Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Health and comfort
Health and comfort
Table of contents
Business implications
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Costs for health care of Holstein cows selected for large or small body size
Continued selection for larger body size of cows may not be justifiable.
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Health of dairy cows managed organically
Addresses concerns that restrictions on antibiotics may have a negative health impact.
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Improving profit through decreased culling
The cash cost is the price of the replacement animal minus the salvage value of the culled cow. (241 K PDF)
Biosecurity and preventative practices
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Dairy farms are in their sights
Employees with positive attitudes about handling animals will make livestock procedures easier.
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Showing cattle at the county fair
Make sure your animal is disease free to protect the other animals as well as your own.
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Dairy cow mortality: a growing problem
It's an economic issue (replacing dead cows costs money), and an indication of an animal welfare problem.
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Drought-stressed crops used for feed should first be tested for toxicity
For nutritional value, nitrate concentration, aflatoxins, and other problems.
Calf health
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To close or not to close?
Ventilating individual and group calf hutches
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Nutrition adjustments for heat stressed dairy cows
Heat stress is detrimental to dairy production and affects feed intake, rumination, nutrient digestibility and absorption, which in turn can decrease milk and component yield.
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Clostridial bacteria: questions and answers
Clostridium perfringens types A, B, and C tend to be the primary types of infections among young calves.
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BSE and dairy calves
Why USDA wants to control offspring of cows infected with BSE, known as “mad cow disease.” (145 K PDF) – Calfnotes.com
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Don't kill your calves with kindness
Stillbirths can be caused by assisting with birth too early and too aggressively.
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Post protocols to improve consistency of calf health
The most critical factor is feeding colostrums, an important management practice.
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Assisting with calving
Outline of the typical steps involved. Specifics vary, but the pattern of activities remains the same.
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Dairy calf processing
The goal is that calves spend no more than one hour with the cow and that they never stand or nurse.
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Dairy calves need that extra special attention for the upcoming spring and summer months to maintain performance
Calves and heifers, managing heat stress
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When to assist with calving
Properly timed assistance can reduce the stress of calving time for both the cow and the herdsperson.
Lameness
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Foot health and lameness: beyond hoof trimming and footbaths
Due to their prevalence and financial impact, foot health and lameness continue to be significant areas of concern for dairy farmers.
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Lameness in free stall barns in Minnesota
Research: concrete flooring can increase hoof disorders in comparison with other systems.
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Lameness: what’s new?
Stall base type had an effect on lameness prevalence. Presentation (207 K PDF) | Paper (61 K PDF)
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Lameness issues on the dairy farm and research update
Some options to consider to reduce the prevalence of lameness in our dairy herds in freestall housing.
Johne's Disease
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Johne's Information Center–University of Wisconsin
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Johne's Disease–Minnesota Board of Animal Health
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Johne's Information Central (National Institute for Animal Agriculture)
Metabolic/common health problems
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Cool new ways to really listen to your cows
Are there other ways we could more directly listen to our cows, every day, on the farm?
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Costs for health care of Holstein cows selected for large or small body size
Continued selection for larger body size of cows may not be justifiable.
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Highlights from the Dairy Science Annual Meeting.
Jim Salfer shares highlights from the Dairy Science Annual Meeting.
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Easing milking time heat stress
Heat stress at milking time can be hard on both the cows and the milkers.
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Abortions in dairy cattle – I. Common causes
Infectious agents are perhaps the most frequent cause of bovine abortion. – Virginia Tech
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Abortions in dairy cattle – II. Diagnosing and preventing abortion
Well-kept records can be very useful: breeding dates, parity, etc. – Virginia Tech
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Costs of common diseases
Enter your data on the desease and its effects to determine your costs. (33 K XLS)
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Molds, metritis and mastitis
Moldy feed may have an indirect connection with mastitis or metritis.
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Retained placentas
If any part of the afterbirth is held for longer than 12 hours, it is considered to be abnormal. (33 K PDF) – West Virginia University
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Metritis and endometritis
Inflammations of the uterus may be either acute or chronic. (21 K PDF) – West Virginia University
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Cystic ovarian disease
Abnormally large ovarian follicles that failed to ovulate (release an egg). (61 K PDF) – West Virginia University
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Rumen acidosis in dairy cattle: bunk management considerations
Practices that promote feed sorting and slug feeding must be controlled to minimize sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA). (34 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
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Prevention of displaced abomasum
Because of intake depression pre-calving and slow intake ascent post-calving, transition is the major risk period. (36 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
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Trouble-shooting milk fever and downer cow problems
Possible causes, symptoms and problem situations, forms of milk fever, blood parameters control suggestions. (37 K PDF) – The Pennsylvania State University
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Causes and prevention of displaced abomasum (DA) in dairy cows
The transition period is the major risk period for left-sided displaced abomasum (LDA). (295 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
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Metabolic diseases and their effect on immune function and resistance to infectious disease
Including milk fever, ketosis, retained placenta, and displacement of the abomasum. (114 K PDF) – United States Department of Agriculture
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Fresh cow uterine health: decisions and dilemmas
Uterine disorders impact milk production. Prevention is essential. – University of Illinois
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Solving postpartum breeding problems
Cystic ovaries, repeat breeders, abortions, retained placentas, uterine infections, and mastitis. – University of Georgia
Other health and comfort resources we recommend
Lameness
- Locomotion scoring your cows: use and interpretation (101 K PDF) – University of California, Davis
- Lameness in dairy cattle (110 K PDF) – Kansas State University
- Understanding herd lameness (209 K PDF) – University of Saskatchewan
- Feeding delivery and bunk management aspects of laminitis in dairy herds fed total mixed rations (28 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Prevention and control of foot problems in dairy cows – The Pennsylvania State University on eXtension
General resources
- National Dairy Health Program
- Animal welfare principles – American Veterinary Medical Association
- General prevention practices checklist (194 K PDF) – Iowa State University
- University of Minnesota Center for Dairy Health, Management and Food Quality
- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – Food and Drug Administration
- Minnesota Board of Animal Health
- Foot and mouth disease – Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
- Johne’s Information Center – University of Wisconsin
- Johne’s Disease – Minnesota Board of Animal Health
- National Animal Health Monitoring System: Dairy – United States Department of Agriculture
- Bovine tuberculosis – State of Minnesota
