Herd Health Program Research Articles

Planning and Implementing a Health Program for the Research Center Cow Herd

This paper presents the planning, implementation and daily ongoing administration of the herd health and disease management program developed for the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska. The major points contributing to the apparent success are: define the preventive medicine practice concept; establish goals; consider the seven phases of disease prevention; develop specific approaches for each client for cow-calf preventive medicine; assign the responsibilities; implement the program; develop records; keep informed; communicate on a routine basis with the client; and evaluate and change the program on the basis of results.

Dairy Herd Health Program

The future of the veterinarian in the dairy industry will depend on the profession's ability to adapt to the changing needs of the industry and the computer will play a central role in the record-keeping system essential to this industry. We as veterinarians must be prepared to meet this challenge or we will be replaced by others outside the profession who will attempt to supply the demands of the industry. The success or failure of a dairy health program depends on several factors which include good records as well as other ingredients stated in this paper. A veterinarian must have the client's confidence, an educated client, an economic need and adequate veterinary manpower and skills in order to have a viable health program. When all of these ingredients are present, the result is a satisfied dairy client and a good economic return for the time investment by the veterinarian.

How to Sell a Herd Health Program and How to Keep Records

I appreciate being given the opportunity to present my ideas and methods of cow-calf herd health practice. I was asked to speak on initiation, maintenance, justification, and records that I use in my practice.
 I have to know my clients well to maintain them on a program. They are as different as their problems and needs are different. My clients for various reasons may maintain records, however, for the most part these records usually reflect individual animal performance. They do not reflect herd health or herd performance over a period of years. The client contacts, of course, are usually made on a call basis. For years the caesarean operation was my first contact with many ranchers. Now, controlling the caesarean rate may attract clients to the program.

Role of DHI records in herd health programs

Herd owners that insist on having herd health programs without including DHI reocrds as the criteria for measureing results are penalizing the veterinarian and themselves. Herd health programs should be profitable to both dairymen and veterinarian. Many studies list veterinary and drug costs at $15 to $20 per cow per year. A 100-cow herd on this basis would be a good addition to any verinarian's practice. Likewise, if the dairyman reaps his proportionate increased returns, he should welcome the expenditure. However, neither individual should plan programs without a means of measureing the results. DHI records will furnish the answers you need for both parties.

Use of the prostaglandin F 2α analog cloprostenol (ICI 80, 996) in dairy cattle with unobserved estrus

Two field trials were designed to evaluate use of the prostaglandin F 2α analog cloprostenol (CP) in dairy cattle with unobserved estrus and a palpably mature corpus luteum (CL). In Trial 1, 98 cows were treated with CP (500 μg IM) and 83 were given saline. Cows in both groups were assigned to be inseminated based on observed signs of estrus. Cows treated with CP were inseminated sooner than controls although heat detection still presented some difficulty. Conception rates were the same for both groups. In Trial 2, 154 cows were treated with CP for unobserved estrus and were assigned to be inseminated at estrus (78 cows) or were inseminated twice by appointment at 72 and 96 hours after treatment (76 cows). Appointment breeding eliminated problems associated with detection of estrus so nearly all cows were inseminated soon after treatment. In addition, cows bred twice by appointment had a higher conception rate than those bred based on signs of estrus. Induction of luteolysis with the prostaglandin F 2α analog CP in cows with unobserved estrus and a CL should prove to be a very effective addition to reproductive herd health programs. Successful use of CP for this purpose is dependent upon accurate diagnosis of the presence of a mature CL. In these trials 83 (92.4%) of 90 cows sampled had blood serum progesterone concentrations indicative (≥ 2.0 ng/ml) of significant luteal tissue activity.

A health program for commercial dairy herds. 5. The occurrence of specific disease entities.

Disease incidence data was collected from 9 dairy herds which participated in a herd health program. A total of 11,534 cow years was analysed. In common with other Australian data, the important clinical diseases were mastitis and infertility. There was an average level of 43.4 disease incidents per year per 100 animals at risk. An average of 18.6% of the herd left each year. This comprised 1.5% through death and 17.1% through sale. Disease accounted for the disposal of 9.8% of animals, and management reasons for 8.8%. These findings are similar to those of other studies in Australia and in other countries, but the results in this study were based on a longer period and on closer surveillance.

A health program for commercial dairy herds. 4. Changes in mastitis prevalence.

A study of mastitis prevalence in 10 herds which participated in a herd health program is reported for varying periods, up to a maximum of 10 years. The program was based on teat dipping with idophor or sodium hypochlorite teat dip, regular maintenance of the milking machine, and selective dry period treatment of quarters which were classified as infected on the basis of California Mastitis Test score and bacteriological examination of milk samples taken before drying off. The procedures reduced mastitis prevalence (measured in cows being dried off), incidence of clinical mastitis, and disposal of cows due to mastitis. Results obtained were similar to those found in short-term studies of control programs based on teat dipping and dry period therapy. The only significant difficulty which arose in maintaining the control program over 10 years was loss of enthusiasm by farmers for teat dipping. This was usually induced by teat irritation problems apparently caused by teat dipping. The use of a monitoring procedure for mastitis prevalence was important in persuading farmers to return to the use of teat dip.

A health program for commercial dairy herds. 2. Data processing.

The development of a computerised data handling and analysis system to aid the operation of a health and management program for commercial dairy herds is described. The aims for the system are outlined, and the development of the system over a period of 8 years to meet these aims is described. The documentation used in the current system is described in relation to the various procedures involved in the operation of the dairy herd health program. Two features which make this system unique are its use for the selection of problem and high risk cows for examination and treatment, and the provision of analyses of recent performance in a number of facets of health and production, which aid in the identification of emerging problems. It is considered that future improvements in the system will be in the areas of milk production recording and calf rearing and disease recording.

Pregnancy rates and non-return rates following artificial and natural breeding in dairy herds.

Information routinely supplied during the conduct of a dairy herd health program was analysed to evaluate the performance of artificial breeding in Victoria. A comparison was made between 60 to 90-day non-return rates (supplied by artificial breeding centres) and pregnancy rates (determined by manual pregnancy diagnosis) for first artificial inseminations in 108 herd years in which both items were available in the 1973 and 1974 breeding seasons. The values were 69.3% and 58.2% respectively (P less than 0.001). Non-return rates and conception rates were found to decline as herd size increased. Pregnancy rates to first artificial and natural services did not differ significantly from each other but pregnancy rates were significantly more variable to natural than artificial service (P less than 0.001). The mean pregnancy rate to artificial insemination for all herd years studied was 57.5% and the pregnancy rate to natural service was 58.0%.

Evaluation of herd and flock health programmes

Abstract Extract Rural veterinary practice faces difficulties in many parts of the world. Falling farm incomes and increasing costs have sometimes resulted in reduced use of veterinary services. There seems to be widespread agreement that an increased emphasis on preventive medicine would improve the situation for both the farmer and his veterinarian. There appear to be no commonly agreed formal criteria for the development and evaluation of health programmes, either in human or veterinary medicine, but increasing attention is being paid to the problem(1) (12) (14) (15), In some ways the evaluation of animal health programmes should be the easier, for there are fewer ethical problems and economic criteria are of paramount importance in rural practice.

Planned animal health and production service — P.A.H.A.P.S.

Abstract Extract Herd-health programmes have featured in NZVA Presidential addresses in recent years. Conferences have been opened by politicians stressing their importance and fanners, farm advisers and veterinary practitioners are discussing the concept. More or less intensive practical herd-health schemes are operating in many parts of New Zealand. The best known are in the Bay of Islands, at Wairoa and in Waipukurau.

Effects of a Herd Health Program on Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows

One hundred forty-four dairy cows of five breeds with a total of 184 parturitions were assigned randomly by breed and parity to a reproductive herd health program and control group for 2 yr. Animals of herd health program averaged 1.85, 1.73, 73.1, and 99.24 for number of inseminations, inseminations per conception, days to first insemination, and days open compared to 2.59, 2.37, 86.82, and 140.07 for control animals. Controls averaged 255kg of solids-corrected milk more per lactation on a standardized basis than cows in the herd health program. For experimental day, animals of herd health program produced 20.59 and 20.63kg of mature equivalent and solids-corrected milk compared to 20.60 and 20.37kg for controls. Total yearly reproductive veterinary costs per cow for each group were $16.94 and $15.34 for herd health and controls. For economical aspects of the two programs, the reproductive herd health group returned $.16 more per cow per experimental day than controls.

Preventive medicine program for dairy cattle in Southern Ontario

The principles of the herd health programme at the Ontario Veterinary College are discussed with particular emphasis on the veterinarian-dairyman relationship. The importance of: selection of herds (checking health indices before allowing enrolment into the programme); procedures and contracts to avoid misunderstanding, records for identification and up-to-date reports, and cost benefit analysis are all stressed. Analysis of data provided conclusive evidence that return on investment improved significantly (95 to 502%) when the dairyman participated in the programme.

Dairy herd health program method

The detailed workings of a 5-step dairy herd health programme are presented with reference to one University of Melbourne farm. Examples of management questionnaires, and recommendations for layout of monthly and annual reports are given. It is stressed that this programme is only provisional but that it is practical.

Metabolic profile studies in the bovine animal

This paper was prepared at the request o f the Editor and should he o f special interest to practitioners engaged in dairy or beef herd health programs. The paper is published in the style presented by the author. Dr. Edgson is past-president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association and Chief Resident Veterinary Officer to the RoyalSmith field Show.

Evaluation of oxytocin in improving beef cattle reproduction rates

Oxytocin is particularly valuable in improving uterine involution and subsequent conception rates in first calf heifers requmng assistance at parturition. It also is valuable in increasing conception rates in those first calf heifers not requiring assistance at parturition. The use of oxytocin as a portion of the postparturient care should be considered as a prescribed portion of a beef cattle herd health program.

Diagnosis and Prevention of Infertility in Cattle

A systematic procedure for reproduction specialists to conduct a herd infertility examination is outlined and discussed. The procedure involves evaluation of breeding history, feeding and management practices, and examination of health records, herd, and laboratory results to make an objective diagnosis. An analysis of data from a dairy herd with a repeat breeding problem is presented. Recommendations for treatment and prevention were made and implemented, and benefits to the dairyman were evaluated. The etiology was attributed principally to a phosphorus deficiency in high-producing cows during early lactation, but estrus detection also was inadequate. Implementation of recommendations reduced the number of services per conception from 2.3 to 1.6.Procedures for maintaining high fertility in healthy herds also are discussed and illustrated with results from a herd on a systematic herd health program for a four years. The program reduced forced culling from disease by one-third and permitted the dairyman to double selective culling for low production and poor type.