Written by Anibal Ballarotti for Progressive Dairy
Dairy farming has become an increasingly complex activity today, mainly due to the multidisciplinary requirements. It is essential that milk producers and their advisors have a broad 360 degree view of the business.
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In the information age, there are many data sources available to farmers and advisors, yet they sometimes struggle to integrate all the factors associated with success: fertility, genetics, milk production, nutrition, housing, health and so on. Consultants can go into detail about the benefits of an additional hormone injection in a timed A.I. program or add some protected amino acids to the diet formulation. However, they may overlook other more fundamental factors, such as access to clean water, food or the quality of beds.
Perhaps as herd size grows from hundreds of cows in small to medium-sized dairy farms to thousands of cows in large farms, we risk neglecting simple but essential factors in this complex system: the cows themselves. If cows could talk, they could very well tell us what they need for a happy (and productive) life. If we don't take the time to look closely at the cows and assess their lives with their own eyes, we may miss important clues that are essential to a healthy, happy and productive herd.
Fortunately, there are technologies and animal monitoring systems such as cow signals and others available to help us with this. These systems form our reference point with a simple question: Are we meeting the basic needs of the cows? In short, we must provide air, light, space, food, water and rest to establish good health in a dairy cow. It may seem easy to meet these needs. But are we overlooking the obvious?
At the most basic level, observing the cow's behavior in the barn can be a strong indication of whether these basic needs are being met. When a happy cow is not in the parlor, she likes to eat, drink, rest and take time to walk around and enjoy herself. If she doesn't do any of these four things, but instead waits passively, she can tell us something is wrong. Some basic needs are not met. With that in mind, let's dive deeper into these needs and what just watching and listening to our cows can tell us:
1. Air:Cows want maximum fresh air and ventilation.
If a cow raises her head to an open space above the stable walls, this may indicate a need for fresher air. Lactating cows increase their body temperature significantly. To get rid of this excessive temperature, they mainly increase their breathing rate. They try to cool themselves by standing instead of lying down. Standing makes breathing movements easier. Sometimes they raise their upper body over their butt to make breathing even easier. The optimal temperature for lactating cows is 15 to 60ºC. Below 40ºC they need extra energy to stay warm. Depending on the humidity, cows above 70ºC start to show the first signs of stress.
2. Lies:Cows with optimal milk production and fertility prefer 14 to 16 hours of light per day and six to eight hours of darkness.
Dry cows and heifers near calving: 8 hours of light and 16 hours of darkness. Light means 200 lux at cow level everywhere in the stable. You can check this level using a light meter, or a simple test is to see if you can read a newspaper somewhere in the stable. Dark means 50 lux or less, which cows experience as night. Darkness can change their circadian cycle, potentially reducing signs of heat. If we are not providing enough light or air, we should consider tearing down walls, adding more windows or installing additional electric lighting.
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3rd place:A happy cow has free access to food, water and bed.
They must be able to move freely. They must be able to move through the group without touching each other. They must be able to retreat to a safe place in the event of a conflict or hierarchical issue. For example, the dominant cows usually eat first, which can be a major obstacle for the subordinates. So in addition to good feet, good legs and a good grip on the floor, they need space. This essential free movement is not possible in a crowded group. In the ideal situation, two cows would be able to pass side by side behind a row of other feeding cows.
4. Boos:Happy cows should have safe access to the feeding alley 24 hours a day and enough space to eat in a relaxed manner
One place per cow would be an ideal feeding environment. Cows are herd animals and therefore like to eat at the same time. Separately grouping cows from the first lactation and cows with multiple lactations will result in higher productivity. This is because guard cows are generally subordinate and when separated they will eat more quietly. They usually visit the feeding alley more often and consume smaller portions, but may have a higher dry matter intake. The feeding table should be 10 cm higher than the level of the cow's feet. If higher, cows with a horizontal head position will eat, chew less and produce less saliva.
5. Water:Unlimited access to fresh drinking water is just as important as having enough fresh food.
For 1 kilo of dry matter, cows need 5 liters of water. Animals like to drink the cleanest and freshest water available. They also like to drink immediately after milking. Drinkers should therefore stand in different places near the feeding alleys. As a rule of thumb, there should be one large water source for every twenty cows, or one smaller supply for every ten cows. A cow drinks six to eight times a day, up to 20 liters each time. Dirt at the bottom of the tanks gives the water an unpleasant taste. Bacteria will grow, making the water smelly. This poses a danger to animal health. Empty the water tanks daily and clean them thoroughly once a week.
6. Rust:Happy cows like to lie on a soft and grippy surface.
Softness prevents injuries to the front knee and hock. Good grip prevents slipping and sliding and damage to the spine and hocks. Cows that are waiting do not lie down because they do not feel well. What message does this send to the dairy manager? The cows say they are afraid of injuring themselves on the available beds. Provide each cow with at least one soft, deep bed, with sand or other soft material as bedding. Clean the beds at least 3 times a day and fill them weekly.
To check whether the beds are dry and comfortable, you can do the 'knee test'. Kneel in some beds three times for 10 seconds to determine if they are soft enough for the cows. In addition, the 'back of hand rub test' shows whether the beds are too abrasive compared to the cow's hooves. If you have a shed that needs improvement, start rebuilding as soon as possible. Propose accordingly an adjustment of 10 beds and let the cows convince the producer.
Conclusion
Providing optimal cow comfort through these six basic needs of free-range cows is not easy. But adapting any system to address the shortcomings that the cows themselves tell us will improve dairy production. If we learn to focus on providing fresh air, light, space and maximum opportunities for eating, drinking and resting, the result will be an environment that promotes production, health and cleanliness while minimizing wounds, injuries and lameness.
A healthier cow is happier. The next time you approach the herd, you can exchange knowing glances with the cows because you heard what they are telling you.
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Anibal Ballarotti.Advisor – ABS Global.
Originally published onProgressive Dairy
Animal health and welfareI comfortProductivity
