Cows 365 Blog

In a herd visited today outside ballyconnell, co. Cavan. 250 Ayrshire and Ayrshire cross cows were presented for scanning. Overall reproductive performance was excellent with average herd calving interval reaching 370 days. Milk yields are approximately 1300 gallons, with 3.32% butterfat and 4.2% milk solids on average. Dr Dan

On a farm visit outside Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry today. The client presented 80 suckler cows for reproductive assessment. Of the 80 cows scanned, in excess of 70 were in calf between 20 to 100 days, with the rest being embryonic deaths, poor uterine repair post calving, or cows on heat or coming on heat. This is an excellent result. There are 3 vital factors at play : the use of AI., high meal intake and cow comfort. Dr Dan

Visited a dairy farmer in North Tipperary. This client presented a group of cows where calving dates were required. A number of the cows were confirmed pregnant between 90 and 190 days. This would leave them calving between July and August. These cows will put on excessive body condition if managed on grass. This client plans to fatten these cows for 5 to 6 weeks and slaughter them.

On a farm visit outside Derry, today. We scanned a herd of Holstein dairy cows for reproductive assessment. While I was there a cow was calving. The cow was previously scanned by me as carrying twins. The first calf born had all the clinical signs of being a free-martin. Just as we finished the scan she had a second calf, in the shape of a rugby ball. This mummy calf must have been a male foetus in the early stage, resulting in the female co twin. This is a classical example of the problems associated with twins. Dr.Dan Ryan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a Holstein breeder County Clare. This herd of Holstein cow is an exception in terms of type and fertility. The rolling herd average on this farm is 14, 000 litres. One of the cows presented is in her fourth lactation and has produced over 14,000 litres. What makes the cow special is her overall strength, udder attachment and docility.

Visited a client in County Derry. He had a cow that had been presented on a previous scanning visit, where an AI straw was placed deep in 1 of the uterine horns. I advised the client that this would leave the cow infertile. I advised him to have the cow on heat after my next visit, to have some hope of recovery of the AI straw. The cow was on heat today, and I managed to massage the AIstraw using guidance of ultrasonagraphy through the cervix. The client was astounded when I recovered the AI straw from the vagina. This news will travel far and wide around the farming community in Derry.

On a farm visit outside County Meath today. The client informed me that a Jersey herd in the locality has a rolling herd average of 10,500 litres with high milk solids. The cows on this farm are producing high volumes of milk with high solids in a winter milk production system. He received 50 cents a litre for his milk last September. He does not use new Zealand genetics, with a preference for English and Canadian Jersey genetics.

Our first call was to a client in County Monaghan. The client informed me that infertility in herds is a serious financial burden on many farms that this client has visited. With the implementation of a preventative health management programme in which our company is involved our aim is to prevent many of these infertility issues on farms. Scanning will be used as a preventative management tool in implementation of a PHMP.

On a farm visit outside Thurles today. I visited a farmer who had a herd of blonde d'aquaitaine and red angus cows. In his opinion the red angus cows had excellent maternal traits. Produced excellent calves, and had excellent reproductive performance based on the scan today. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a client in County Kerry today. He presented a group of in calf heifers which had just returned from an outside farm. The heifers were all of an inadequate size. They had failed to go in calf early in the breeding season. These heifers were badly managed on the outside farm. This will have a consequential effects on longevity and milk production capacity. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

On a scan visit to a pedigree Hereford breeder in north cork today. He informed me that he had just returned from north Dakota. He was informed that there are now lines of breeding within the Hereford breed with an average gestation period of 265 days. The calves have small birth weights which would also be beneficial to uterine repair post calving. These shorter gestation periods would have particular importance in grass based milk production, per compact calving as a pre-requisite in cost efficient milk production. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

On call visits to County Tipperary today heifers were scanned with fertility problems. On closer inspection of the herd and talking to the client, it became evident that lice was a major issue. Also in conjunction with lice, bulling of some heifers resulted in a pre pubertal stage being diagnosed. In conclusion diet was not an issue on this farm but health management of the herd was a major issue.

SCANNING SUCKLER COWS IN RURAL IRELAND This week was very mild with grass growth rates in ordinarily high. I have noticed daffodils and snowdrops make a steady rise above the grass carpet on lawns at home. It is a pleasure to drive around the country without the fear of ice and snow. The rural potholes of Ireland are the greatest risk to travel. This is a form of “social discrimination” where city dwellers do not face such warzone obstacles. Farm calls this week covered the South of Ireland. The focus on winter milk production has declined with milk price for liquid milk less than that for manufacturing milk. Risk of superlevy has also placed pressure on farmers, whereby less focus is placed on autumn calving. With the superlevy year ending on the 31st of March, it is difficult to manage the autumn calving section when superlevy risks are high. Thankfully there has been on English and Northern Ireland markets for dairy cattle. Outside Cork the primary focus this week has been autumn calving suckler herds, and assessment of donors and recipients for embryo transfer programmes. Many suckler farmers are part-time farmers and we have to organise their calls around their work shifts. Thankfully, companies like Pfizer provide employment in Askeaton. Many farmers in rural areas of North Kerry and Limerick would not survive without this source off-farm income. The off-farm job has created social interaction centered around livestock. Our calls on Wednesday afternoon were all to farmers working in factories around Askeaton. One call linked to five other farmers requesting calls. Reproductive inefficiencies may be unacceptable in the dairy industry, but there is no true measure of the reproductive problems in the suckler herd. There is a due need for the use of ultrasonography as a preventative health management tool to improve the welfare of cows and thereby maximize reproductive performance. Remember our motto! Look after the cow and she will look after you! Dr Dan and all the team @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a sucker farmer in County Clare today. I scanned a pedigree Simmental cow carrying triplets. The odds ratio of this occurring is 1 in 7,000. Another unusual feature of scanning in this herd was the fact that of the 17 pregnancies sexed. 15 were female and 2 were male. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

On farm calls to County Clare today. This client had a herd of Aberdeen Angus. There was reproductive problems with cows in relation to silent. To compound this effect the stock bull was lame. This would have resulted in mixed fertility Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a client in County Limerick this morning, for a pre breed scan. The reproductive health of these cows after calving was excellent. The client informed me that he used a pyni sire. This sire has easy calving traits. He showed me 2 calves born to first calvers which weighted approximately 30 kg. ' Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a farm in County Antrim. The farmer concerned announced to use over a cup of tea. 'you enter this house by 1 door and leave another as a different man'. 3 of the cows scanned on this farm were identical triplets. The chances of this phenomenon are at least 1 in 10 million. This visit made our day. The farmer obliged me by giving us a photograph and the 3 heifers and young cattle. I plan to use this photograph for our homepage. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Last evening travelled back to a call outside Novohal which was next to the atlantic ocean. There were gale force winds and three ships were taking shelter as they could not enter the harbor in Kinsale. This scan visit was to a Holstein dairy herd to access reproductive status prior to breeding. BCS on the herd was excellent on this farm. They are feeding cows using a Mech-fiber®Mix system which enables a diet of maize, silage and straw to be blended eddiciently for feeding the various groups of cows on the farm. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a client in Co. Waterford who presented late spring calving cows to determine pregnancy status. I informed him that a cow had a dead foetus which died at 120 days of gestation. The farmer then told me that 8 out of 10 of her comrades had aborted as maiden heifers .Neospora was identified as the causative effect. There is a possibility that this cow is also a carrie. She and her progeny will now be tested for neospora. Wishing all readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year Dr Dan

Travelled up from Roscrea to County Laois to one of the best Limousin breeders in the British isles. The stock here are excellent. Today we were scanning recipients where embryo's were implanted 30 days previously. The range in embryo size was incredible. I often wonder how this will affect, calving difficulty, birth rate and performance among calves. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION USING ULTRASONOGRAPHY My week began with a staff training programme in Fermoy. This was our first day to have ten staff on the payroll. The challenges ahead are immense. However, the various skills now employed should enable as to deliver a better service to our customers worldwide. Hopefully, you will begin to see the impact of the new cows365 in 2012. The reproductive system of the cow is extremely sensitive to environmental change. The phenotypic effects depend on the type of genetics used on your farm. An example is the effect of poor housing facility for a British Friesian versus a Holstein cow. The Holstein cow with a genetic potential for 10,000 litres of milk will suffer with hock and feet problems if cubicle size and design are poor. The smaller British Friesian with lower genetic potential for milk production will not have the same incidence of hock and feet injuries. Many older cow facilities were designed for British Friesian type cows. Redesign of cubicle design has reduced the incidence of hock and feet injuries in the Holstein cow. Injuries to feet and hocks result in an alternation to ovarian and uterine function. This can be observed using ultrasonography. Stress of this nature results initially in poor signs of heat and pregnancy rates to insemination, ultimately this type of stress results in anoestrus where oestrus cycles stop. Many farmers presume that these cows are pregnant because no heats are shown; scanning reveals a different picture. Hormonal treatment in a cow with leg and feet ailments will not be effective in the resumption of normal reproductive function. At present, we are evaluating the effect of feeding a rumen bypass fish oil, on reproductive function. This project involved the repeated measurement of follicle and corpus luteum development during several oestrus cycles entailing a breeding programme. Follicle and CL development can be linked to reproductive function. The procedure of measuring these structures is tedious but rewarding when you can map out changes observed. Regards Dr. Dan & the team @cows365 P.S. HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO VISIT OUR WEBSITE ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

Visited a pedigree Hereford breeder outside kanturk, co.cork. The client presented old Hereford's for scanning. He had 3 weeks previously recovered 17 grade 3 embryo's, and he had induced the cow. This was undertaken in the hope that some embryo's were left, that the cow needed assistance to receive normal oestrus cycle's.

Left Fermoy this morning for County Clare where we scanned a pedigree Limousin herd. It was stormy on the drive down, with a torrential downpour when we got to Doonbeg. Thankfully we could work indoors and avoid the storm. This client informed us that the price of Charlaois weanlings weighing 1,900 kg, averaged 700 euros in Kilrush last week. It is very difficult to see any future profit at these prices. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

On a farm visit to a Belgian Blue breeder here in County Clare revealed a disheartening story with the breeding of Belgian Blues. He is going to move back to the Limousin breed. Belgian Blues are considered too soft with too many animals falling by the wayside before sale. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Visited a charlaois breeder outside new market-on Fergus. He congratulated me on sorting out a cow which presented with polycystic ovarian disease. He subsequently flushed the cow and recovered 21 grade 1 embryo's. Even in today's market, with this type of genetics, the embryo's are in excess of 500 euro's each. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.ie