Herd Health
Pain can impact cow health and productivity at all stages of life. Management practices to avoid or minimize painful experiences can deliver benefits to animal welfare, productivity and consumers’ perceptions.
The most precious cargo in a barn fridge is most likely the biologics you purchase to vaccinate your herd to prevent diseases. How are you protecting them?
Calves and heifers aren’t as susceptible to heat stress as cows, but they do suffer from it to some degree, and their production is diminished as a result.
Starting on June 11, over-the-counter livestock antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels.
The Holstein breed is wrestling with the phenomenon of a newly identified genetic defect for Recumbency.
While dairy cattle can’t verbally tell us when they’re not feeling their best, they can give us physical cues.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding $2.29 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network Farm Bill program to advance APHIS’ animal health preparedness.
Ask 10 dairy producers what they believe is an effective vaccination program for calves, and you’ll likely get 10 unique answers. That’s OK, because there is no effective one-size-fits-all strategy.
On June 11, FDA’s Guidance for Industry #263 brings 91 over-the-counter antimicrobial products from OTC to prescription oversight. Three experts weigh in on why you need to prepare for this change now.
Beginning June 11, 2023, most livestock antibiotics will no longer be available over-the-counter. Ohio State University dairy veterinarian Kevin Jacque shares his thoughts on adapting to the new rules.
Household units and mini fridges are often unsuitable for maintaining veterinary products, according to a recent study by Emmanuel Rollin, DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia.
Scoring teat ends tells a story of how happy a cow is with how she is milked and treated. It also provides insights into whether the milking process is harmful to the animal and needs to be changed.
On June 11, 2023, the following antibiotics will no longer be available for purchase over-the-counter.
Factors for consideration include colostrum management, group composition and dynamics, bedding and space, nutritional management, early disease detection and the need for “real life” observations.
The new indication is for control of pyrexia in dairy cows due to acute mastitis. There is a short milk withhold of 48 hours.
Detecting respiratory disease in calves early – when treatment is most effective – should start by examining the head and facial features, according to veterinarian Tiago Tomazi with Merck Animal Health.
Somatic cell counts have long been an indicator of milk quality and udder health. But can a cow’s SCC get too low?
If you listed the top three disease problems in young dairy calves, diarrhea and pneumonia would likely come to mind immediately. The third one might not be as obvious: umbilical infection.
Just because we have easy access to the thousands of beef-on-dairy cross calves eventually headed for feedyards doesn’t mean we should be vaccinating them every week, according to Dan Thomson.
By using precision technologies such as automated milk feeders and pedometers combined with machine learning, dairy producers can detect illness earlier and make informed decisions about treatment.
That jolt from your morning java also could be a handy helper in stimulating struggling newborn calves. Caffeine could help calves before they receive colostrum, or at other times when calves appear dull and lethargic.
It has been well-documented that feeding preweaned calves on a higher plane of nutrition improves calf health and performance. However, providing calves more nutrients may also promote wound healing.
Move over, artificial insemination. There’s a new “A.I.” in town, and it’s more intelligent than you.
Mycoplasma bovis is common on dairies and contributes to respiratory disease, particularly in stressed calves.
Sometimes called “sudden death syndrome” or “bloody gut,” Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome is characterized by dark, tarry, and sometimes bright red, bloody feces; dehydration; and decreased feed intake.
Inflammation creates additional stress at calving.
The transition period, 3 weeks before and after calving, is challenging for all cows. But for first-calf heifers, it’s likely the scariest and most stressful time in their young lives.
“Similar to Staph aureus and mycoplasma, Prototheca [mastitis] is hard to detect, has no known cure, and is contagious by intermittently shedding from cow to cow.”
On June 11, 2023, over-the-counter antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels. Instead, these antibiotics will now require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.
Creating a herd where all the individuals are healthy and normal increases your chances of economic success.