dairying - st francis college rochestown · • scc – somatic cell count mastitis

Dairying

Learning Intention 8th November

We are Learning to:

• Understand Dairy Production as an enterprise

Success Criteria/Class Objectives

• Students will understand Dairying as a System

• Students will Identify the breeds specific to dairying

Set Induction 8th November 2012

• Draw a Mind-map for Dairy Production in pairs

Breeds

Dairy Breeds • Holstein

• Jersey

• Ayreshire

Beef Breeds • Hereford

• Aberdeen Angus

Dual-Purpose

• Friesian

• Dairy shorthorn

• M.R.I

• Traditionally the British friesian dominated the Irish dairy herd because it’s a good dual-purpose breed.

• Nowadays a lot of holstein blood has been bred in for better milk.

Planning Production

Milk production in Ireland is a low cost system based on producing milk from summer grass.

Farmers must plan breeding so that cows calve in spring and are producing most of their milk when they are grazing grass.

Farmers must also balance the amount of grass that is cut as silage because if too much is cut then cows will have to be fed concentrates in the summer and if too little is cut they will have to be fed concentrates in the winter.

Principles of Dairying (all figures relate to friesian

• a female calf destined for a place in the dairy herd weighs 40kg at birth

• she reaches puberty at one year old

• she is served by the bull or by AI at 15 months

• she should weigh 250kg at one year old

• 300kg at serving

Principles of Dairying contd

• The oestrous cycle = 21 days

• The average duration of Oestrous (heat) = 18 hrs

• The gestation period = 9 ½ months (283 days)

Lactation

• A cow starts to produce milk immediately after calving.

• She is milked for 10 months (305 days) and dried off for 2 months before she has her next calf

• Most farmers operate on a spring calving herd. Winter milk carries an extra premium for farmers who have a winter calving herd.

Milking


We are Learning to:

• Identify good management practices on a dairy farm

Success Criteria/Class Objectives

• To familiarise students with the idea of good management practices e.g. calving, lactation, diet etc

• To understand the concepts of mating and importance of AI

• To gain a greater appreciation for Dairying as a system/business and its cyclical nature on an annual basis


• Questions on Chapter 39 & 46

Lactation Yield

Age Lactation no. % of max lactation

2 1 75%

3 2 85%

4 3 90%

5 4 95%

6 5 100%

Average lactation yields

• Holstein 1500 gls/yr

• Jersey 900 gls/yr

• Ayreshire 1,000 gls/yr

• Friesian 1,200 gls/yr

• Shorthorn 1,000 gls/yr

Frequency of Milking

• A cow milked 3 or 4 times a day willl produce more milk but most farmers milk twice a day

• Milking intervals – 14/10 13/11 12/12

• 14/10 makes a shorter working day (e.g. Milk @ 7am & 5pm)

• Evening milk has 5% fat & morning milk has 3% fat

Milk Composition

Milk

Total Solid

12.5%

Water

87.5%

Fat

3.8%

Solids non-fat

8.7%

Protein

3.1%

Minerals & Vitamins

0.8%

Lactose

4.6%

Non-Protein

0.2%

Composition of milk varies with

• Breed – jersey milk has highest fat

• Age – old cows & young cows have lowest fat

• During milking – the first milk is very low in fat & the strippings can have up to 10% fat

• *see 2008 for Q on milk composition

Uses of milk

• Butter

• Cream

• Yoghurt

• Cheese

• Ice-cream

• Chocolate

• Liquid milk

• Baby formula

• Milk replacement

• Casein (protein)

• Cream liquor

• Bread

How to lower fat content

• Feed the evening milk to calves

• Breed for lower fat (no Jersey)

• Feed concentrates with high starch & oil

• Rapeseed, soya & fish oil

Hygienic Quality of Milk

• TBC – total bacterial content dirt/bacteria <100,000

• SCC – somatic cell count mastitis <400,000

• TBC will be high if the milking machine is unhygienic, if the milk filters aren’t affective or changed regularly, dirty teets, defective coolers, dusty environment

Dairy Hygiene Regulations

• Parlour must be free of dust & cobwebs

• Vermin proof

• No bare lights

• Isolation unit

• Hoses for washing udders

• Feeders must be covered

Calving

• Sale of calves counts for about 30% of income, so great care must be taken at calving time

Rules for Good Calving Management

1. Clean calving condition Shelter wash & lime Clean bedding

2. Equipment Calving jack Crush Injections

3. Call vet if necessary 4. Keep good records

Calving dates Supervision Experienced person

Management of Cow in Early Lactation

• After calving the cow produces biestings (colostrum) for the first 3-4 days (Milkfever danger!!).

• This milk is all fed to calves.

• After this the daily milk yield begins.

• It takes the shape of the lactation curve (next slide).

• It is very important to feed the cow well after calving so that she will reach her potential milk yield.

• Turn out to grass depends on weather, geographical location and fertiliser use.

• Continue to feed concentrates if grass is scarce and to very high yielding cows. (Watch for grass tetany)

Lactation curve

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

50 100 150 200 250 300

Gallons per day

• Total lactation yield = the yield at the peak x 200

• For intensive management x 220

• If the cow does not reach her potential, overall yield suffers.

Management up to the milk peak

• The cow is increasing her milk output every day so her diet must be high quality.

• Her appetite is suppressed so her body reserves are being drawn on and she may lose condition – ‘milking off her back’.

Diet

• Silage – 70% DMD – 50kg/day

• Conc. – 5kg-7kg/day (16% protein)

• Water

• Mineral mix

Silage

• 7½ tonnes/winter

• 1½ tonnes/month

• 50kg/day

Homework 26th November 2012

2012 Option one Q3

2012 Q 6 b & c

Learn Chapters 39, 45 & 46


We are Learning to:

• Understand the management practices on a dairy farm during mid and late lactation and after

Success Criteria/Class Obj 29th Nov

• Students will be able to describe the management of the dairy cow during mid and late lactation

• Students will be familiar with the idea of good management practices e.g. Lactation, Drying off & Calf rearing

• Students will understand the importance of replacement heifers on the farm


• Describe the management practices that can be taken to help avoid mortality at calving time

Silage

• Once the milk peak is achieved concentrates can be weaned off within a week as they are expensive.

• Cow should be on grass at this stage and it should satisfy their needs.

• Farmers should watch out for grass tetany and milkfever.

• Cows should be fully turned out to grass by March 17th.

Management in Mid to late lactation

• MID - 2/3 of the lactation yield is achieved in the first half of the lactation period so the cow should be well able to maintain themselves grazing highly digestible young leafy ryegrass in a rotational system e.g. paddock grazing.

• LATE - Near the end of lactation cows milk yield reduces and they are dried off two months before calving. They are on autumn grass if available. Otherwise Cows will be indoors feeding on silage (70% DMD).

Managing the Dairy Cow

Late Lactation

• Towards late lactation, milk yield is becoming very small (October/November).

• At drying off the cows are injected with medication to stop disease in the teat canal (Bovaclox & Tetra-delta).

• Cows are milked once a day & eventually stopped.

Diet After Lactation:

- Silage

- 2kg a day of meal (16% protein)

- rising to 6kg/day before calving

(steaming up CONTROVERSIAL!!!!! Calf may be too big)

• Steaming up is done because during this period the size of the calf in the womb is increasing rapidly.

Drying off

Mating

• The aim is one calf per cow per year

• Cows come back into heat about 3-8 weeks after calving and every 21 days after that.

• The farmer has to be vigilant for the first heat periods.

0 Calving 305 Dry off 365 56 Mating 339 Calving

Mating

Managing the Dairy Cow

Breeding Cows fed well after calving to ensure they are in good

condition when they are serviced again.

Cows come into heat 3 – 8 weeks after calving.

To ensure the calving interval is kept at 12 months cows must be serviced not later than ten weeks after calving. (see 2008)

Cows are observed regularly for signs of oestrus (heat) when they mount each other.

Dairy cows should be inseminated with top quality AI bulls.

Keep accurate records.

Signs of Heat

• Bulling/Rising

• Tailpainting

• Smelling each other

• Tailpainting is when a strip of emulsion paint is put on the cows back, if other cows mount her it will be broken. The cow should be served within 18 hours by AI or by bull.

Homework 29th November 2012

2010 Option one Q3

2009 Q 1 (g)

2008 Q 5 (b)

2007 Q 6 (a)

Advantages of Artificial Insemination Longer period for inserting the sperm into the vagina so

success at fertilisation is greater.

Better use of semen produced by the bull as it can be diluted to service a number of cows.

The life of the bulls is prolonged by refrigeration of the semen.

The need to feed a bull is not required.

The best beef and dairy bulls are available to every farmer.

Less risk of disease transfer.

Advantages of AI

• Wide variety & choice

• No danger to cow

• No in breeding

• Huge statistical analysis

Advantages of Bull

• Mopping up – ensures 100% fertilisation

• Can be source of income (sell)

• Less work for farmer

Disadvantages of Bull

• Danger

Tail Painting The use of emulsion paint is common in Irish dairy herds.

Cows are painted with a bright colour (every 7 to 8 days) to help the farmer to detect the cow in heat.

The paint will be broken or rubbed off by other rising cows or servicing bull.

The colour is then changed, so that repeats of heats can again be detected and the repeat service once again recorded.

This practice reduces the need for round the clock observation and the detection of cows who may have short (2 hours) standing heat periods. Tail paint when dry.

Calf rearing

• There are two ways of rearing calves

1. Suckling

2. Artificially (Bucket fed)

• Dairy farming is all bucket fed

• Calves can be reared for sale to other dairy herds or as fatteners for beef or some heifers can be kept for replacements

The principles of rearing a calf

1. Feeding colustrum (biestings)

• Its essential that calves get colostrum within the first few hours of life

Constituent % in Milk % in Colustrum Effect

Fat 3.5% 4.0% Laxative effect

Protein 3.2% 15.2% 1) High in antibodies to prevent disease, 2) for growth & repair, 3)

laxative effect

Non-Protein 0.2% 0.2%

Lactose 4.7% 1.4%

Minerals/Vitamins 0.8% 1.2% Disease

resistance & growth

Water 87.8% 78.0%

• The calf is born without antibodies & therefore has no immunity to disease.

• The calves ability to absorb colostrum diminishes after 2-3 hours.

• The calf & cow are left together for 3-4 hours during which time the calf should suckle.

• If it does not it should be tubed.

• The calf & cow are then seperated and colostrum is bucket fed from this point.

• Colostrum is produced for 3-4 days.

• The farmer should have frozen colostrum on standby in case of cow mortality or failure to produce it

Concentrates

1. The young calf is fed milk

2. Hay should be made available to develop their rumen

3. Meals are made available from the start to enhance growth

4. When grass starts growing calves are weaned onto grass and weaned off the milk & meals

5. Its important to feed adequate nutrients to avoid any setback

The calf on grass

• Calves are selective grazers, they should be on fresh palatable grass.

• They should graze in the leader follower system.

• Towards the end of the growing season, introduce some meal again

• TARGET WEIGHT – November 1st = 200kgs (Friesian dairy cow) (weanlings)

• Calves should be grouped according to size with smaller animals getting extra feed.

• Parasite control – dosing for liver fluke and stomach worms

Target weights (dairy farming)

• Born 40kg

• 1st housing 200kg

• 1 yr old 250kg

• Served 15mths (May) 300kg

• 2nd housing (Nov) 450kg

• 1st calving (2 yrs old) 500-525kg

• Mature 600kg+

Replacement Heifers

• About 20% of the dairy herd has to be replaced every year because

1. Milk yield declining

2. Prone to disease

3. Old age

4. Infertility

5. Lameness

6. ‘grading-up’ – grading up refers to replacing older cows with genetically better cows

Class Objectives 1/12/11

• Students will:

• Understand the importance of hygiene in the milking parlour and the working of the milking machine

• Understand the physiological process in the let down of milk

• Distinguish between liquid milk and creamery milk production

• Identify certain diseases of both cows and calves

• Female calves to be kept as replacement heifers should be fed good quality silage (70% DMD) & some meals over the winter to achieve a target weight of 300kgs at serving in May

• Heifers can reach puberty at 8-12 months but they are too light to carry a calf

Milking and milk hygiene

• Milk is kept clean by

1. Washing cows udders & teats

2. Checking all teats for mastitis

3. Regular washing of the milking machine

4. Using a filter

5. Washing the bulk tank regularly

Cooling

1. The plate cooler brings the milk from the cows body temperature down to about 12°c

2. The bulk tank brings it down to 4°c by having cold water circulate in the outer wall

Milking Machine

1. Clusters – these attach to the cows udder, the vacuum pump creates the suction pressure & also brings the milk through the system

2. Vacuum regulator – this maintains a constant vacuum pressure

3. Pulsator – this interrupts the vacuum to mimic milking

4. Plate cooler

5. Bulk tank

Let-down of milk

• Cow should be relaxed

• when calf nuzzles the udder or milker rubs udder with wet warm cloth the sensory nerves are activiated

• The nerves bring stimulus to brain

• Oxytocin is then released into blood from (anterior) pituitary gland

• Oxytocin goes to udder causing milk alveoli to contract releasing milk

Liquid milk(Winter) V Creamery Milk (Spring)

• Year-round calving

• constant milk supply

• dairies pay for quantity

• name of dairy bull pure breed

• AI selected for kg or milk

• bull calves for veal export trade

• Spring calving

• break in the milking

• dairies pay for quality

• beef breed or cross

• AI selected for kg protein or fat

• bull calves sold to beef farmers

Dairy herd Management

1. Plan Calving Dates Spring calving is the most popular in Ireland

because it makes the best use of grass (cheapest feed).

Compact Calving is a good management practice

2. Balance Grazing & Conservation (Silage) farmer needs to manage excesses of grass

in the summer & shortages in winter. Concentrates (Meal) are very expensive and so should be kept to a minimum by making enough good quality silage

Livestock Unit (LU)

• 2007 1a

Can be used to determine how much grazing and winter fodder is needed. E.g. One livestock unit requires 12 tonnes of herbage annually

Feeding bought in calves glucose for 24 hours

• 2007 9c

Diseases of Cows & Calves

1. TB – Tubercolosis Highly infectious bacteria. It can affect man Symtoms 1. *reactors to the test 2. Coughing & fever 3. Failure to thrive Prevention 1. Reduce badger & deer population 2. Non-mixing of stock 3. Maintain good fencing 4. Use clean water sources – avoid stagnant water Treatment 1. Reactors are slaughtered *compulsory test every year/ re-test until clear


1. Brucellosis (contagious abortion) Bacteria causes abortion between the 5th & 7th month of

pregnancy, highly infectious Symtoms 1. Abortion of the foetus Prevention 1. Regular yearly testing 2. Non-mixing of stock 3. Avoid marts (mixing) 4. Clean water 5. Boots & clothing – hygiene barriers Treatment 1. Reactors are slaughtered *compulsory test every year/ re-test until clear


1. Mastitis Bacterial infection of the udder, there

are 2 types – clinical & sub-clinical

Clinical Symtoms 1. Clots in milk 2. Hard doug

3. Inflammation 4. Pus 5. Reduced yield

Sub- clinical – SCC rises Prevention 1. Teat spray

2. Teat dips (iodine) 3. Good hygiene 4. Regular checks

Treatment 1. Anti-biotic injection into the teat

(this milk has to be to kept separate for 7 milkings/3days)

• Milk won’t be accepted because

1. Antibiotics are present in the milk

2. Can lead to resistance in antibiotics of population

3. Affects processing in dairies

4. High cell count

5. Stops yoghurt bacteria from working

6. Affects cheese manufacture

7. Problems in quality control


1. Milk fever (Hypocalcaemia) Lack of calcium in the blood, usually occurs shortly after

calving

Symtoms

1. The cow would be down

2. Nervous

3. Poor health

Prevention/treatment

1. Provide calcium in the diet, licks or calmag

2. Soluble calcium directly into the blood

3. Call vet


1. Grass tetany (grass staggers) (Hypomagnesaemia) Low levels of magnesium in the blood, can occur at any

time of the year but most common when lactating cows are put onto fresh lush grass & cold conditions

Symtoms 1. The cow is down Prevention 1. Calmag, licks 2. Observation Treatment 1. Intravenous injection of soluble magnesium 2. Call vet


1. Lameness

Due to injury or wear to the hoof when the animals are over wintered on concrete

Secondary bacterial infection

Prevention

• Rubber or straw bedding

• Good hoof care

• Shoe the hoof


1. Lice


1. Red Water Parasitic disease caused by babesia, which is a single-celled

organism, it is transmitted by the common tick and it destroys red blood cells

Animals reared in known red water districts have some immunity Symtoms 1. Reddish brown urine 2. Lack of appetite 3. Weakness Prevention 1. Remove old poor grass where the tick lies by re-sealing,

heavy grazing and topping Treatment 1. Call vet


1. Foot and mouth disease

Highly infectious notifiable disease

Symtoms

1. Blisters, pustules on the animals feet, mouth & genitals

2. Its an uncurable disease


1. Liver Fluke

Parasite associated with wet land

1. Bloat A build up of gas in the rumen

Associated with lush spring grass

Pressure on lungs &heart

May result in death

1. Ringworm

Fungal infection of the skin & hair causing hair loss, itching & failure to thrive

Diseases of Calves

1. Scour

There are 2 types

(a)Nutritional scour

(b)Bacterial scour

Nutritional Scour caused by a milk ball forming in the calves stomach from drinking

too much milk in one feed Symtoms 1. Diarrhoea leading to dehydration Prevention 1. Control the feeding of milk 2. Add water 3. Acidify the milk 4. Feed yoghurt Treatment 1. Electrolytes (fluid replacement solution) Non-contagious

Bacterial scour

• Highly contagious

• Caused by dirty buckets

• Causes dehydration

• Isolate immediately

• Treat with antibiotics

• One of the biggest killers of calves

• Make sure calves get colostrum

2. Viral pneumonia

• Highly infectious viral disease of the lungs • Spread by poor ventilation • Calf housing should be structured so that

there is ventilation above their heads and no drafts at body level

• Infected animals should be isolated immediately

• Medication is given for any secondary infections but the calf must recover from the pneumonia itself

• Calves never fully recover

Diseases of Calves

1. Navel ill (Joint ill)

Bacterial infection through the unhealed navel if it is not treated properly

It should be dipped in iodine after birth

Symtoms

1. Swollen navel, swollen joints

2. Blood poisoning, septicaemia

Treatment

1. antibiotics

Diseases of Calves

1. Lice

These are sucking & biting insects causing animals to scratch causing lack of thrive

Treatment

• Regular pour-ons with insecticides

Diseases of Calves

1. Lead poisoning Calves get this from licking paint, car batteries, used

engine oil, roofing felt, putty Symtoms 1. Staggering 2. Convulsions 3. Frothing 4. madness Treatment None 1. Leptospirosis Caused by rats urinating on feed

Class test 1/12/11

• 2006 b i-iv

• 2007 6 a

• 2008 5 a + b

1999 EP

1999 MS

2000 EP

2000 MS

2001 EP

2001 MS

2002 EP

2002 MS

2004 EP

2004 MS

2005 EP

2005 MS

2006 EP

2006 MS

2007 EP

2007 MS

2008 EP

2008 MS

2009 EP

2009 MS

2010 EP

2010 MS

For more years exam papers and marking schemes go to www.examinations.ie

http://www.examinations.ie/

Experiments

Micro Biology

Experiment: To assess the hygenic quality of milk

Method:

1. Sterilise 4 test tubes

2. Label the test tubes A, B, C, D

3. Place 10ml of milk in each test tube

A = fresh pasteurised milk

B = fresh unpasteurised milk

C = Sour pasteurised milk

D = Sour unpasteurised milk

4. Add 1 ml of Resazurin solution to each test tube

5. Stopper the test tubes and incubate at 37°c for 10 minutes in a water bath

6. Place the test-tubes in a test-tube rack and examine the colour of each test-tube

Result:

A = Blue

B = Mauve

C = Pink

D = White

Hygienic quality is indicated with colour change

_______BLUE_________MAUVE___________PINK____________WHITE

BEST QUALITY___________________________________________POOREST

Micro Biology

Test for Starch

• Place the food on a white tile, add a few drops of iodine

• If starch is present, iodine turns blue/black

Micro Biology

Test for Reducing sugars

• Make a solution out of a sample of food in a test tube

• Filter the mixture

• Add Benedicts solution to the filtrate

• Place in a hot water bath

Result:

Yellow/Green colour is positive

Micro Biology

Test for Fats

• Place a sample of food in a mortar and pestle with some alcohol

• Filter the solution

• Add a drop of water to the filtrate

Result:

If it goes cloudy, fats are present

Micro Biology

Test for Protein

• Make a solution of the food with water in a test tube. To the solution add an equal amount of sodium hydroxide to the mix

• Add a few drops of copper sulphate to it, gently down the side.

• Leave to stand for a few minutes.

Result:

A violet ring is a positive result

dairying - st francis college rochestown · • scc – somatic cell count mastitis

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