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Dairy CowsLife on the Production Line

Anne Swinerd

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Intro into NZ Dairy Industry

• NZ provides about 35% of the worlds dairy products(150+ countries)

• is this countries biggest export earner, bringing in no less than $11 billion per annum

• is responsible for feeding over 100 million people worldwide

• produces no less than 13 billion L of milk each year, which equates to 1.1billion Kilos of milk solids *in 2012 over 19billionL produced.

(Go Dairy, n.d)

• The dairy industry is VITAL to NZs economy

Anne Swinerd

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Advantages of the Dairy Industry…

FOR SOCIETY

Income(on a national & individual scale)

Calcium rich food source Breast milk replacement

for our babies(Formula) Job opportunities both

direct and indirect (Fonterra, Veterinary industry)

Immune booster meds

FOR THE COW

Free access to grass Always have access to

fresh water Supplementation

(silage, palm kernel, hay, crops)

Anne Swinerd

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Income from a dairy cow/calf

Primarily for Dairy Products

Secondary income by becoming:Pet foodProcessed meat for humansLeatherOffal into fertilisers

Secondary income the calf:Heifer replacementsVealLeatherPet foodFoetal Bovine SerumCan be sold to other farmers

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How we get

milk…

• calf born & taken from Cow

• CIDRd

• Impregnated

• Gives birth to calf which is taken within 24hours

• Cow goes into milking herd

• The cycle continues year after year until the cow is no longer useful.

Anne Swinerd

“A Cow can only produce Milk once it has given birth to a calf” (Dairy Australia Ltd, 2014)

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Calving time…

Anne Swinerd

• “A cow bonds with her calf in a matter of minutes after birth,…..removing the calf at any stage is always going to be stressful.” (Dr Clive Dalton,2009)

• “…weaning induces severe psychological stress in cattle..”

(Solano.J, et al)

At about 9 months the cow will give birth to a calf

As with ANY labour it is a time of stress and pain to the mother

Calves are born Live, dead, or too early “slipped”

A Calves life decided by gender & taken from cow within 6-24 hours of birth

Cow is now ready to be milked!

Cows Body condition score goes down due to the stress of losing her calf, milking, & healing.

Cow/calf video

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Calves: What happens to them?

HEIFER REPLACEMENTS Fed measured

colostrum and milk. Warm & dry in calf

sheds Can develop scours

which can be Fatal!!

BOBBY CALVES

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Males are put in a pen for the bobby truck to pick up

No legal requirement to feed bobbies, just a recommendation

Don’t have any real value to farmer

Common Illness

There are two types.

*Non Infectious DiarrhoeaNutritional Scours Caused by a number of different things, but all in relation to Poor management by the farmer/calf rearer.Can lead to death.

*Infectious diarrhoeaBacteria, viruses, and protozoa cause this

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Calf Scours

“Shedding and environmental stress is a common cause of scours” (Ngahiwi Farms Ltd, 09-14)

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Cows and Heifers, after calving Cows colostrum is milked

out into buckets Once her colostrum is

gone, she joins the other calved cows in the milking herd

She is milked 2x daily for another 10months.

After being reared, the Heifer replacements will join the rest of the cows

Soon she will be CIDRd for her 1st time to produce a calf by the time she is 2

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Milking Time Cows walk considerable

distance On some farms Cows

pushed/rammed by farm bikes

In some yards backing gates send electric shocks through cows system

Milking yards without shade Cowshed is generally very

loud If cows can be whacked,

squirted, yelled abuse at. “what he does to cows when

they don't let their milk down, he uses a pipe to blow air into their vagina”(Granny56r, 2013)

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CIDRs (Controlled Internal Drug Release)

Cow is pushed up the bails or into a vet race so she is confined for CIDR insertion

Used to synchronize estrus in milking herd

Inserted into vagina by Vet or Vet Tech

How to insert CIDRs

The CIDR is removed after 7-14 days (dependant on type)

2x injections of prostaglandin hormones administered.

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Mating/Breeding/Ultrasound 66 hours after CIDR

removal, AI commences. Cows are again confined

to have device inserted to make them pregnant

It is now at AI that cows receive their 2nd Prostaglandin injection.

Any cows that have been “missed” by AI will be caught by the bull that is put out to graze with them

Vet will pregnancy scan or manually palpitate, both methods performed internally.

Empty cow=Cull cow

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Illness associated with Dairy farming…

Lame cows Standing too long on

concrete Walking long distances

daily on hard surfaces Reversing out of rotary

bails Being pushed, shoved &

rammed by motorbikes of impatient farmers

Forced in and out of trucks by electric cattle prodders

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Illness associated with dairy farming cont….

MastitisA trial conducted in 2008 to 2009 in NZ showed these results: Only 12% of farms mixed and applied

Teat spray correctly. 49% demonstrated faulty cluster removal 34.5% showed poor completeness of

milking Is it our practices that cause

Mastitis??

(Inflammation of the mammary gland in the udder, typically by infection by damage to teat)

Milk Fever Low blood calcium interferes with muscle

function Cows become very weak and lethargic Can cause heart failure Most common in older cows as it is

harder for their body to mobilize calcium from their bones

(Hypocalcemia)

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Induction of Dairy cows

Used to be common Dairy Farming Practice

Induction rates have been decreasing annually since 2010

Currently only 4% of a herd is allowed to be induced to bring on lactation

Induction is simply using Vet medication to induce labour, producing dead or dying calves known as “slinks” to get cows lactating

***Induction will be completely banned by 2015*** (“Vet”.personal communication. July 2014)

Vet Council. Induction. PDF

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Dairy farming and the 5 Freedoms/Code of

WelfareCopy and Paste this link if you wish to know more about the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/Default.aspx?TabId=126&id=2296

Freedom from Hunger and Thirst - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and

vigour.

?Freedom from Discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area

?Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis

and treatment.

Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind

XFreedom from Fear and Distress - by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoids mental suffering

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Bibliography Bruce.E.Eilts.(2010, Oct 1). Estrus cycle control in a cow. Retrieved from http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/eiltslotus/theriogenology-5361/bovine_estrous_cycle.htmClarice Yeung. (2012, Dec 3). 798. [Blog post] Retrieved from http://blogs.ubc.ca/clayeung/2012/12/03/798/Dairy Australia Ltd (2014) Discover Dairy:How cows make milk. Retrieved from

http://www.dairy.edu.au/discoverdairy/Teachers/From-Farm-to-Plate-Module/How-Cows-Make-Milk.aspxDairy NZ.(n.d) retrieved from http://www.compliancetoolkit.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145876425Dairy NZ.(n.d) Bobby calves. Retrieved from http://www.dairynz.co.nz/animal/calves-and-young-stock/bobby-calves/Dairy NZ(n.d) Welfare: The Five Freedoms. Retrieved from http://www.dairynz.co.nz/animal/herd-management/welfareDon Fraser.(2014) Cowsheds some serious considerations. Retrieved from http://www.fraserfarmfinance.co.nz/articles/fff323.htmlDr Clive Dalton.(2009, Jan 25). Cattle Farm Husbandry when to remove a calf. [blog post]

http://woolshed1.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/cattle-farm-husbandry-when-to-remove.htmlEric Grant (2006, Feb 1) Understanding CIDR. Retrieved from http://beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_understanding_cidrFonterra Co-Operation (2014) The New Zealand Dairy Industry. Retrieved from:

http://www.fonterra.com/global/en/financial/global+dairy+industry/new+zealand+dairy+industryGo Dairy: The Big Picture. (n.d) retrieved from http://www.godairy.co.nz/the-big-picture/facts-and-figuresGranny56r.(2013, November 18) Cow not letting down her milk…any tricks[blog post] retrieved from

http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/lsb-forum/showthread.php?t=37925Heifermax. (2011,April 13). Tube feeding Calves. [blog post] retrieved from http://www.heifermax.com.au/blog/tube-feeding-calves/Jamie Small. (2013, May 23). The Rural: Understanding Mastitis in Dairy Cows. Retrieved from

http://www.therural.co.nz/livestock/understanding-mastitis-in-dairy-cowsMilk Facts: Mastitis and Somatic Cells.(n.d) retrieved from http://milkfacts.info/Milk%20Microbiology/Mastitis%20and%20SCC.htmMinistry of Primary industries (2014, 12 June) Code of Welfare: Dairy Cattle. Retrieved from http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/animal-welfare/codes/dairy-cattleMinistry for Primary Industries.(2011, May 13). The Animal Welfare Act - A Framework for the 21st Century. Retrieved from

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/legislation/animal-welfare-act/index.htmNgahiwi Farms Ltd(2009-2014) Scours-Nutritional. Retrieved from http://www.ngahiwifarms.co.nz/cms/calf-health/scours-nutritional.htmlSolano.J, Orihuela.A, Galina.C.S, Aquirre.V.(2007,Jan-Feb). A note on behavioral responses to brief cow-calf separation and reunion in cattle (Bos indicus).

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.2(1). 10-14. Retrieved from http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(06)00154-7/abstract

The Dominion Post.(2008).NZ FARMER: Another game of two calves. retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/535708/Another-game-of-two-calves

Vet Council (2010 June) Operational Guidelines: Induction calving. Retrieved from http://www.vetcouncil.org.nz/documentation/Other/OperationalGuidelines_InductionOfCalving.pdf

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QUESTIONS…..