12 minute read
Animal health
Sarah Smart oversees animal health at Hillbrook Dairies, a 200ha farm milking 645 cows in North Otago.
Solving a mastitis problem
“ Knowledge is power,” says farm manager Sarah Smart, who had experienced a high incidence of clinical mastitis for seven years and was treating 20% of the herd annually. Today, the farm is on top of the mastitis issue with more knowledge and better practice, and the herd’s somatic cell count (SCC) is the lowest it has ever been.
Smart oversees animal health at Hillbrook Dairies, a 200ha farm milking 645 cows in North Otago.
With a SCC between 120,000 and 200,000, the situation wasn’t serious. “We just wanted to do better. Mastitis was a niggly issue we couldn’t seem to crack,” she says.
From testing the herd four times a year, the team knew which cows had a high SCC. They were not aware, however, of the exact pathogens causing the ongoing problem, or any other factors that might have been negatively impacting teat condition. “We thought we were dealing with chronically infected Staph aureus cows. We had prescribed medication and we were treating the animals accordingly,” Smart says.
With no response to treatment and elevated somatic cell count, she contacted FIL area manager Kirk Falconer.
“Looking into the history, it was clear that there had been a problem ever since the shed was built seven years ago,” Falconer says.
“Sarah thought that because it was Staph aureus, they either had to live with it or cull a lot of cows.
“Our advice was to dig a little deeper, find out what was going on within the milk and identify exactly which pathogens we were dealing with.”
A diagnostic bulk milk sample from the vat revealed some unexpected results.
Developed by Farm Medix and delivered on farm by FIL’s team, the bulk milk test helps determine exactly what pathogens are present in the milk and whether it is coming from the cows or is related to hygiene. The test includes a comprehensive strategic action report that addresses the root cause of the pathogens found.
“There wasn’t a Staph aureus problem,” Falconer says.
“Instead, we were dealing with Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS).”
Strep dysgalactiae is an environmental contagious mastitis associated with teat end damage.
CNS is an opportunistic bacteria that lives on teat skin and will elevate SCC as the cow has an immune response.
“Having this information was handy.
“We looked to the plant for the causes of Strep dysgalactiae. We immediately found that different length milk tubes were affecting cup alignment, which, with associated tension and cup slips, can often cause teat damage. We also checked the cup-remover settings to ensure the cows were not being over milked. Once those were sorted, we started to see improvements very quickly.
“At the time, the team were using a chlorhexidine-based teat spray. We have learnt that chlorhexidine works best against Strep dysgalactiae. In fact, it is the only pathogen which responds better to chlorhexidine and not iodine.”
Falconer advised Smart to continue with chlorhexidine-based teat spray until they were on top of the Strep dysgalactiae problem.
“Sarah thought that because it was Staph aureus, they either had to live with it or cull a lot of cows. Our advice was to dig a little deeper, identify exactly which pathogens we were dealing with.” Kirk Falconer
Come spring and calving, there was a need to deal with environmental pathogens that were coming through. In this instance, iodine-based teat sprays have proven more effective. So, the team made the switch to Iodoshield Active to get a wider span of protection.
At the same time, Falconer introduced the FIL 10-step spring milking procedures into the mix. “The key reason to use this is to eliminate the 2-4 day mastitis that typically arises on New Zealand dairy farms,” he says.
Unfortunately, Smart admits, the team took a few short cuts, which resulted in cases of mastitis again last spring. Falconer returned to review the steps with the team and rectify the problem.
After calving, with the team following the spring milking procedures to the letter, Strep dysgalactiae rectified and environmental pathogens under control, Come calving, Sarah made the switch to Iodoshield Active, an iodine-based teat spray, to get a wider span of protection against environmental pathogens.
The diagnostic bulk milk test helps determine exactly what mastitis-causing pathogens are present in the milk and whether it is coming from the cows or is hygiene related. they addressed the CNS problem. The most common mastitis pathogen on NZ dairy farms, CNS seldom causes clinical mastitis and is usually related to ineffective teat spraying. For example, not covering teats well, or not adding enough emollient. Falconer’s advice was to increase emollient in the teat spray solution to help improve teat condition. He also finetuned the teat-spraying programme with training to ensure the team were getting good coverage of the teats.
With an average SCC of 100,000 so far this season, Smart is thrilled with the progress they have made.
“Mastitis cost us a lot in treatment, time and having the constant risk of a penicillin grade. Thanks to the work we’ve done with FIL and Farm Medix, we have gained good knowledge,” she says.
“After that bulk milk test, we suddenly knew what we were dealing with, what was causing it, and we could put steps in to rectify it.”
If a mastitis case presents, she now cultures the samples herself using the Farm Medix Check-Up kit. “Using CheckUp, we find out exactly what pathogens we are dealing with in each case. In some cases, we don’t need to treat the cows. We also know that if we do come across a staph cow, she needs to be managed differently.
“With a significant change in cell count this year versus last year, I’m confident in the decisions we’re making. Our goal is to average under 100 (SCC) for the whole season and we’re on track to achieve that.”
Will she do anything else differently going forward? “Yes,” she answers. “We will totally implement the 10-step spring milking procedures. By taking short cuts last spring, we fully paid for it. Having seen other farms implement it well, it makes perfect sense. It’s all about doing the simple steps properly.” n
Gain without pain
By Richard Rennie
NEW Zealand farmers can take pride in being among the first in the world to incorporate higher standards of pain management than minimum legal requirements in routine husbandry procedures such as calf disbudding.
This is largely thanks to the substantial body of research that Boehringer Ingelheim has contributed towards a better understanding of the physiological and behavioural impact of pain in livestock.
But rewind to 20 years ago and the understanding of cow comfort was a very different story. There were virtually no scientific standards to measure wellbeing in farm animals, and the level of pain they experienced was not particularly well understood.
This encouraged Boehringer Ingelheim to further study the impact of their long-acting anti-inflammatory pain relief Metacam on pain associated with everyday farming practices.
Fast-forward to today and it is this research that has led to the understanding that a procedure like disbudding will produce an acute pain response, followed by inflammatory pain that extends well beyond the reach of a local anaesthetic. Findings also indicate disbudding pain can last for three days after the initial procedure.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association recommends a combination of products, a local anaesthetic, a nonsteroidal pain reliever and sedation as the best approach to managing the pain associated with disbudding.
James Laidlaw, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health veterinarian, says the need to offer a wider suite of pain relief treatments than just the one required under the code of welfare makes sense, given the pain ranking a procedure like disbudding has.
“It is one of the more painful routine practices performed on farms, with the pain occurring in two main phases. One is the initial response immediately after disbudding. The other is the inflammatory phase, which is more prolonged and extends beyond both this initial phase and the effects of local anaesthetic.”
Combining a local anaesthetic and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relief treatment when disbudding has proven to have a highly positive impact on the animal’s overall pain experience.
“The use of a non-steroidal treatment helps mitigate the inflammatory pain that inevitably occurs once the local has worn off.”
But not all non-steroidal pain management drugs are equal.
Research has shown Metacam to be one of the most effective at dealing with inflammatory pain, helping to manage and minimize pain in cattle for up to three days after a single injection, covering the period when disbudding pain can last.
“Studies looking at Metacam globally have shown a single injection 10 minutes prior to disbudding can provide genuine long-term pain relief for these calves, having a significant impact on their comfort and recovery afterwards.”
Further work has also revealed longer term gains in animal productivity if a painful procedure is dealt with at the time it is carried out.
There is evidence pain management during disbudding can be associated with better daily weight gains during the recovery phase, and increased milk intake.
Balfour dairy farmer Lyndon Duff has been using the product for several years when disbudding his calves. He says adding it to the procedure has ensured the calves avoid a growth check and move on from what can be an otherwise unpleasant exercise.
“We used to notice a bit of a growth check in them after disbudding, and since using Metacam that has not been the case. We really noticed it one year when we did not use it, just how much that difference was.”
Laidlaw says New Zealand farmers can take pride in their approach to recognising animals experience pain, and for taking steps to help mitigate that pain.
“And now a few years on, we are witnessing what all good science should deliver, more understanding on the subject, and use of Metacam to help us better manage the comfort and recovery of our farming animals.”
Released 20 years ago, Metacam remains the world’s leading non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for the control of pain and inflammation in livestock. As a pioneering brand, it has pushed boundaries and claimed additional benefits in improving outcomes and cow comfort every day. n
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health veterinarian James Laidlaw says disbudding is a painful procedure and pain relief should be administered to aid recovery.
How’s your heat detection?
Samantha Tennent
The results we see for reproductive performance in WelFarm are consistent with Dairy Statistics, which suggests there are opportunities for New Zealand dairy farmers to improve. And with the mating season approaching, it is a good time for farms to review their heat-detection strategies.
Heat detection is only one piece of the puzzle towards good reproductive performance but it is easily influenced on farm, and the whole team can contribute.
Start by reviewing last season’s performance, identify the opportunities to improve and utilise support to formulate a plan that will work best for you. Veterinarians, breeding companies and advisors can offer valuable advice in this space. And involve the whole team, it needs to be practical and they need to understand the importance of getting it right.
Getting the basics right can make a huge difference, ensuring your heat-detection kit is well stocked with tail paint and any heat-detection aids you plan to use. Best practice recommendations from DairyNZ’s InCalf programme promote a combination of paddock observation, tail paint and heat mount detectors to cover all bases and remove any guesswork.
Have plans for who is responsible for what and when it should be done. Ensure everyone knows what to look for and agree on a system for recording cows spotted in heat. Encourage junior team members to look out for cows they think are showing heat signs and cross reference with whoever has the primary responsibility of detecting heats. It is a great learning experience.
Observing cow behaviour can help take the guesswork out, particularly if tail paint or aids aren’t clear enough. The best opportunity to seek cycling cows is to spend time watching the herd’s behaviour after they have had a good feed. The cow that is standing to be ridden is on heat. The cow that is doing the riding or hanging out in a sexually active group is likely to be coming on heat.
Knowing your cows is key and when you spot they are not in their normal routine, for example in a different milking order, it’s a good sign they may be cycling.
Keeping good records helps a lot too. If there are questions about a heat, mark it on the records so when she is detected on heat again you can use all the information available to make a decision. If the interval from the last recorded heat is outside the normal range you will know if the last one was questionable or perhaps the latest one is. And if there are an increasing number of uncertain heats, you may need to review your methods.
Review during the season and bring in the experts to help monitor progress. It’s no good waiting till the end hoping everything went well. Keep your finger on the pulse and make adjustments when needed. And don’t be afraid to change or add aids part way through mating – sometimes something fresh can help tired eyes, especially when there are fewer cows cycling.
Whatever your approach, having adequate support will help things run smoothly. Connect with the experts around you, ask them to help you analyse previous seasons and monitor throughout mating. Use tools like WelFarm to benchmark your seasonal progress against yourself and others. n
2021-22 season reproduction results in WelFarm
Region six-week in-calf rate Northland / Auckland 70% Waikato / BOP 68% Taranaki 68% Manawatu 63% North Island average 67% Canterbury 64% Otago 71% Southland 68% South Island average 67% Watch out for cows hanging around in a sexually active group.
