, milk temperature sensor, etc.).

These technologies and their adoption provide benefit to farmers by frequently monitoring dairy cattle without disturbing natural behavioral expression. The implementation of these tools via e.g. computer-controlled programs can become valuable instruments for improving detection rates, gaining insights into the fertility level of the herd, improving profitability of the farm, and reducing labor.

For example, clinical mastitis can be predicted by changes in the electrical conductivity of foremilk, enabling early treatment and significantly limiting the severity of the disease. In many cases, it may also prevent the appearance of any visible signs of infection.

On the other hand, a monitoring system based on feeding time of the individual cow can identify changes in feeding activity. It is expected that the farmer’s inspection of dairy cows that change their average feeding time in combination with other monitoring systems, will lead to earlier detection of mastitis and oestrus. Early detection and veterinary treatment of mastitis and oestrus is expected to be beneficial for both cow welfare and farm profitability.

Handling of dead animals: Hydrolysis

/in , , , , /by

 

One of the problems that can break the biosecurity of a farm is the system for collecting dead animals. There is a great risk of spreading disease on the farm via carcass collection vehicles which travel from one farm to another. In addition, because they are fresh carcasses, the risk of being potential disease carriers is high.

A very effective alternative is the hydrolysis of carcasses on the farm. The carcass hydrolysis system provides temporary storage of carcasses and byproducts where the spontaneous phenomena of self-hydrolysis occur. The hydrolysis that takes place in carcass is similar to that which occurs in other organic materials that are susceptible to self-destruction.

With these systems, authorized by the EU (Regulation 749/2011 of 29 July 2011), a specific container is required to perform hydrolysis and store the dead animals for 6 months.

With this system the following is achieved:

  • Limits the microbiological load to inside the hydrolyser on the farm, reducing the potential contamination that this product has to other farms.
  • Decrease the number of collections per year. Going from 100-150 times to 4-6 times.
  • Direct transport is made from the farm to the authorized processing plant. The truck arrives at the farm clean from the processing plant and returns without passing through any other farm.
  • The same hydrolyser container is returned empty, clean and disinfected to the farm of origin, reducing the risk of spreading pathogens.

Choose the right cows for mastitis treatment – do not treat without testing

/in , /by

Traditions for treating mastitis in cows varies but statistics show that most of the antibiotics used in milk-producing herds are used in mastitis treatments.

Many mastitis treatments are without effect. By critically selecting cows for treatment, the efficacy of treatment improves, and antibiotic useage is lowered. Good udder health in the herd requires careful and efficient mastitis management. Classifying cases of mastitis according to severity makes it possible to select the correct cows for antibiotic treatment.

Grade all mastitis incidents by their severity and follow a simple decision tree for each case. The cases can be divided into three categories: mild, moderate and severe cases.

MILD CASES: Visible changes in milk. The udder is soft, the cow generally seems unaffected and has a normal appetite.

MODERATE CASES: Visible changes in milk. The udder is swollen but the cow generally seems unaffected. The appetite and milk yield might be slightly decreased.

SEVERE CASES: Visible changes in milk and a swollen gland. The cow is systemically affected and sick with fever, loss of appetite and severely reduced milk yield. The cow needs intensive care.

Confirm with the vet how to manage the different categories of mastitis, how to treat the individual case and how to follow up by using a simple decision tree.

Support the calf to obtain better vaccination results

/in , /by

Farms specialized in bull calf rearing from a very young age often experience high frequencies of respiratory diseases. Specially during the first month after arrival. Calves are often exposed to radical changes and challenges in this period.

Vaccination could be a useful tool to enhance immunity. In other cases, vaccination seems to weaken the calves and trigger outbreaks of disease, often when calves are stressed. Whenever vaccinating, try to create the best possible conditions for the calf and minimize factors negatively affecting their immunity:

  • Opt for short transport time (max. 1-2 hours) to limit dehydration, hypothermia and exhaustion
  • Avoid mixing calves from different farms on the same truck
  • Insert calves in a clean box
  • Keep calves in small groups – preferably in pairs – at least for the first 6 weeks
  • Avoid mixing calves of different origin in the same box
  • Segregate groups of calves by solid walls or panels
  • Make sure all calves have easy access to fresh water – preferably lukewarm water from a bucket or trough
  • Feed sufficient amounts (minimum 6-7 liters/ day) of good quality milk replacer
  • Start milk feeding on the day of arrival
  • Secure good air quality and avoid draught
  • Avoid moving, mixing, feeding changes and other negative factors 3-4 days before and after vaccination

Intra-nasal vaccines can be applied at the day of arrival. Let other vaccinations wait until the calves are in a positive energy balance (e.g. from 2 weeks after arrival).

Clearing Farm-specific colostrum from Johne’s disease causative MAP bacterium to prevent horizontal cow-calf transfer of paratuberculosis.

/in , /by

Johne’s disease or Paratuberculosis in cattle can cause detrimental productive and economic losses to dairy and beef farms as well as impaired animal welfare in clinical and terminal stages of the disease. Control and eradication of the disease are difficult and lengthy considering the long incubation time of the disease, the infected animals shedding the MAP-bacterium (Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis) long before clinical signs occur and the absence of accurate diagnostics in the early stage of infection.

It is clear that prevention is better than cure. However, in the eradication of the disease it is important to stop direct transfer from the cow to the calf. One aspect of this strategy includes clearing the MAP bacterium from the colostrum of infected cows before feeding it to newborn calves. While colostrum can be pasteurized to kill off bacteria you also risk destructing the much needed maternal antibodies that offer the calves their immunological protection in the first weeks of life.

ILVO’s food pilot has developed a decontamination protocol consisting of different heat treatments and centrifugation steps to clear the colostrum from MAP whilst optimally preserving the antibody count. First the colostrum gets heated up to 53°C for 30 minutes followed by skimming. Next is another heating step up to 70°C for 30 minutes. Afterwards the colostrum is cleared by centrifugation and bottled in easy to use and sizable portions. This service allows dairy and beef farmers to have their farm-specific colostrum cleared from the MAP bacterium.

Optimal housing for healthy and less stressed dairy cattle

/in , , , /by

Housing conditions influence the health of dairy cows and significantly reduce unexpected expenses. Sometimes minimal changes without too much expense can have a significant effect on the health, welfare and productivity of a dairy herd.

Photoperiod, remote surveillance, regular hygiene, cow comfort, heat stress prevention, and providing enrichment activities are practical actions that a farmer can take into account in providing optimal housing conditions for dairy cows. Also, there should be provided natural ventilation, sloping and non-slip floors, and a drinking front accessible to the entire population. Free stables offer the highest degree of satisfaction with welfare standards compared to tied stables.

Regardless of the accommodation system, the animals must have a comfortable and dry resting area. It is recommended to set up a dedicated accommodation space for different age groups and different operating facilities for veterinary care.

An important role is also played by the quality of the milking system chosen by the farmer. It is already known that automated milking facilities ensure the hygienic quality of milk, but not all small farms are able to invest in modern automated systems.

Last but not least, it must be kept in mind that regular shelter hygiene is essential for maintaining animal health and prevents unforeseen additional costs.