Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare):
A cause for concern?
Mission Impossible?
Martin Green
Prof Cattle Health and Epidemiology
Jon Huxley
Assoc Prof Cattle Health
Population Health Group
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Thanks to…
SVMS Population Health
Staff:
Dr Andrew Bates
Dr Marnie Brennan
Dr Rachel Dean (Director Evidence-based Vet Med Centre)
Prof Martin Green
Dr Jon Huxley
Dr Nigel Kendall
Prof Jamie Leigh
Adam Spencer
Dr Wendela Wapenaar
Dr Lisa Yon
Postgraduate Students:
Aurélien Madouasse
Sarah Potterton
Hannah Robbins
Jennifer Wills
David Black
Special Profs / Lecturers:
Prof Laura Green
James Husband
Peter Orpin
Dairy Herd Health
Group:
Andy Biggs
Dr James Breen
Mark Burnell
Alistair Hayton
Bill May
Jon Reader
Jon Statham
Mike Thorne
RCVS Trust Clinical Resident :
Simon Archer
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Our Perspective
• Dairy cows
• Cow health/welfare and a ‘free’ global
market
– Close to farm
– Research in bovine health
• Role of the veterinary surgeon of today
and tomorrow
• Author views!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Welfare
• A state of ‘wellbeing’, ‘normality’, physical
and emotional norm
• 5 freedoms
–
–
–
–
–
from hunger and thirst
from discomfort
from pain, injury and disease
to express normal behaviour
from fear and distress
• Health an important component of good welfare
– Terminology used in a variety of ways
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Welfare
Ill health
Pain
Suffering by
– ‘Hurt’ (sensations eg aches, stabs, heat etc)
– Emotional state altered
– Behavioural changes
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Dairy Industry
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But within this market…
Loser
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
In what way are cows losing
out?
•Health
– NB Other aspects
e.g.
Behaviours
Fear, distress
Discomfort
Nutrition
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns
- Lameness
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
UK Incidence Rate
(Cows treated/100cows/year)
Reported lameness incidence 1960-2000
Independent
80
60
40
20
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
93
19
91
19
89
19
83
19
72
0
19
60
Lame
cows
/100
cows
/year
Year of survey
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
UK Prevalence
• Proportion of the herd
affected:
– 34% (0 – 70%)
• (Heath Feet Project 2006-07)
– 30.0% (8.5 – 74.2%)
• (Huxley 2005)
– 24.2% (6.8 – 55.6%)
• (Huxley et al 2004)
– 23.1% & 20.0%
• (Main et al 2003)
– 20.6% (2 – 53.9%)
• (Clarkson et al 1996)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns – Mastitis
“Inflammation of the Mammary Gland”
• Clinical cases
• Subclinical infections
• Somatic Cell Counts
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Incidence Rate of Clinical
Mastitis
Incidence rate of clinical mastitis
(cases per 100 cows / year)
350
300
>50 cases/100
cows/yr
250
200
150
100
50
0
Farm in ascending order of incidence rate
Bradley et al 2007
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Herd Somatic Cell Counts
Bulk tank SCC in 1845 herds over 3 years
45% herd test
days above
200,000
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Somatic Cell Counts
Individual Cow in 1845 herds over 3 years
• 25% herds: >30% cow-readings
above 200,000 cells/ml
• 25% herds : > 20% cows remain
above 200,000 cells/ml for 2
consecutive recordings
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Reproduction
• Dairy cow fertility has been
declining globally over the
last 20 years
~rate of 1% per year
• Most common reason for
non-emergency culling
– 30-50% of all culls
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Metabolic
Disease?
• Displaced abomasa
• Hypocalcaemia
• (Sub clinical) Ketosis
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns – Infectious disease
• BVD, IBR, Johnes, Leptosporosis,
Neospora, calf pneumonia …
• National prevalence?
– BVD / Leptosporosis >90% herds affected?
– Test difficulties
• Lack of co-ordinated efforts to control?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Calving
Management?
• Calving associated
– Incidence rate?
– A common cause of
on-farm emergency
culling and death of
adult dairy cows?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Cow health could be better...
Why are cows losing out?
Important market drivers?
• Cheap (healthy, ethical) food
– More for less mentality?
• Global ‘oversupply’ for many
years (until recently)
– Important driver of dairy prices
(niches within…)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Is there enough in the farm budget for
– Capital projects
– Skilled labour (if available)
• Attention to detail
– Novel technologies
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Our demands on each cow tend to
increase
–Increased metabolic load
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Increased Metabolic Load…
• Human Energy Requirements
• Manual work or moderate exercise
~1.2 times maintenance
• Tour de France Cyclist
• 2.7 x M
• Polar Expeditions
• 2.4 – 3.4 x M
• Average UK Dairy Cow
• 3.2 x M
• High yielding dairy cow
• 4.8 x M
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Our demands on each cow tend to
increase
–Genetics focused on output
(recently reduced)
–Farm environments need adapting
for modern cows?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
• Cubicle size
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
Concrete
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
It’s not just housing…!!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
What a Market doesn’t ask:Cow NEEDS?
Provide resources to meet needs?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Industry
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Public perception of dairying
good at present?
–A distant view?
–Will it change…
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
• Current performance
– Lame - top 5%
– Repro - top 5%
– Mastitis – top 20%
– 9000 litres/cow/yr
– Housed ~75% of the year
• Good farmer, cows quiet,
in very good condition,
cow focused environment
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
• Many years of poor milk prices…
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
As soon as milk
prices increased …
…invested in new
buildings /
environment for
the cows
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Farmer approach…
• Many would like to spend more on
improving cow health and welfare
– But variation in attitudes
Not always clear return on investment
for health / welfare matters
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Farmer approach…
• Many different personalities and abilities
– No training required
– Little regular quality assurance
Basic ‘Health’ Schemes…
– National dairy farm assurance scheme
– Retailer schemes
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But who will improve the
cow’s situation?
Milk
Buyer ?
Farmer ?
Consumer?
Retailer ?
Government ?
Vets?
Funding
bodies
Welfare
Groups ?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But who will improve the
cow’s situation?
?Mission
Impossible
Vets?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Modern Veterinary Approach to
Managing Dairy Herd Health
• Many vet practices undertaking dairy herd health
management
– NOT JUST HEALTH PLANNING!!
– ? How many herds are included in holistic veterinary
herd health schemes?
• … elements of our approach
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to
Health
Managing Dairy Herd
• Farms opt in
• Payment schemes
– Fixed pence per litre (contract) to deliver
agreed services
– Services include
•
•
•
•
•
All aspects of health
+/ Diet formulation
Agreed out of hours component
Agreed surgical component
Agreed small animal component!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to
Health
Managing Dairy Herd
• Main health elements
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Reproduction
Lameness
Mastitis
Metabolic conditions
Infectious & parasitic disease
Injury
Nutrition
Culling reasons
Young stock
Biosecurity
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to
Health
Managing Dairy Herd
Objectives
Recording
Evaluation/interpretation
Targets achieved?
Yes or No
Problem analysis
(diagnosis + intervention)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to
Health
Managing Dairy Herd
• Herd size is increasing
(~20% cows in herds >200 cows)
– Assess cows and environment, but
– Emphasis on data and its interpretationPOPULATIONS
• Monitor “Critical Indicators”
– Provide early warning systems of health and
production issues
– Use of software
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Data Monitoring –
Critical Indicators
• Monthly or fortnightly assessment of early
indicators of health or production
• Realistic targets
– for individual units
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Data Monitoring
• Vets have a great opportunity;
– To assess data quality
– To encourage accurate use
– To provide regular feedback and analysis
• Quantitative skills useful!
– Assess herd patterns
– Can use probability to help decision process
• (Approx level of certainty)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Decision-Making
Strength of
Information
Importance of Event
Cost / Effort to Change
Possible outcomes
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why Doesn’t it Always
Work??
• Farmer compliance
– Resources available
• Financial
• ‘Time’
– Attitudes to risk
– “Prior” beliefs
• Knowledge gaps e.g.
– Lameness
– Reproduction
– Social and psychological aspects
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Herd Health
• Key issues
Relationships
Social aspects
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Taking it Further:
A National Health Scheme for
Mastitis Control in Dairy Cows
Andrew Bradley, James Breen, Chris Hudson
• Aim to identify a team of UK veterinary surgeons
and advisors to work in a collaborative manner to
develop a widespread mastitis control scheme
– Using a plan tested in a national RCT
– First 80 people signed up!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan
“Data
Patterns ”
Herd
Category
Must
Should
10-15
Action
Points
COMPLIANCE
Could
STARTED APRIL 2009!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow
Health and the
Environment?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Important?
report published by the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization…
“ the livestock sector generates more
greenhouse gas emissions as measured in
CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport.
It is also a major source of land and water
degradation.”
“Livestock are one of the most significant
contributors to today’s most serious
environmental problems. Urgent action is
required to remedy the situation.”
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
The Environment would
benefit if …
• Unnecessary culling is
reduced
– reduced cow numbers
required
• “Wasted” milk is minimised
– Due to treatments or
production losses
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
The Environment
and Dairy Cow Health
Will this drive change…?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Summary
• Overall the health of our dairy cows could
be (much) better
– Some herds are good, but average leaves
room for improvement
• We have some of the tools needed to
improve cow health
– Can we implement what we know?
• Do we have the necessary resources?
– But important, large, (currently unfashionable)
areas need addressing
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Who is to be the Guardian of
Cow Health?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Farmer?
Vet?
Retailer?
Government?
Consumer?
Interested groups?
Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare):
A cause for concern
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
• Do we need a new model?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Thank you!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science