Preventable Farm Wastages In Spring – calving Cows

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 75, Issue 1, 15 July 1947, Page 77

Preventable Farm Wastages In Spring - calving Cows

By

A. D. M. G. LAING,

Veterinarian, Hastings.

A WEAKNESS in the animal A WEAKNESS in the animal husbandry on New Zealand dairy farms is a tendency to consider the dairy cow merely as a milk-producing machine, but dairy herds which are most free from disease and unnecessary wastage are those in which the individual “makups” of the cows are carefully studied and allowed for. True animal husbandry constitutes the handling and feeding of domestic animals to make them

as efficient as possible in the purpose for which they are bred and to maintain them at a high level of efficiency for as long as possible.

THE modern dairy cow is a highlybred, highly-strung animal, with in most cases quite strongly-developed physical and mental characteristics. Certain cows, for instance, are particularly liable to milk fever if they “come in” during the spring flush of grass. Suitable treatment will do much to prevent this. Certain cows, too, are 'temperamental in various ways, and, if suitably treated, will yield better. Dairy farming can be a weary drudgery, or it can be very hard but intensely interesting work, the difference lying very largely in taking a real individual interest in one’s cows.

Principal Causes of Loss Apart from tuberculosis and abortion, the principal causes of loss in New Zealand dairy herds are milk fever, grass staggers, paralysis after calving, temporary sterility (inability, of cow to conceive), mastitis, and bloat, the symptoms of which are generally well known to dairy farmers. Causes and suitable first-aid treatments until veterinary . advice' and services are available are- dealt with in this article. If a high-producing dairy cow in the prime of her life, calving. during the

spring flush, is fed solely on the spring flush of pasture, with its. high protein content, she will come into maximum production so quickly that her system may have great difficulty in'adjusting itself to the new conditions. The sudden production, of a large quantity of milk involves a greater strain on the digestive organs owing to ' the larger quantity of food which has to be taken and its high protein content, and a particularly high strain because of the, richness of the food on certain of the organs such as the liver and kidneys. If these do not function satisfactorily,, impurities enter the blood, and there is possibility of paralysis after calving; the condtion may even cause liability, to mastitis. Milk, which is prepared direct from the blood by the minute glands lining the tubes and ramifications in the udder, contains about 12 times the proportion of < calcium in the blood. The percentage of calcium in the blood has to be kept level within very narrow limits. If it gets too low, milk fever symptoms occur; if too high, other serious symptoms occur. If the control mechanism in' the cow’s body which keeps the level of calcium in the blood within the correct limits is suddenly called upon to adjust itself to the removal of comparatively large quantities of calcium in the milk, as when the cow is brought too rapidly into full production, it may have difficulty in functioning satisfactorily, and milk fever occurs. ; Similar factors involving the maladjustment of minerals in the blood occur in grass staggers. . . The milk-producing . organ is one part of the general reproductive sys-

tern. To what extent the different functions of that' system are separate from one another has not yet been decided ?by research workers. . It is, however, possible that the sudden and excessive strain of high milk production may have something to do with failure to conceive. : Prevention of Springtime Losses Milk fever,, grass staggers, paralysis after calving, temporary sterility, mastitis, and bloat undoubtedly cause substantial annual losses. ) It is contended that suitable animal husbandry methods will go far toward prevention, as the principal causes are unsuitable feeding practices and unnecessary, and thoughtless rigidity in handling and working cows. Preventive. measures must be adapted to the weaknesses and idiosyncracies of individual cows. Not only will such individual attention pay good ■ dividends to the dairy farmer, but it will also add interest to the job. Preventive measures may be on the following lines: — The cow must be in good condition when calving, and must be fed as far as possible on mature grass and hay or silage.' When the cow has calved and has commenced milk production she must not be forced. The spring flush must be supplemented at first by hay and mature pasture. Maximum production must be allowed to come on gradually, so that the cow’s system has time to adjust itself to the demands of milk production. Supplementing hay with molasses is sound policy for newlycalved cows. Certain cows are more liable to milk fever and bloat than others, and it is advisable to manage a cow known to be liable to milk fever with greater care. An adequate intake of greenfeed will ensure the supply of mineral matter, whereas if such a cow is being maintained on hay, a bone-meal lick might be required to supplement the rather low mineral content of hay. Another precaution is not to milk out the udder at each milking for the first few days after calving. This tends to prevent the sudden withdrawal of large amounts of calcium from • the system and gives time for the animal to adjust its milk production according to the reserves of ; calcium in its system. All milk cows should be trained to submit to handling and holding, at least by the Owner, so that any necessary drenching or treatment can be carried out with a minimum of fuss. , To produce milk a newly-calved dairy cow has to increase considerably her intake of nourishing pasture -at quite short notice. In the spring on typical dairy land her feed will be largely of a high protein content, throwing a great strain on the , digestive system. It is of the utmost importance, therefore, that changes in

quality and type of feed should be gradual and spread over some days. There is an old farmers’ saying, “The master’s eye makes the' cattle fat,” which is an allusion to ' the supreme importance of attention to the individual well-being of stock. Details of causes and first-aid treatment of diseases which are responsible for preventable losses in dairy herds follow. It is important for a farmer to realise that the earlier a veterinarian’s assistance is called to treat disease the more effective the treatment is likely to be. Milk Fever . Symptoms of milk fever are loss of control of limbs, collapse, loss ,of consciousness, and death. Too low a proportion of calcium in the blood, which is the immediate cause of the disease, may be remedied by inflation of the udder to prevent the milk formation which is removing the calcium from the blood. The teats must first be carefully cleansed with methylated spirits and the teat’ tube sterilised by boiling. Another well-known method of treatment of affected animals consists of hypodermic injections of calcium borogluconate solution of recognised dosage. The preventive measures already described should assist in reducing the number of animals which will require to be treated. Grass Staggers Symptoms of grass staggers are excitement, nervousness, convulsions,

collapse, and death, which may be very sudden. Unconsciousness/ which is a sympton in milk fever, does not occur in grass staggers. The immediate cause of grass staggers is probably- an upset in the proportions of magnesium and calcium in the blood. An effective remedial treatment is the immediate injection of 2oz. of Epsom-salt dissolved in lOoz. of boiling water and cooled to blood heat before use. It may also be advisable to . inflate the udder in many of these cases. , ' ■ If cows show abnormal nervousness and excitement, the general preventive measures described earlier should be adopted immediately. Both milk fever - and grass staggers may occur weeks or months after calving if, after warm rains following a drought, a flush of feed results in a sudden increase in milk production. Paralysis After Calving Paralysis after calving is characterised by inability to rise, some dopiness, and perhaps lack of appetite. The dung is frequently hard, with traces of white mucus. ~ A general digestive upset and the presence -of poisonous waste food products in the blood may render a cow liable to # the disease, which is commonly, though not invariably, a sequel to milk fever, grass staggers, or calving difficulties. , Paralysis may be treated by giving a laxative drench of a mixture of from

2 to 41b. of J molasses in a quart. of warm water. To stimulate bowel action further to remove .waste products, the laxative should be followed by stimulant medicine. A powder composed of 1 dram of nux vomica and 3 drams of ammonium carbonate is shaken up in a pint of water and given as . a drench night and morning. The affected animal should be kept warm and dry, well bedded down, given a laxative diet of greenfeed, be regularly watered, and changed from side to side to prevent sores. Preventive measures are the same as for milk fever. . Temporary Sterility Cows suffering from temporary sterility. return repeatedly to the bull, but before concluding that this complaint is prevalent in the herd it is advisable to make sure that the trouble is not due to sterility of the bull. A laboratory test of the bull’s semen should be obtained if there is any possibility of a new bull being required, but if more than a few cows are holding, it may assumed that the bull is all right. The failure of cows to hold may also be due to septic inflammation of the passage leading to the womb, which is indicated by numbers of very, small abscesses in the passage. These can be treated effectively with antiseptic ’ solutions, but veterinary advice is essential. If cows hold to the bull for 2 to 3 months and then return, and particularly if whitish discharges or foeti 2 to 3in.’ long are observed, a disease known as Trichomoniasis may be the cause. This is a serious condition, and veterinary advice should be sought at once. ■ . , The commonest cause of temporary sterility in. dairy cows, however, is nutritional, and, the general lines of prevention and treatment suggested earlier in this article should be followed. Except for treatment of septic inflammation of the passage, irrigation of "the. vaginal' passage of the cow is useless. Except for a short period after calving liquids poured into the vaginal passage cannot enter the womb unless special instruments . are used, and in any case they - would not be effective and might do much harm. Mastitis Symptoms, of mastitis are abnormal milk and heat, pain, and swelling in the udder. If the trouble is acute, the cow’s whole system' may become affected and the animal may die. ' The immediate cause is injury to or weakness in the udder, which allows the entry of germs.

The “sulpha” drugs . give good results in the treatment of mastitis, but veterinary advice should be obtained. First aid should consist of hot J fomentations to the udder, constant stripping ' of the affected quarter or quarters, and massage of the affected quarters with camphorated oil. If the udder is very hot and swollen, it should be suspended in a clean cloth with holes cut for the teats, the corners of the cloth being attached to cords tied over the cow’s back. A drench’ of 10 to 12oz. of Epsom-salt and loz. of ginger in J gallon of water may be given if there is much inflammation, but not if veterinary advice indicates that “sulpha” drugs should be used. As the disease may be carried rapidly from cow to cow by milking machine cups or milker’s hands, affected cows should be milked last and teat-cups and hands washed in standard strength' solutions of chlorine antiseptic. Mastitis milk should be rendered harmless by the addition of strong antiseptic before being thrown away. ' - - To prevent the introduction* of mastitis into their herds farmers buying stock should inspect possible pur-' chases thoroughly for evidence of the disease, and should avoid animals with blind teats or weak quarters. Correct use of milking machines according to makers’ instructions and the Department of Agriculture’s Bulletin No. 207, “The Care of Milking Machines,” will minimise the possibility, of injury to udders and teats. Vacuum pressures should be low and the teatcups removed immediately the milk flow stops. Cows may be milked in groups with pressures adjusted to give the best results from each group. Milking cows, particularly when their udders are full, should never move out of a slow walk. The dragging of udders in deep mud is likely to cause injury and contamination which are conducive to mastitis. All cows should be dehorned to prevent injury due to fighting. \ . Cows should be ' trained to be handled. and led by a halter, so that when they have to be examined or treated for an ailment struggling .or the use of force is avoided. Special precautions against mastitis are necessary if ' cowpox breaks out, and veterinary advice should be sought. Any other breaks or sores on the teats should be treated daily with a suitable antiseptic ointment. Milking times must be absolutely 1 regular if strain on the udder during, long intervals between milking is to be avoided.

Teats should be carefully dried after milking and the milking parts of the cow. properly cleansed before milking. Teat dilators and milk siphons should never be used, as their insertion by unskilled operators could easily cause injury leading to mastitis. Bloat Bloat or tympany is caused ,by the formation of large quantities of gas in a cow’s paunch, resulting in great distension, acute discomfort, difficulty in breathing, and death. It is possible that in some -cases the poison of the gases and not the pressure they exert is the cause of death. Immediate treatment is essential. A short thick piece of stick tied across the mouth like a bit or a dab of Stockholm tar on the back of the tongue is an old but quite effective remedy, if the cow is only mildly blown. A dose of 2oz. turpentine shaken up in a bottle of milk is good treatment. A ' stick tied like a bit in the mouth and a long milking rubber well lubricated with raw linseed or olive oil passed very gently down the gullet may give relief. Another treatment is to knead or massage the left side of the belly upward with closed fists for 10 to 30 minutes.. . After immediate treatment of a’ cow which has become blown a purgative drench of 10 to 12oz. of Epsom-salt and loz. of ginger in J gallon of water should be given. . . The operation known as “tapping” is a last resort in the treatment of bloat. A trocar and canula are necessary for making the entry to the cow’s stomach midway between the last rib and the hook bone and a hand’s breadth out from the outer part of the backbone. Owners of properties on which bloat is common should keep these instruments handy during flush growth periods. The equipment should be sterilised by boiling before and after operations. - Bloat occurs generally when hungry cows are given free run on young soft grass and clover, and the trouble appears to be more prevalent on certain clovers and soil types.. When the night paddock becomes bare and cows are turned out hungry- after the morning milking bloat risks increase. Prevention should therefore consist of feeding out hay before putting hungry cows on to young grass, and the grazing of mature pasture before young grass so that excessive quantities of young, lush feed are not eaten. Changes in feeding, too, should be spread over several days. A cow which bloats frequently when other cows in the herd on similar feed are unaffected may have tubercular glands which swell and press on the gullet, partially closing it. If such . a condition is suspected, it would be wise to have a veterinarian make a tuberculin test. ' 1 - ' -