‘Co w s s e n d o ut us e ful i nfo r m a tion every moment of the day.
Cows send out signals continuously about their health, well-being, nutrition and production. The challenge for the East African advisor, farm manager and dairy farmer is how to recognise these signals and use them. Veterinarian and cow expert Jan Hulsen has written Cow Signals based on his knowledge and vast experience with farmers and their cows all over the world. His well-illustrated book is the ideal practical guide for improving your observation of the behaviour, posture and physical characteristics of cows, individually and in groups.
Content editors Cow Signals Advanced – East African edition: Professor Bockline Omedo Bebe, Egerton University Professor Charles K. Gachuiri, University of Nairobi
www.tomplimited.com
www.roodbont.com
www.vetvice.com
www.cowsignals.co.ke
www.cowsignals.com
A practical guide to dairy cow management
East African edition
To pick up your cows’ signals you need to put out your antennas – and use Cow Signals to tune them.
EAST AFRICAN EDITION
ADVANCED
The book is developed together with African experts and adapted to the East African context. When observing cows it is important not to jump to conclusions immediately, but instead always to ask yourself three questions: What do I see? What is the cause? What does it mean? For example: rumen fill gives information about the feed intake today while belly fill tells you something about feed intake during the last week. And the condition score about the nutrition the last month. A cow that is standing a lot is a sign of mediocre lying comfort. Armed with information like this, you can act immediately to improve your cows performance and well-being.
ADVANCED
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
Yo u ju s t ne e d to k no w h ow to read the signals. ’
ADVANCED EAST AFRICAN EDITION
A practical guide to dairy cow management
Jan Hulsen
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
ADVANCED
EAST AFRICAN EDITION
A practical guide to dairy cow management Jan Hulsen
Introduction
Contents
4
1 Observing purposefully 6 From large to small 8 Evaluating cow signals 9 Look and compare 10 Risk groups 12 Indicator animals 12 Risk locations 14 Times of risk 15 Intentional movements 16 Unexplained notable observation 17 Anatomy of a cow 18 Health and welfare checklist 20 Sickness and distress checklist 21 Cows must match the farm and farmer 22 Which cow is the best cow for you? 23 Health: how do you assess this? 24 Disease and discomfort 25
3 Confined housing 38 Use a critical eye Differences between animals Space and social order Risk locations Light and climate Floors Hoof score Other causes of lameness Hoof problems: the consequences The need to lie down Cubicles Looking and understanding Bedded packs Cleanliness score
39 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 47 51 52 53
5 The milking parlour 72 Learning to see more Behaviour entering the parlour Behaviour leaving the parlour Peace and quiet during milking Behaviour during milking Cleanliness and hygiene Hocks Hooves Hoof health Evaluating milk Teat health Teat score Stress-free herding in six steps
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
Contents
2 On pasture
Health, standard values and risks The ultimate grazer Permanent pasture and suckler cows A cow’s senses Group behaviour Lying down and getting up Heat (estrus) Cow comfort on pasture Hooves on pasture Movement score
26 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36
73 74 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 85
6 Heifers and dry cows 86
4 While eating and
digesting Be careful with lush grass Quick scan of feed intake Rumen score Dung Dung score A Dung score B Feed ration preparation Check for feed sorting Feed space and feed barrier Water Body condition score (bcs) Body condition score chart What does the body condition score tell us? Risk groups
54 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68
Universal or farm specific Growth and development The first days of life Changes Cows learning Raising young stock Dry period Around calving
86 87 88 89 90 91 92 95
Index
96
69 70
3
Health and welfare checklist Do you know which cow signals to look for in order to assess health and welfare? Steady breathing
• rapid and shallow: heat stress or pain. Sometimes at start of rumination period as well. • normal: 10 to 30 times a minute
Alert, active attitude
Clear, bright eyes
• deep-set eyes: the cow is sick/dehydrated
Clean nostrils
• mucus with pus/blood and skin injuries: skin of the nose inflamed due to virus or cold • clear mucus doesn’t tell you much
Closed mouth
• some drooling: usually hunger • lot of drooling: swallowing problems or mouth pain • coughing: due to cold air, dust or disease
Strong rumination activity
• belly too empty: hasn’t eaten enough last week Take account of the size of the calf, if any.
Straight back
• arched back: painful hooves or physical wear and tear • injuries: usually bruising against cubicle partition
• reduced chewing: diet lacks effective fibre • spitting out the cud: tooth problems, prickly bits in the feed • normal: 40 to 60 chews per cud
Undamaged knees with full hair covering
• bare knees: scraping on ground when getting up • swollen knees: bruising when getting up, lack of space in cubicle
Sound, fully weight-bearing hooves
• tiptoeing, standing on tips of hooves • injured or swollen coronary band • eczema or scabs in interdigital space
20
Good rumen fill
• too empty: hasn’t eaten enough today • no discernible layered structure (apple shape): not enough fibre in diet
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
• distracted attitude: indicates poor health, low energy status and possibly rumen acidosis
Full belly
Glossy, intact coat
• dull coat: poor health or nutrition • skin injuries: cause and result of agitation and reduced disease resistance
Undamaged teats and teat tips • trodden teats: too much agitation, cubicles too narrow or too slippery Check milking machine and technique (dynamic test) if you see: • calloused teat tips: incorrect action of milking machine • swelling, redness, tiny blood spots (also due to udder oedema)
Optimum condition
• too thin: inadequate energy intake • too fat: excessive energy intake • normal: good flesh cover with a little fat Good condition leads to improved disease resistance, fertility and health around calving (pay attention to breed).
Correct temperature
• too high (> 39.0°C): fever • too low (< 38.0°C): milk fever or serious illness • normal: between 38.0 and 38.5°C Take temperature rectally.
Clean hindquarters
• dung on both sides of rump: dung too thin • asymmetrical soiling: environment too dirty
Soft, symmetrical udder • hard: due to oedema around calving, or mastitis (painful) • enlarged quarter: active mastitis • shrunken quarter: previous mastitis
Undamaged hocks with full hair covering
• bare hocks: scraping on cubicle floor; lack of grip • thick hocks: lack of space, cubicle floor too hard • scabs: inflammation due to dirt or moisture
Flat but formed, smooth dung
• long stems: insufficient rumination activity • not too loose or too firm, always relate with feed ration components (e.g. grazing) and lactation stage (e.g. dry vs peak lactation) Use the dung feedback to assess the diet: feeding methods, feed intake, digestion, water intake and health. Discuss with your nutritionist when the dung doesn’t seem optimal.
If you recognise problems early, you can prevent worse. Arched back
Neck bump
• neck rail feed fence too low
• lame
Backbone bump(s)
• lying against cubicle divider
Empty rumen (danger triangle) • has eaten too little
Low BCS/deep holes next to tail
Observing purposefully
Sickness and distress checklist
Droopy and/ or cold ears • sick
Sunken eyes • sick
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
• long-term physical problem
Broken rib
• cubicle divider
Purulent discharge
• rhinitis/chronic lung problem
Shoulder bump
• poorly designed feed fence/ feed too far away
Uplifted belly/ poor gut fill • pain/poor feed intake for days
Dirty udder
• dirty resting area and/or floors
Uplifted tail • pain in the birth canal
Dung on pelvis • diarrhoea
Pus on tail • endometritis
Wound on flank
• cubicle surface too hard, abrasive or not enough grip
Hocks swollen, hairless • wet resting surface
Swollen coronary band, crusts, leg lifting, shifting weight
• cubicle surface too hard, abrasive or not enough grip • walking long distances on poor tracks, under pressure
Carpal joints swollen, hairless
• cubicle surface too hard, too little head space
Long, curling hooves
• hoof trimming too late or not at all
Teat end calluses • milking machine
21
Cows must match the farm and farmer The fact that breeds of cows differ, gives a farmer the opportunity to choose the cow that fits best to his farm, his personality and his feed availability year round. When you choose a cow, do this on the reality of your farm situation over the last 2-3 years. Only when you have good feed, housing and management a high pedigree milking cow will produce much milk and will be fertile. With low quality husbandry, she will get problems.
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
No two cows are the same. This is clear from the chest and rib length of these two animals. A wide front leg placement provides space for the heart and lungs as well as good forage intake (space for the rumen). As with most things, there is an optimum. Too wide and too narrow are both less than ideal.
Types of farmers
Cow farmers are particularly interested in animals. They take particular care to solve problems and make animal focused improvements. A cow farmer has a feel for cattle: S/he knows whether an animal is content or not, often without having to think about it. Technical farmers prefer to solve problems using technical solutions: equipment, buildings and standard operating procedures. They need a lot more motivation in order to respond in a quick and effective way to cow signals. Cost cutters avoid expenses and prefer not to invest. Their farm management is conservative. They work reactively and have difficulty thinking proactively. Entrepreneurs view the cow as a production unit and think in terms of groups, figures and plans. An entrepreneurial farmer wants to work in a structured way and needs clear criteria: that cow is doing well, that cow should be culled, and that cow needs extra care. 22
What type of farmer are you? Every type of farmer has his/ her strong points and weaknesses. Make sure your weaknesses do not bother you, your family or your animals.
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
A pedigree HolsteinFriesian cow needs a lot of excellent feed and care every day of the week and year, and will only then produce a large amount of milk and get pregnant.
Observing purposefully
Which cow is the best cow for you? A pedigree Holstein-Friesian cow can be compared with a formula one race car. This car can drive extremely fast, but needs an excellent racing track and a very skilful driver. On rough roads, you really do not want a formula one car. You want a robust car, high on its wheels and preferably a 4x4. Just so, a pedigree Holstein-Friesian cow can produce a large amount of milk per day. But she needs large amounts of excellent feed every day, good housing and a skilful person to care for her seven days per week. Are you in the situation that you do not have enough good-quality feed year-round, that you are not sure that you can feed her constantly a correct ration every day and that you know that you still have to learn a lot about keeping, caring and milking a dairy cow? In this case, you are most likely better off with a cow that is robust. This cow will perhaps produce a bit less in good times. But she will be more capable to withstand harder times, stay healthy and get pregnant.
Crossbreeds of milking breeds and local breeds are robust and can handle variations in feed quality and quantity better, and will still produce milk and get pregnant.
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CHAPTER 2
You spend less time working with cows when they are on pasture and therefore you see them less often. Regular checks become very important.
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
On pasture
Pasture provides a pleasant setting for a cow.
It comes close to the natural environment, but is
still not ideal. Much of the natural behaviour of a
cow may be observed on pasture. This is true for
various aspects of social behaviour, such as play, herd dynamics, and establishing the pecking
order. The cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movements are also more natural on pasture. You can watch a normal healthy cow as she lies down, stands up and grazes.
26
Not hindered by cubicles, concrete alleys and the like, on pasture it is easier for you, the farmer, to notice how the cow is feeling. Which cow signals can you observe when you take the time to look at the cows over the fence or when you walk among the herd?
Health, standard values and risks Observing animals on pasture provides information about normal behaviour and needs. Pasture often provides the gold standard for cow-focused
management and housing. There are also dangers on pasture that do not exist when cows are housed. Consider intestinal and lung worms and disease transfer between neighbouring herds during â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;over the fenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contact. Pregnant heifers and dry cows are at an even greater risk as these groups rarely receive supplementary feed. The way a cow walks, her rumen fill and an animal standing alone all represent signals that could indicate that there is a need to keep a closer eye on individuals or groups of animals.
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
Checks on pasture
On pasture
The ultimate grazer Moving her head from side to side, the cow eats all of the grass within her reach. Then, she takes a step forward and repeats the process. When palatable grass is available, a cow eats approximately 1 kg of dry matter per hour. To enable a cow to eat in the same way at a feed barrier, the trough or feed surface should be 10-15 cm (4-6") above floor level. Cows normally graze during day time, with the largest meal in the morning. At night they mostly rest and ruminate. With day temperature over approx. 24 °C (75 °F) the herd grazes at night and rests during the day. Cows graze for 11 h and ruminate for 4-5 h per day.
When on pasture checks are very important. A number of traits require special attention. Hair colour, shine, abnormal behaviour and diarrhoea. Changes in behaviour are the first signs of disease, discomfort and pain. The animal is slow, has difficulty keeping up with the group, eats and drinks less or at different times, and separates itself from the herd. Rumen fill, abdominal fill, and condition score. These all provide information about feed intake over the last 24 hours, the last couple of days and recent weeks, respectively. Uniformity of the herd. Are there differences between cows? What are they? How did this happen? What does this mean?
Sunburn occurs on white skin, which is more sensitive than coloured. Cause: liver disease, or exposure to certain plants (ie. ragweed, lantana camara). Cows with sunburn become very ill and need to be moved indoors quickly away from direct sunlight.
During sunny, hot periods cows try to find shade to keep cool. During extreme weather, cows reduce their food intake considerably. Rumen fill then becomes an important cow signal to check.
Grazing behaviour. Grazing behaviour provides information about feed intake, risks from poisonous plants and internal parasites. Where and what are the animals eating? Specific checks for cows that are being grazed very extensively. Special attention is required on pasture when the cows late in pregnancy are approaching calving. Pay particular attention to dry matter intake during periods of reduced grass growth. The availability of total energy and minerals also requires consideration. Noteworthy observations. Make a point to watch for wounds and injuries, ticks, signs of fly irritation, itching, eye infections, mastitis and lameness.
This bull is itchy because of a lice infestation. He has scratched his ribs bare with his horns, and he has repeatedly licked his rump.
27
CHAPTER 4
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
While eating and digesting
Every cow must have unlimited access to a balanced, palatable ration throughout the day. The same applies to water.
Cow nutrition focuses on achieving maximum dry matter intake and maintaining a healthy rumen.
A number of factors contribute to rumen health. Nutritionists tend to focus on issues such as the ratio of energy to protein and ensuring
Calculated feed rations rarely correspond exactly to what the cow actually eats, due to natural variation and the need to make assumptions.
Steps in the feeding process Cow signal
Ration calculation
and minerals. Even when that is done correctly,
Feeding Availability.
we need to remember to think of all the factors
Intake
Feed sorting; rumen fill.
which impact the eating behaviour of the cow.
Digestion
Dung; Health;
that the feed ration contains sufficient fibre
The structure of this chapter follows this table.
54
Therefore, balancing a feed ration acts as a starting point, which needs to be verified and possibly modified on the farm.
production. growth (body condition).
of metabolic diseases (displaced abomasums, milk fever, ketosis) l total number of disease cases l number of cows culled and the reason for culling l reproductive records When assessing the current situation and making changes, the important cow signals are: l rumen fill (intake and passage) l daily milk production (intake; energy to protein ratio) l dung scores (intake and digestion) l sorting (selective feeding; homogeneity of ration and palatability) l cud chewing (fibre) l hoof health (movement score)
Information derived from production data Milk production data provides valuable information about individual cows as well as about the group. The standard values are impacted by the genetic potential of the herd as well as the feed ration. Problem or risk Check point Individual cows A severe negative energy difference between milk fat% and status or ketosis milk protein% (>1.0 negative energy balance; >1.25 ketosis).
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
When looking back, important cow signals include: l body condition score changes l annual and monthly production figures
l incidence
The cows have finished their food. Have all of the animals had enough to eat and in the correct proportions? Should they be given more food now or later? Only with superb feed quality and availability will the cows keep eating and - almost - clean the bunk.
Acidosis Herd High incidence of social conflicts
While eating and digesting
When evaluating nutrition, health and production, you look to the past as well as the present with the goal of achieving even better results in the future. Information from the past helps you to learn and to understand the current situation. In addition, it can be used as the basis from which to set goals – for example: “next year I want to produce 300 litres more milk per cow and reduce lameness by half”. The cow signals you are picking up at the moment can be used to evaluate the current situation and to make healthy production a reality for the future.
low milk fat%. heifer production.
Low resistance levels in suboptimal production from older the herd cows and low milk protein (<3.2 %); too many sick cows.
Notes, action lists, and checklists are helpful in organizing farm and animal inspections.
Spoiling and heating of feed reduce the energy and protein contents. Also the cows will eat less because spoiled and heated feed has a bad taste.
55
‘Co w s s e n d o ut us e ful i nfo r m a tion every moment of the day. Yo u ju s t ne e d to k no w h ow to read the signals. ’
Veterinarian and cow expert Jan Hulsen has written Cow Signals based on his knowledge and vast experience with farmers and their cows all over the world. His well-illustrated book is the ideal practical guide for improving your observation of the behaviour, posture and physical characteristics of cows, individually and in groups. The book is developed together with African experts and adapted to the East African context. When observing cows it is important not to jump to conclusions immediately, but instead always to ask yourself three questions: What do I see? What is the cause? What does it mean? For example: rumen fill gives information about the feed intake today while belly fill tells you something about feed intake during the last week. And the condition score about the nutrition the last month. A cow that is standing a lot is a sign of mediocre lying comfort. Armed with information like this, you can act immediately to improve your cows performance and well-being.
Content editors Cow Signals Advanced – East African edition: Professor Bockline Omedo Bebe, Egerton University Professor Charles K. Gachuiri, University of Nairobi
www.tomplimited.com
www.roodbont.com
www.vetvice.com
www.cowsignals.co.ke
www.cowsignals.com
EAST AFRICAN EDITION
A practical guide to dairy cow management
ADVANCED EAST AFRICAN EDITION
East African edition
To pick up your cows’ signals you need to put out your antennas – and use Cow Signals to tune them.
ADVANCED
ADVANCED
C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d
Cows send out signals continuously about their health, well-being, nutrition and production. The challenge for the East African advisor, farm manager and dairy farmer is how to recognise these signals and use them.
A practical guide to dairy cow management
Jan Hulsen