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Know How / Dairy / Health and welfare

Good health and welfare is an essential feature of dairy herd management. Read up-to-date information on major welfare issues and diseases affecting dairy animals including infectious disease such as bovine TB and BVD, respiratory disease, mastitis, lameness and keep up to date with the latest welfare requirements.

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Case studies

DAIRY

Benefits of training heifers to use the parlour

A snap poll by Farmers Weekly revealed that 52% of dairy farmers who responded, train their heifers through the parlour and 26% run a separate heifer group. Both results are…

DAIRY

Why two systems are running separate heifer milking groups

Milking heifers separately from cows has improved social cohesion and reduced bullying for a block-calving herd and an all-year-round setup at Sansaw Estate in Shropshire. This spring block-calving herd has…

DAIRY

Bovine TB blow prompts dairy farmer to join Longhorn scheme

Price security and the ability to better weather a bovine TB outbreak were the main reasons dairy farmer Jonathan Scott signed up to a Longhorn scheme. In 2016, TB hit…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How cow minerals unlocked calf health for Somerset farm

The Creeds are meticulous when it comes to calf rearing, so when animals suddenly started to get sick, it was a mystery as to why – until they discovered their…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Gold Cup winners share body condition scoring strategy

Embracing technology and keeping a close eye on cow condition have helped maintain pregnancy rates at 23% and support cow longevity at an Ayrshire family farm. The Logans, from Holehouse…

LIVESTOCK

How Welsh dairy has halved carbon emissions

A Welsh family dairy has almost halved its carbon footprint from 1,447g to 809g of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, placing the farm within the…

Practical advice

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

The risks of dog faeces to livestock and how to prevent them

Having five carcasses condemned for discolouration caused by cysts has cost a farm dearly and highlighted the issue of the dangers of dog muck. The costly case happened in 2021…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop calf pneumonia reducing heifer longevity

Calf pneumonia has stayed in the top 10 of the most frequent diagnoses from carcass submissions* in Great Britain for almost a decade. And while heifers can recover and eventually…

DAIRY

How to help heifers join the milking herd and reduce stress

Training heifers to the parlour, keeping them with their peers, or managing them as a separate milking group can help reduce stress levels when replacements join the milking herd. But…

DAIRY

4 ways to drill down on mastitis data for your herd

It is common practice to use mastitis and cell count patterns to see which broad area of risk is responsible for a herd’s infections. Various software packages, along with programs…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Winter dysentery: Signs, treatment, prevention and control

There are many advantages to winter housing for both dairy cattle and farmers. But because animals are closer together and there is less fresh air inside, there tends to be…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Advice on reducing pneumonia risk amid autumn weather swings

Pneumonia prevention should be top of the agenda this autumn as high humidity and swings in ambient temperatures are creating the perfect storm for the disease. Dr Gwen Davies of…

Insights

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

4 ways to improve on 60-day calf mortality rate

Healthy calves can achieve growth rates of 1,080g/day, but just one day of diarrhoea reduces this by 80g. A calf with respiratory disease will lose 180g/day off its growth rate…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Calf monitoring and health plans key to future performance

Some 90% of farmers want to make changes to improve the future sustainability of their youngstock management in the next 12 months, according to a Farmers Weekly exclusive survey. Yet…

DAIRY

Wearable device for cattle aims to improve dairy health

A new device, which is claimed to be the first integrated health microchip and activity monitor for livestock, could enable early detection of pre-clinical conditions and disease prediction in real…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

3 technologies to improve udder health

With pressure on dairy farmers mounting to cut the carbon footprint of their operations and improve efficiencies amid a backdrop of labour challenges, technology has the potential to help all…

DAIRY

Why milking robots are a good fit for Iceland’s dairies

About half of all dairy cows in Iceland are now milked through robots, with the fast-paced adoption of technology allowing farmers to enjoy a more laid-back way of life. With…

DAIRY

How milk testing could help predict lameness in dairy cows

A study has revealed that sampling and testing milk for specific biomarkers could help farmers predict lameness in dairy cows long before the onset of visible symptoms. The presence of…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why low-cost devices can be effective to detect lameness

Low-cost thermal imaging devices are as effective at detecting lameness in dairy cattle as expensive alternatives, a study led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed. Infrared thermal imaging…

DAIRY

How enrichment could help cow welfare and public perception

Animal welfare has tended to focus on the physical state of animals. More recently, though, the importance of considering their emotional and mental wellbeing has been established, too – creating…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why calf cough is unreliable as early warning for pneumonia

Waiting for clinical symptoms to diagnose respiratory diseases in calves may mean many cases go undetected and untreated, according to research from the US. Health plans are largely focused on…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

A guide to mastitis treatment options for dairy cows

Mastitis is a major challenge for dairy farmers, from both cow health and economic perspectives, with recent figures from Kingshay estimating a cost/case of £386 – based on a milk…

BOVINE TB

How the free bovine TB advisory service is helping farmers

The TB Advisory Service (TBAS), is a Defra-funded initiative which gives free, practical advice to help dairy and beef farmers control bovine TB on farms in England.  The TBAS programme…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why genetics can play bigger role in breeding out lameness

Good husbandry, environment and nutrition all play a part in the fight against dairy cow lameness. But new research has found genetics has a bigger role than was previously thought.…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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