Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Health and comfort
Health and comfort
Table of contents
Business implications
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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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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
Lameness
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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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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
