Cows 365 Blog

April 2011 - Posts

• Calf prices rocket while stock prices drop.

  At Kilmallock Mart, a client informed me that sales on Bank Holiday Monday reported that calf prices increased dramatically while the price of freshly calved dairy stock has decreased significantly over the past few weeks. It is hard to explain Friesian heifer calves making €400.00 at this time of year particularly as these would be considered late calves. The price of dairy stock decreasing can be explained by the imminent risk of a superlevy in the current dairy production year. All farmers visited today run the risk of a quota or a superlevy in the current production year. This will create a major financial burden on the dairy industry and restrict the expansion of the industry nationwide. Many farmers have invested heavily on the basis of expansion. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 29 2011, 11:26 AM by cows365 with no comments Select Tags... SaveCancel Filed under: calf prices [Edit Tags]

• More stock bulls needed

  On a visit to a dairy farm outside Cork city where fertility was very poor.90% of the cows were reproductively sound. After the visit we assessed the overall fertility and discovered that there were 120 out 200 cows available for breeding and not confirmed pregnant. There was only one stock bull with the herd. On the scan to-day there were 8 cows in heat and had not ovulated. This demand on one bull is too high. The advise to the client if he wants to retain strict pedigree status was to use DNA analysis from heifer calves born to certain parentage. Ideally with the numbers of cows available for service, 3 stock bulls are required. Dr.Dan @ ww.cows365.com Posted Apr 27 2011, 09:14 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: breeding, bull, pedigree status [Edit Tags]

• Stomach fluke and IBR in a dairy herd and its impact on a pre-breed scan

  on a farm outside Croom, Co. Limerick a dairy herd was presented with an outbreak of IBR and Stomach Fluke. The overall body condition score of the herd was poor and it was the impact in my opinion of stomach fluke preceded by the impact of IBR. Stomach Fluke causes severe depression of the immune system and IBR will then take over as a secondary effect. This client has approached the problem by vaccination, intra-nasal for IBR but is not treating for Stomach Fluke because of the withdrawal period required on milk. In my opinion, this is not the right approach. One should address the stomach fluke issue first and sacrifice the loss of milk and subsequently treat for IBR. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 21 2011, 10:22 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: IBR, stomach fluke [Edit Tags]

• Reproductive health status of Holstein dairy cows

  Morning rise and time. Our first farm visit was outside Athlacca in Co. Limerick. Visited a pedigree Holstein Friesian breeder who has a primary focus on breeding of Holstein cows with excellent type and high volume milk production. Major limiting factor on this type of cow for cost efficient milk production is the health status. Reproductive health in most Holstein herds in this country suffers because overall health status is not maintained. Dr,Dan Ryan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 20 2011, 10:09 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: Pedigree Holstein Friesian [Edit Tags]

• Outbreak of Samonella

  Visited a herd of Short-Horn cows outside Cashel where an outbreak of Samonella had occurred in the winter. The clients were shocked when I scanned the animals on a pre-breed fertility scan as over 50% of the cows were in calf. A bull was running with the cows although they presumed that these cows would not go back in calf. Salmonella can cause fertility problems such as abortion. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 19 2011, 06:31 PM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: fertility scan, samonella, abortions [Edit Tags]

• Challenge of Ecoli

  Morning rise and time called today to a dairy farmer in Golden, County Tipperary who was taking the first call of the day. Arrived at the farm in total darkness and no farmer to be seen. Rang him on his mobile and he woke up realizing he had forgotten to set his alarm. The cursing and the swearing was incredible. He ran out across the yard to get the cows and he realized he was he was still in his slippers and had to go back and get changed. The interesting feature with the herd is cell counts were very low but he had outbreaks of Ecoli mastitis in the first year of production. One of his consulting vets informed him that because of the low cell counts, immunity to Ecoli would be low and any challenge that Ecoli would establish itself in the herd. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 18 2011, 10:11 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: Ecoli [Edit Tags]

• Outbreak of TB in cows associated with Deer

  Morning rise and time, first calls this week are down outside Kenmare, County Kerry. The farmers visited here are complaining of outbreaks of TB and blaming deer for the spread of same. One farmer managed to shoot 8 deer in one night as part of a radication programme. The farmers visited here are all suckler farmers with sheep as a second enterprise. Many of the farmers have off farm employment and with the recession, many of the jobs are going. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 15 2011, 10:21 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: deer, radication programme, TB [Edit Tags]

• Rural depopulation on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork

  Discussion with one of the farmers revealed that the fees charges for travelling on buses have increased dramatically. They are being forced into a situation of rural schools being closed and eventually amalgamated with children being bused to either Kenmare or Castletownbere. This is a sad reflection on rural Ireland as the social fabric is very much centered around the local school’s and church’s. Removal of these in the area will be associated with the demise of shops and pubs and social isolation becomes a major issue in rural Ireland. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 14 2011, 10:28 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: Beara Peninusla West Cork, amalgamation, rural schools [Edit Tags]

• Selenium deficiency associated with poor reproductive performance.

  Visited a dairy herd in North Cork where a herd was presented with severe Selenium deficiency. There were following a programme using calcium injections to maintain high selenium status to meet the needs of the dairy cows. However, the treatment regime resulted in low retention rates and excellent viability of calves for approximately 6 weeks after treatment. Thereafter, an increased incidence of RFM and poor calf viability ensued. The client was convinced that selenium deficiency was the cause of their problems. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 13 2011, 10:31 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: selenium, calcium injections [Edit Tags]

• Pre-bred scan with excellent BCS in dairy cows yields excellent results.

  Visited a dairy herd outside Fermoy where 80 cows were presented for a pre-breed scan. The cows were in excellent BCS with no issues of lameness. The reproductive status of all cows presented was excellent with only 3 problematic cows out of 80 presented. This is a classic example where good management results in goo reproductive health. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 12 2011, 10:34 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: pre-breed scan.BCS [Edit Tags]

• Farm visit to a newly established dairy herd

  Visited a new dairy herd near Clonmel, County Tipperary yesterday. 75 cows were presented which were recently purchased. The cows were in poor body condition overall although 5kgs of 18% ration was being fed to the cows which were on grass full time. Cows presented today have genetic potential for 1200 gallons of milk. However, 40% of the cows presented were not fit for breeding on the basis of reproductive abnormalities associated with uterine infections, cows not cycling and ovarian cysts. In my opinion, irrespective of the type of cow one has to feed cows to their requirements. This stage post-calving it is priority breeding to maintain normal reproductive function. Acidosis in dairy cows. On a farm visit to County Limerick today where a herd of cows presented with very poor pre-breed heat detection rate. Cows were identified as cycling previously but now have no evidence of heats being detected. Further investigation revealed that milk butter fats were lower than milk proteins which is an indication of Acidosis in cows. It transpired that the cows were on very lush grass using a system with tight grazing on lush pastures with insufficient fibre in the total diet results in acidosis. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 11 2011, 10:14 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: acidosis, uterine infections, poor body condition, cows not fit for breeding [Edit Tags]

• Scanning cows in Castlewellan, Co. Down

  Good Morning rise and time, I travelled back up North again up to Castlewellan, County Down. Between the fog and blue skies, there are some beautiful scenes as I travel along the foothills of the Mourne Mountains between Newry and Castlewellan. My first call this morning is to a suckler herd which has a segment with a pedigree Charolais herd. Breeders of Charolais cattle in the North of Ireland use genetics which are quiet different to that in the south of Ireland. Foundation stock consist of a lot of Charolais cows that come from English bloodlines. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 07 2011, 09:57 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: charolais herd, suckler cow [Edit Tags]

• Scanning cows for an Autumn & Spring calving programme.

  Morning rise and time first call this morning was down to Dungarvan,County Waterford, to scan a herd of Holstein dairy cows where the Winter breeding programme had been completed and they were about to start their Spring breeding programme. There were 35% of the cows eligible for breeding in the Winter breeding programme that failed to establish pregnancy after a 10 week breeding period. These cows are now going to be recycled into the Spring breeding programme and synchronised for breeding to reduce the calving to pregnancy interval. The cows from the Spring calving section were pre-scanned and bred naturally over the next three weeks. Those cows not detected in heat will be scanned in four weeks time. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 05 2011, 10:41 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: heat detection, holstein cows, pre-breed scan [Edit Tags]

• Putting cows successfully for Autumn calving

  Morning rise and time, today I travelled back to County Kerry. First call was on the side of Ballydesmond. Visited a client who buys in Holstein cows which fail to go in calf from Spring breeding programmes each year. He puts these cows back in calf to calve for the Autumn and sells them in calf to clients nationwide. This client has built up a very good reputation and people come to him each year to purchase young cows for Autumn calving. It is interesting to note that over 95% of the cows presented to-day , which were dry and not in milk were exposed to a bull 90 days previously, were confirmed pregnant between 25 and 90 days. BCS on these cows was excellent. In my opinion, this is evidence that the main issue relating to infertility in our dairy cows is mis-management of our cows and not inherited infertility in the cow. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com Posted Apr 04 2011, 10:24 AM by cows365 with no comments Filed under: holstein cows, BCS excellent, Spring breeding programmes [Edit Tags]