Practical Organic Dairy Farming Management, medical and welfare recommendations for organic dairy producers
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Practical Organic Dairy Farming by Paul Biagiotti, DVM
About the Author Paul Biagiotti was born in Ridgefield, CT. His grandfather worked as herdsman on the gentleman’s jersey farm of John Neville Wheeler. Wheeler was a publisher and journalist who sent Ernest Hemingway to cover the Spanish Civil War. The author spent some formative years in Europe, where he and his family lived on a dairy farm in Northern Italy. His family returned to CT to live on the former Mamanasco Farm. He attended undergraduate college at UConn, Storrs. His interest in writing was encouraged by English professor Samuel Pickering, who is famous as the inspiration for Robin William’s character in the movie Dead Poet’s Society. While at UConn he worked at the university dairy farm, where he further cultivated his interest in dairy cows. He then attended Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating first in his class. He practiced in Central New York, Lebanon, Pennsylvania and Connecticut before heading west to Idaho to specialize in dairy herd health. He lives with his wife Polly and two children on an irrigated farm in Jerome, Idaho. They milk two cows and raise dairy steers in a pasture-based, sustainable system.
Dedication To my professors at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, who encouraged and instilled in me a love for dairy practice: Gratitude to Drs. Saperstein, Hammerquist, Levine and Looby. Thank you for mentoring me in a rewarding career. To Dr. Jay Cox, who introduced me to organic practice and expanded my horizons. Also to my parents, who cultivated both a love of animals and the English language. And to my wife, Polly, who has endured countless late-night emergency calls and yet has generously supported my lifelong love of dairy cows.
© 2016 Copyright by W.D. Hoard & Sons Company All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information or storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Address inquiries to: W.D. Hoard & Sons Company Book Department P.O. Box 801 . Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0801 USA www.hoards.com . Tel: 920-563-5551 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-932147-52-3 Library of Congress 2016937229
Contents Section 1: Introduction to Organic Dairying
Chapter 1: What is Organic Dairying? ............................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2: Structure of an Organic Dairy ........................................................................................ 11 Chapter 3: Health Considerations .................................................................................................... 17
Section 2: Management by Life Stage
Chapter 4: Calf Health .................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 5: The Weaned Calf ............................................................................................................ 41 Chapter 6: Prebreeding Heifers ....................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 7: Breeding Age Heifers ..................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 8: Springing or Close-up Heifers ......................................................................................... 59 Chapter 9: Calving .......................................................................................................................... 63 Chapter 10: Fresh Heifer/Cow ........................................................................................................ 69 Chapter 11: Breeding ...................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 12: Mid-lactation ............................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 13: Dry-off ........................................................................................................................ 85 Chapter 14: Dry Period .................................................................................................................. 89
Section 3: Fighting Common Ailments
Chapter 15: Mastitis ....................................................................................................................... 95 Chapter 16: Digestive Issues ........................................................................................................... 103 Chapter 17: Pneumonia .................................................................................................................. 113 Chapter 18: Lameness .................................................................................................................... 117 Chapter 19: Pest Control ................................................................................................................. 123 Chapter 20: Longevity .................................................................................................................... 127
Section 4: Appendices
Appendix A: Vaccinations ................................................................................................................ 134 Appendix B: Calf Dosing Chart ........................................................................................................ 135 Appendix C: Standard Operating Procedures ................................................................................... 136 Appendix D: Other References ......................................................................................................... 147
Preface “What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet “Organic dairy production” can also be defined as “sustainable,” “holistic” or “natural.” Although “organic” can mean different things to different people, organic dairying almost universally conjures a pastoral, peaceful mental scene of cows grazing contentedly on verdant pastures. It is an attractive, wholesome vision of healthy, thriving animals producing a healthful product. The purpose of this book is not to split philosophical hairs, but instead to share practical, successful methods of raising healthy dairy calves and cows under organic methods. The techniques and ideas provided here have been gleaned from over a decade of organic veterinary practice. For my purposes, I will stick to the USDA definition of organic production. The USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) provides the
following definition: “‘Organic’ is a labeling term that refers to agricultural products produced in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act and NOP Regulations. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution of air, soil and water.” This definition is broad, but it is universally agreed that the production of organic milk requires that animals be raised without the benefit or application of antibiotics, synthetic insecticides, hormones and parasiticides, and are fed feeds that are grown without pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. This approach presents numerous challenges, but none are insurmountable. By applying the best management practices provided here to every stage of the dairy cow’s life cycle, we can reap the benefits of excellent and even superior health, production and welfare.
Section 1:
Introduction to Organic Dairying
Chapter 1: What is Organic Dairying? Chapter 2: Organic Dairy Structure Chapter 3: Health Considerations
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Chapter 1: What is Organic Dairying? A
s far as the federal government is concerned, organic is a labeling term. The National Organic Program (NOP), based on recommendations made by the Federal Advisory Committee of the National Organic Standards Board, sets organic agricultural standards. The consumer can be assured that USDA-certified organic products are produced under “approved methods that integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.” The USDA provides no specific definition of an organic dairy farm. Is it a matter of size? Is an organic dairy farm milking 2,000 cows any more or less organic than one milking 20? Is organic corn silage or pasture produced under irrigation any less organic than that raised under rainfall alone? Are cows raised under environmental extremes of heat and cold, necessitating artificial cooling or heating truly organic? Perhaps, someday, these intriguing questions will be definitively answered. For the purposes of this book on organic dairy heath and production, I’d like to venture at an inclusive definition of the organic dairy farm. Regardless of size, crop water source, or geographical location, an organic dairy farm utilizes feeds grown under NOP standards, pastures seasonally according to the same standards, and raises its livestock using best-management practices that minimize disease and render the use of synthetic parasiticides, antibiotics and hormones largely unnecessary.
Key Concepts: • Organic dairymen and women are professionals, businesslike and business savvy, concerned with their livestock, soils and environment. • From an animal health perspective, there is very little discernible difference between well-run organic and conventional dairies. • A well run organic dairy begins with the people, cows and crops.
1.1 Organic Stereotypes “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” — Aristotle Stereotypes about organic practices, both negative and positive, abound. While it has been said that prejudice is bias based on experience, many individuals form strong opinions about organic dairying without having ever visited an organic dairy farm. Negative perceptions of organic dairying include: The owners choose to utilize organic methods because they are lazy, cheap, “old hippies”; they are failures at conventional farming methods, so they have nowhere else to turn but to try organic farming as a last resort; organic farms are manure pits, the animals are dirty, unhealthy, and suffer from inadequate or delayed medical treatment. Some positive perceptions include: Organic farms are a utopia; organic products are healthful beyond measure, a fountain of youth, a cure for all ills; we need but to return to “40 acres and a mule” to feed the world sustainably. I believe that the truth, as with most issues with strongly opposed camps, is somewhere in-between and can be discovered by personal investigation and experience, by “walking a mile in the organic producer’s shoes.” Unfortunately, matters are complicated by dissension within the organic dairy industry itself. The majority of organic dairy farms tend to be small in size and are directly operated by the immediate family. Large-scale organic dairies may be viewed with distrust and generate claims that they are not genuine organic farms. The USDA definition of “organic” does not stipulate the size of an organic dairy operation. Holistic medicine and management focuses on the needs of the individual dairy animal and its relationship to its environment. Regardless of the size of a farm operation, the cows and their needs remain the same. From my perspective as a dairy veterinarian, the cows on large-scale organic dairy farms are indistinguishable from those of smaller scale farms. As far as the organic cow itself is concerned, size does not matter. There is a saying that farming approached as a business can make for a great lifestyle, but farming for the lifestyle can be a poor business. Conventional dairymen and even otherwise enlightened dairy practitioners tend to believe that organic dairymen farm primarily for the lifestyle. In my 12 years of organic dairy practice, I’ve found the truth to be just the opposite; organic dairymen and women are professionals, business-like and business savvy, concerned with their livestock, soils and environment. They enjoy the lifestyle that organic dairying provides, but also desire and strive for it to be a successful and sustainable business model. The successful organic dairy will therefore be run as a business, providing a healthful, satisfying lifestyle as a fringe benefit. From an animal health perspective, there is very little discernible difference between well-run organic and conventional dairies. Both seek to minimize the incidence of animal disease through preventive practices that include proper vaccination, nutrition and management. The best management practices provided in this book will be of value to every dairy producer, whether his operation is organic or not.
• The USDA definition of organic is inherently a holistic one as it focuses on the whole and complete individual. • Acupuncture has value as a diagnostic method and pain relief tool.
Chapter 1: What
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Organic Dairying?
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The modern organic dairyman is every bit as much a businessman and animal husbandry specialist as his conventional colleague. I feel that conventional dairymen have a lot to learn from and gain by emulating their organic colleagues. Excessive utilization of antibiotics, hormones, parasiticides and insecticides is largely a result of
management failure. It is entirely practical and achievable to successfully raise dairy cattle organically, without the crutches of synthetic chemicals. Let’s cast aside stereotypes, open our minds and learn how by first taking in the “Big Picture” of the organic dairy business.
1.2 The Big Picture Google Earth is a popular internet tool used to get a digital photographic view of any location on Earth. Most users begin far above the planet with a satellite view and then zoom in to investigate a particular address. One can enjoy in minute detail photographs that can include individual animals in a field or windrows of hay. While it is fun to get a close-up view of a residence or farm using this tool, it is possible to lose the forest for the trees, or in this case, the farm for the cows. To get the big picture of organic dairy farming, let’s begin by stepping back and zooming out from the typical organic dairy. When one does this and pauses about a half-mile above the Earth, what is most striking is the land. Geographically, it becomes readily obvious that organic dairying is mainly about pasture and grass. Zooming in, it becomes apparent that organic dairying is more than land and pasture. Other major, integrated components include people, animals and crops. They are interrelated and inextricably entwined. Let’s begin with the people who run the farm. There is a saying that “Everything happens through people.” This is extremely true in running a farm of any type, including an organic one. Assembling a team of dedicated, qualified and experienced people is the most important factor in the success of an organic dairying enterprise. Team members must understand and believe in organic farming and animal husbandry practices. There is no room for skeptics and phonies. The trust that the public invests in the purity and integrity of organic products mandates a high degree of commitment to the organic ethos. Team members must be devoted to a constant learning process. Much of successful organic husbandry is based on trial-and-error, on techniques learned through word-of-mouth or online. Published manuals and guides on organic health and management are scarce, hence my motivation in authoring this book. Many of the strategies I share are the result of much blood, sweat and tears on the part of dedicated organic dairy teams with whom I have had the pleasure of working. On a dairy farm, everything really happens through the cows. In a pasture-based production system, we optimally desire to work with cows that graze well. This may seem obvious, but using genetics and conformations that have been developed for show or TMR (Total Mixed Ration) or component fed situations on a grazing dairy is like
putting a square peg into a round hole. The grazing dairy cow needs to walk, sometimes long distances, to harvest nutrients. It should be evident that her conformation must be favorable to efficient grazing; consequently, she must have sound feet and legs. It is essential that a cow be able to survive on the dairy long enough to reimburse the cost of raising her, to generate replacements and to produce an adequate return on investment. Her productive life must be maximized. To accomplish this, she must breed back efficiently, resist mastitis and disease in general, and convert feed efficiently to ultimately produce fluid milk and components that are sold at a profit. Let’s look more closely at pasture. Current organic standards require that dairy animals have access to pasture for at least 120 days a season and consume at least 30 percent of their daily dry matter intake from grazing. While meeting this requirement can be daunting, accomplishing or exceeding this goal is the highest expression of the grazier’s art. To generate and harvest maximal nutrients in a grazing system, pastures must be of the proper amount and composition to meet the cow’s needs. An example is a mix of species of grasses and legumes that is well managed through techniques such as rotational grazing, clipping, and routinely measuring nutrient quality by portable NIR (near infrared reflectance) or box methods. Organic crops fed in addition to pasture pose a particular challenge to the producer. While pasture can be adequately managed without the use of herbicides with clipping and rotational grazing, controlling weeds in crops such as corn silage or barley may prove to be difficult and limited to cultivation and organic herbicide application. Weed content can be high as a consequence. Lots of organic feeds tend to also be smaller than conventionally grown crops. It’s been my experience that organic crops and commodities tend to vary widely in quality and nutrient composition. Successful organic dairy farming is as much an art as a science. In the following chapters, I intend to blend the ancient art of physical diagnosis with the modern science of diagnostic medicine, the art of animal observation with the science of quality control, and the art of nursing with the science of using medications backed by evidence.
1.3 Holistic Medicine “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” — William Shakespeare, Hamlet If there is one word that is bandied about most frequently in the organic realm, it is holistic. Holistic, or holism, is defined as a focus on the whole and complete individual. It takes into consideration their interaction with their unique environment, including their emotional, physical, mental and social well-being.
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Chapter 1: What
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The USDA definition of organic is thus inherently a holistic one. The concept of holism originated in human medicine, where the person’s spiritual, mental and emotional states can be assessed. In the case of dairy cattle, we can only guess at their mental and emotional states and must address them indirectly through fulfilling welfare needs and by observing behavior and through measuring physiological indices of stress such as blood cortisol (a stress hormone) levels. Holistic medicine has been described as “ecological healing.” The current practice of Western, or orthodox, medicine is more
science than art. Until relatively recently, with the advent of the scientific method, the emphasis for centuries was on the art. The Roman physician Galen’s writings on therapeutics contain remedies that surely confound and sadden the modern, scientific physician. Herbal medicine formed the foundation of the medicine chest of the ancients and continues to be utilized today. Otzi the Iceman, a 5,000-year-old mummy discovered in an alpine glacier, was found to be carrying amongst his belongings a form of fungus believed to be for medicinal use. In the East, the art of acupuncture has been developed and practiced (termed traditional Chinese medicine) for thousands of years. Homeopathy is a relative newcomer to the field, having been practiced only in the last two centuries. To be truly holistic in our approach towards organic dairy health, the modern organic practitioner is compelled to consider with an open mind, yet also a critical eye, all treatment modalities available to us. Homeopathy was first defined and promoted as a healing art in the West by Hahnemann in 1790. He proposed the hypothesis (still unproven) that “like cures like” and “the law of cure by similars.” His premise was that by artificially mimicking, in a controlled and innocuous manner, the signs of a specific disease process, one could reestablish normal equilibrium and thus encourage healing. He claimed that the healthy body maintains an equilibrium or balance of natural energy or life force that homeopathic remedies were able to reinstate. He defined an assemblage of 70 remedies, consisting of botanicals, minerals and nosodes (dried extracts of diseased tissue). Nosodes, for example, are dosed in progressively diluted forms (shaken or succussed beforehand to release and harness their natural energy), ostensibly affecting the balance of the body in a positive, healing fashion. The theory, perhaps counterintuitive, is that the greater the dilution of the remedy, the greater the effect. While many homeopathic remedies are derived from plants, their use is quite different than in medical herbology in that botanical extracts in homeopathy are not intentionally used for any direct, inherent healing qualities of the herbal extract. In homeopathic practice, there is no dependence on a specific diagnosis, and it is claimed there are no side effects from treatment. It is generally advocated that homeopathy not be used as the sole treatment for a disease, and that, in keeping with a holistic view of the patient, nutrition and management concerns also be addressed. Homeopathy is a complex discipline, taking years to learn and master. Acupuncture can boast of a much more ancient pedigree. Practiced as part of Chinese traditional medicine for millennia, as might be guessed by dissecting the word, it is essentially the precise (accurate) placement of sharp, penetrating instruments (puncture) into the skin to elicit healing. The term encompasses much more than inserting needles, however. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) states “Veterinary acupuncture and acutherapy involve the examination and stimulation of specific points on the body of nonhuman animals by use of acupuncture needles, moxibustion (mugwort therapy), injections, low-level lasers, magnets, and a variety of other techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous conditions in animals.” Acupuncture is not directly antibiotic in action. For example, in the case of pneumonia, it does not directly kill the viruses or bacteria causing the disease, but the use of various acupoints may enhance blood perfusion to the lung. That in turn delivers white blood cells to the site of infection, and it may also improve the oxygenation of blood by stimulating respiratory muscle contractions. It is claimed to be helpful in organ inflammations where cell function can still be restored. States of atrophy, degeneration, malignancies and deficiency states are not directly treatable by acupuncture. Clinical effects, such as pain relief and immune cell modulation, are believed to be due
to stimulation of the central nervous system, resulting in the release of endorphins. Acupuncture also has value as a diagnostic method. Pathology of various organs is claimed to be expressed and detected by the sensitivity, sometimes expressed as pain, of specific acupoints to pressure. The location of precise, specific acupoints and their effects have been known and mapped in humans and horses for over thousands of years. Unfortunately, acupoints in cattle cannot be directly extrapolated from other species. Maps for putative cattle points exist and should eventually prove definitive with continued investigation. There are many proposed specific applications for acupuncture in the dairy cow and calf, and they include pneumonia, uterine disorders, cystic ovarian disease, retained placenta and liver disorders. A caveat is in order, however, and should be kept in mind when attempting acupuncture in dairy cattle. A major text on veterinary acupuncture has stated, “Scientific proof of the efficacy of acupuncture for specific medical problems in nonhuman species is largely lacking.” (Allen Schoen) An in-depth discussion of the merits and limitations of acupuncture or its related therapies is beyond the scope of this text. Further reading can be found in the bibliography. Where applicable, I will make mention of acupuncture options in treating specific ailments. Perhaps the most “conventional” of alternative therapies is that of botanical medicine, also known as herbology or phytotherapy. Western medicine owes a huge debt, and hope for future treatment successes, to plant-derived chemicals. The legacy of botanical products in medicine is significant, and includes such prosaic medicines as the anti-inflammatory acetyl salicylic acid (aspirin), which was initially derived from willow bark; and less-commonly used but important drugs like vincristine, an anti-cancer medication which is derived from the Madagascar periwinkle. Veterinary medical texts published as recently as before World War II are full of treatment suggestions based on phytotherapy. Subsequent advances in modern medicine have made the old canon of herbal treatments out of fashion. But many antique remedies may yet prove to have value to the modern practitioner. The surface is just being scratched in rediscovering which botanical remedies of old have evidence of efficacy and are applicable to current organic or conventional practice. Botanical drugs pose a regulatory conundrum to the practitioner of the healing arts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which serves the public interest by exercising ultimate legal authority over the approval and licensing of drugs, defines a drug as “A substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.” To be used legally, any drug must possess and express on its label a NADA (New Animal Drug Application) number that proves the product has been approved for marketing. Botanical drugs, the FDA states, “often have unique features, complex mixtures and lack of a distinct active ingredient.” Most botanicals are labeled not as drugs but as dietary supplements. The FDA defines dietary supplements as foods, not drugs, and stipulates that they are to be given only by mouth, and that “the labeling cannot make a disease claim to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent disease.” It is my sincere hope that in the near future more botanical drugs and supplements will obtain an NADA. Herbology, acupuncture and homeopathy are complex arts that take years of study and practice to master. Should you be fortunate enough to have a veterinarian at your disposal who is trained in these arts, I encourage you to utilize their services and make an informed judgment on the effectiveness of these treatment modalities. Should you wish to learn more about these alternative treatment approaches, consult the reference section of this text, where I’ve listed relevant books on the subjects. Chapter 1: What
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