Cow Comfort; Veterinarian Comfort

 Cow Comfort: A Hot Topic In Dairy Industry 

✔️ Cattle spend their most of time feeding or laying. Cow mostly spend most of the time in laying position and do 70% of Rumination in this position. 

✔️If a cow spends more time while standing or socializing it means cow Comfort is disturbed. 

Result;

📌It will ultimately lead to less Rumination, Less saliva production, less Digestibility, less feed intake, and less milk production.

📌The cow will stand more time on their hooves and hard floor to hoof contact time will increase, causing stress to cows, leading to the release of cortisol hormone, and ultimately dropping in milk production. 

How can we guess that Cow Comfort is disturbed? 

☑️Free stall sand level, If the sand level is less then the cow will not lay down properly and spend time in a standing position and will be uncomfortable. 

☑️Overcrowding leads to no availability of free stalls for a cow to lay down and the cow will be uncomfortable

☑️Increase the chance of Sub Acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) as animal rumination will be less, Uncomfortable for cow again. 

☑️More Standing time, More hooves to hard floor contact time and stress, and Cow will be uncomfortable again. 

Are our free stalls comfortable for Cows or not?

📍A free stall which always remains empty, Not Comfortable for cow

📍Cow standing half in and half out of the free stall,  Not a Comfortable cow

📍Cow laying backward in Free Stall, Not a Comfortable cow

📍Cow making abortive attempt while laying down, Not a Comfortable cow

📍 Cows sit back on their hanches, Not a Comfortable cow

📍Cows not resting more than 30℅,  2 hours post evening milking, Cows are not Comfortable.

📍Injuries at the neck area, neck hock injuries, Free Stall or Cubicle designs are Not Comfortable for cows.

Merit's and Demerits of TMR

Merit's and Demerits of TMR

TMR Feeding Merits;

📍Improved feeding efficiency
📍Each mouthful with proper amount of ingredients
📍More stable and ideal environment for the rumen microbes
📍Adequate carbohydrates and nitrogen sources
📍Production of higher levels of microbial protein
📍Almost 4% increase in feed utilization
📍Utility of variety of byproduct feeds
📍Possible ration cost saving
📍Less digestive and metabolic problems
📍Milk production as much as 5% higher then conventional systems
📍Greater accuracy in formulation and feeding
📍Limited selective feeding
📍Effective Feeding of Commodity ingredients
📍Mask the flavor of less palatable fee (e.g. urea, limestone, fats, and some by-pass protein)

#Note:  Mixing Time 4 to 5 minutes--just long enough to achieve a good mixture (Not more then of it)

 Some Demerits of TMR;

📍Mixing or blending devices needed

📍Have  to follow the manufacturer's recommendations

📍Over mixing can cause serious problems

📍Under mixing can result in less effective feed

📍Needed accurate weighing with calibrated scales

📍Not good in some housing and feeding facilities

📍Not be economical for all herds, particularly small herd or pasture system

Total Mixed Ration (TMR)

 Total Mixed Ration (TMR)

✔️ Total mixed ration (TMR) is used to;

📍Achieve maximum performance

📍Nutritionally balanced ration

📍Cows consume as close as possible to their actual energy requirements

📍Maintaining the physical or roughage characteristics refer to as feed particle size

📍Proper rumen function

✔️ Good feeding management practices;

📍Monitor forage and feed inventory on a regular basis

📍Allocate to the appropriate animal group

📍Test forages and feeds several times throughout the year

✔️ Update ration formulations based on; 

📍Milk production
📍Milk fat
📍Milk protein percent
📍Current body weight
📍Body condition scores
📍Moisture changes in forages and feed ingredients
📍Prices of current feeds

TMR can be formulated for;

📍Fresh cows

📍Post Fresh

📍High BCS

📍High

📍High MID

📍MID

📍Low Group

📍Late-lactation

📍Dry Animal or Far off

📍Close-up dry cows. Such multi-group strategies are particularly helpful for meeting the needs of dry cows.

For TMR feeding we can also grouped Animal according to there;

📍Actual or fat-corrected milk

📍Days in milk

📍Reproductive status

📍Age

📍Nutrient requirements

📍Health

Note: Different farms use different reasons for adopting strategies for using TMR and these based on farm manager decision based on many different reasons.
#health #management #dairy #dairyfarm #TMR #energy

Fat Corrected Milk

 

FCM ( Fat Corrected Milk)

The energy requirement for production of a pound of milk is dependent on the energy content of the milk. 

Generally, there is a relatively close correlation between the amount of fat in milk and the energy content.

Frequently milk production is calculated to an approximately equal energy basis using the expression 4% fat-corrected milk or as fat-corrected milk which is abbreviated FCM.

 
The formula used is;

#FCM = {0.4 X milk (lb)} + {15 X fat (lb)}

Thus, The energy requirement per pound of 4% fat milk is about 0.34 Mcal of net energy, or 0.33 lb of TDN.

Example:  A cow having milk production of 80 Ib ( 36.28 liters) with 3.5 % then it's fat Corrected Milk would be as;

FCM = (0.4 X 80) + ( 15 X 2.8)

FCM = 32 + 42

FCM = 74 Ib or 33.56 Liter with 4 % Fat Percentage

This FCM can be used to calculate energy corrected Mil that is ECM.

Rumination

 

Rumination

✔️ Most important functions of the rumen microbes:

(1) Digestion of fibrous feeds

(2) Synthesis of essential nutrients such as Β vitamins and essential amino acids

(3) Utilization of compounds such as nonprotein nitrogen (NPN)

📌 Under normal conditions, the pH of the contents of the rumen and reticulum is maintained in the range of 6–7. (It may be lower in the grain-fed cows.)

✔️ Stable pH range is maintained by:

📌 Continual removal of acidic product

📌 Addition of bicarbonate from the saliva

Saliva

📌Makes chewing and swallowing easier

📌Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) salts that act as a buffering agents

📌 #Produce_150 Liter or more of saliva daily

Feed larger than 1 mm cannot leave the rumen,  So the rumen is probably the major regulator of feed intake and we have to care about feed particle size as more size leads to intake issue and less size lead to ruminal acidosis type problem.

Note: Over-mixing leads to less particle size, less Rumen retention, less Rumination, and less saliva production leading to acidosis and less milk production.

Reference

☑️Dairy Cattle Feeding and Nutrition by M.J.Miller

☑️FEEDING DAIRY COWS prepared by the Target 10 Project, Third edition 2002 Published by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Victorian State Government, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ISBN 1 74106 240 3

 

Rabies

Disease of all warm-blooded animals

Etiology:

·        Rabdoviridae/Genus/Lysa Virus

Clinical Importance:

·        Zoonotic and acute type of encephalomyelitis

Characteristics of Virus:

·        Bullet shaped

·        RNA

·        Capsid Proteins

·        Surface glycopeptide serve as a neurotoxin for this virus, its helps to enter virus in nerves due to presence of surface glycopeptide receptor on nerves (Lipid receptors)

Transmission:

·      Always through bite of infected or carrier animal

·     Mainly dogs, wild carnivores particularly foxes, racoons are important while rodents (rate bite in KPK) and bats (not common in our area, Important in America and African continents)

·     Saliva is rich in rabies virus

·  Its present in world wide but countries are considered rabies free like Australia, New-zeland, Norway, England and Sweden.

Pathogenesis:

·        Virus enters through bite (Saliva inject virus)

·        Initial replication occurs in local tissues

·        Virus reaches at neuromuscular junction

·    Enter into peripheral nerves, from nerves travel in axons via retrograde manner and then reach spinal cord and brain affected (Specially forebrain), then moves centrifugally through trigeminal nerve (Cranial Nerve) to salivary gland and comes in saliva. (Rabies also occur through wound, where dog lick, cats pawing on skin and has licking habit, In USA cats are major carrier)

·  Bats which cause rabies not in Pakistan, vampire virus responsible transmission of this disease in nerves.

Incubation period vary depends upon;

·        Distance from site of bite

·        Intensity of innervation

·        Amount of virus in inoculum

·       Speed of rabies in nerves is 100mm/day, if area more nervated then speed is 400mm/day.

·        No aerosol transmission

·      Rabies 2^nd name is death because when virus enter in nerves then there is no recovery

·      Negri bodies formed in brain

• Before appearing nerves signs, virus began to shed from saliva

Clinical Findings:

·        Clinically course 3-10 days

·        Incubation period is 4-24 weeks in dogs, 2-6 weeks in cats, years in human (up to 17 years)

·        Acute behavioral changes

·        Sudden onset of anorexia (esophageal obstruction leads to drooling of saliva)

·        Nervousness

·        Hyperexcitability

·        Changes in temperament

·        All above signs in esophageal shocking but not enter mouth of animal

Phases:

1.     Prodromal

2.     Dumb/Paralytic

3.     Furious

Prodromal Phase:

·        Nervousness

·        Anxiety

·        Variable fever

·        Erratic behavior

·        Loneliness and solitude

·        Corneal and palpebral reflexes are very slow

·        Pupillary dilation

·   Licking at site of wound (If excessive chewing either self-mutilation in rabies)

Furious Form:

·        Vigor in movement and forebrain effected

·        Incubation period is 2-4 days

·        Restlessness

·        Irritated behavior

• Include auditory and visual response

Photophobia:

·        Hyperexcitation

·        Barking at inanimate objects and pica like behavior

·        Muscular incoordination

·        Seizure and death

Paralytic/dumb form:

·        Incubation period is 2-4 days

·        Whole nervous system involved

·    Progressive motor lower nerve paralysis (ascending paralysis). It starts where bite, limbs and head paralysis

·        Laryngeal paralysis which leads to horror sounds

·        Dyspnea due to laryngealparalysis

·        Change in bark, hoarse sound due to laryngealparalysis

·        Pharyngeal paralysis leading to hypersalivation and dysphagia

·        Lockjaw

·        Masticatory paralysis or dropped jaw

·        Paralysis of respiratory muscles and cause comma and death

·       In cattle there is frequent urination and bellowing which is confused with estrous. In estrous not continuous bellowing, in paralysis continuously and sounds heavy

Diagnosis:

·        Case history

·        Stole test in which Fluorescent Ab technique is used (standard test)

·        In cats there is hyperexcitation and no carrier stage

Treatment:

·        No treatment, prophylactic vaccine, canvac, Rabisin and hexadoy

·        First vaccine at day zero- post exposure

·        If mother vaccinated, then 6th week pup

·        At 4 weeks age, first deworming then first shot after 3 weeks, 2nd shot. 6, 9, 12th and15th week then annual booster which depends on manufacturer

·        3 weeks 3 months, annual+ then 3 years in book

·        Serological titer does not show complete protection

Post exposure or of vaccinated:

·        Day zero            1 ml s/c

·        Day 7                  1ml s/c

In Non-vaccinated:

·        Zero-day             1ml S.c

·        7-day                   1ml S.c

·        14-day                 1ml S.c

·        21-day                1ml S.c

·        28-day                 1ml S.c

 

·        In buffalo: 4ml, 2cc IM, 2cc s/c, 7, 14, 21 days 3ml each

·        In horse: 3ml initially and then 2,2 ml

·  IGs and vaccine must be given, after exposure 2-8 weeks disease disappear

·     In vaccine 3 weeks takes for Abs, so no immediate treatment; so, IGs given but not available so keep it under observation. If behavioral abnormality then euthanizes it immediately

·        In humans: 5 injections, only 18% chances of death if vaccinated

·        In donkey, if dog bite then rabies occurs