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Lactation/Lactation Management/Reasons for Culling, Mr P Reynolds - Coggle…
Lactation/Lactation Management/Reasons for Culling
Lactation
Factors Affecting Lacataion
Health
Nutrition
High DMD Leafy Grass - Increases Yield/Protein
Fibre - increase yield, protein and Bfat.
Stage
heifer will give a peak yield of 70–75 percent of a mature cow’s peak yield.
Breed
Age
Milk yield increases with age.
Early Lactation Management
Prevent “Milking of her Back” or Negative Energy Balance – Refers to the cow using her own energy reserves to produce milk.
Nutrition
High Quality Grass Volume if possible Strip Grazed – Prevent Grass Tetany
High Quality Silage (70% DMD)
2-4 Kg of Concentrates Daily
Supplement Calcium – Milk Fever
Supplement Magnesium – Grass Tetany
Effect of Negative Energy Balance
Reduce Milk Output
Poor fertility – Cow wont Cycle
Longer Calving Interval – Less Profit
Higher Risk of Infection/ Disease – Milk Fever
Observed for heat/cycling
Lactation Curve Diagram
Lactation Peak May/June
Dry 60 days
Cow Prepares For Calving
maximises milk yields in the lactation that follows. .
Allow Cow Recover
305 days
Lactation yield:
Total lactation yield (kg) = Lactation peak x 220
Mid-Lactation Management
Cows fed high energy diet during breeding (Grass + Concentrates)
Increases Conception Rate
Maintains Peak Yield.
Post Breeding Diet (Maintenance Diet)
Leafy Grass (Provides Protein/Energy)
No Concentrates
Paddock Grazing
Cow Monitored for Heat Detection
Heat Detection is difficult:
Silent Heats – unannounced heats, cows show no signs of heat
Signs of heat can be difficult to identify
Timing of heats can be difficult to identify
Missing Heats/Mis-Timed AI
Cost of AI
Shorter Lactation (Low Milk Yield the following Year) – Profit Loss
Late Lactation Management (Oct-Nov)
Once a Day Milking (OAD) Cows producing less milk (50% of Peak)
Increase BCS of younger, thinner cows
Reduce Labour
Strip Grazing in 12 Hour Blocks
Prevent poaching of wet land
Clean out Paddocks
Supplemented Concentrates and Silage to Extend Grazing
Maintain BCS
Prevent Grass Tetany
Keeps cows clean (Milk Hygiene)
Drying Off
Dry Period – 40-60 Days
Cows are dried off based on:
BCS – Thinner cows need more time to regain BCS
Calving Date
High SCC Infection in udder
Health Issues
Culling of Cow
importance/advantages
Allows time for the tissue of the udder to repair itself
Maximises Next Lactation
Regain body condition
Completes the development of the calf
Cow can be treated with dry cow treatment for mastitis.
Dry Cow Management/Diet:
Hay/Straw – High DM forage to reduce milk production
High Quality Silage and concentrates – Increase LWG
BCS – 3.25 at Calving
Dose Cows – Reduce Fluke/Worm - Increase LWG
Drying off Involves:
Alcohol Wipe – Kill of External Bacteria
Antibiotic Dry Cow Tube – kill of bacteria present within the Udder.
Teat Sealer – Prevent infection from bacteria
Housing
Must Be
Well Ventilated
Adequate Feed Space
Clean Water
Cleaned Regularly
Cubicle
rubber matted for lying – Increases LWG and Milk production
Limed – limit bacteria growth
grouped based on
Age
BCS
Calving Date
Slatted
Positives
Labour Efficient
Higher LWG and Milk Production
Source of Slurry
Negatives
Expensive to build
Not Suitable For Calving
Increased Disease Risk
Bedded
Advantages
Used for Calving
Cheaper
Source of FYM
Negatives
Labour Intensive
Higher Mastitis Risk
Dependant on Straw/Peat
Reason For Culling
Production
High Somatic Cell Count
Poor Yield
Mastitis
Poor Solids
Fertility
Difficult to get in-calf
2.Calving Problems
Health
Lameness, Disease, Prone to Infection
Grading Up
Improving Genetics
Changing Type
Hybrid Vigour
Mr P Reynolds