A survey of northern Victorian dairy farmers to investigate dairy calf management: colostrum feeding and management

Objectives

To describe colostrum management practices carried out in northern Victorian dairy herds and to identify weaknesses in these areas that may affect calf health and welfare by comparing the results with the current industry recommendations

Methods

A questionnaire to obtain information about colostrum management and calf‐rearing practices was sent to commercial dairy farming clients of Rochester Veterinary Practice between June and September 2013. The questionnaire consisted of a general herd overview and colostrum harvesting practices.

Results

The response rate was 39% (58/150). Many dairy producers were not meeting the current industry recommendations in the following areas: (1) time of removal calf from the dam, (2) relying on calf suckling colostrum from the dam to achieve adequate passive transfer, (3) failing to supplement calves with colostrum, (4) feeding inadequate volumes of colostrum, (5) delayed colostrum harvesting, (6) pooling of colostrum, (7) failing to objectively assess colostrum quality or relying on visual assessment and (8) storing colostrum for a prolonged periods of time at ambient temperatures.

Conclusion

The results from this survey highlight the need for greater awareness of industry standards for colostrum management and feeding hygiene.

     

Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: current understanding and recommendations from the Australian and New Zealand Equine Endocrine Group

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the current knowledge and opinions about the epidemiology, clinical findings (including sequelae), diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, particularly in the Australian context. This information and the recommendations provided will assist practitioners in making informed decisions regarding the diagnosis and management of this disorder.     

Creating and Consolidating Locally Managed Irrigation in Turkey: the National Perspective

The Turkish program of irrigationmanagement transfer has gained worldwidecelebrity for its speed and effectiveness. This paper describes the program brieflyand assesses its effectiveness from anational perspective. The assessmentincludes changes in staffing levels,operational costs, service fee levels, andcost recovery from farmers. A companionpaper examines impacts at the local leveland looks specifically at changes in systemperformance.     

A COMPARISON OF THE ROSTROCAUDAL OPEN MOUTH AND ROSTRO 10° VENTRO-CAUDODORSAL OBLIQUE RADIOGRAPHIC VIEWS FOR IMAGING FLUID IN THE FELINE TYMPANIC BULLA

Fluid within the tympanic bulla is an indication of middle ear disease. Radiography has a relatively low accuracy for the detection of soft tissue opacification in the tympanic bulla, and the most useful radiographic projection, the rostrocaudal open mouth (RCd (open mouth)), is technically difficult to perform in dogs and cats. An alternative projection for the feline tympanic bulla, the rostro 10 degrees ventro-caudodorsal oblique (R10 degrees V-CdDO), was compared to the RCd (open mouth) in 41 feline cadaver heads with the tympanic bullae randomly filled with KY jelly. Computed tomography was used as the gold standard. Each tympanic bulla was recorded as being positive or negative for soft tissue opacification. Although there was no significant difference between the accuracy of the two views, the R10 degrees V-CdDO was subjectively more accurate and easier to perform, and in a live patient may be performed without the need for general anesthesia. The R10 degrees V-CdDO projection is a good alternative to the RCd (open mouth) projection for detecting otitis media in the cat.     

Influence of frame size and body condition score on performance of Brahman cattle

The effects of frame size (FS) and body condition score (BCS) on performance of Brahman cows were evaluated using records collected from 1984 to 1994 at the Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, Florida. Age at puberty (AP), calving rate (CR), calving date (CD), survival rate (SR), weaning rate (WR), birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), preweaning ADG, and kilograms of calf produced per cow exposed (PPC) were obtained from first- (n = 215), second- (n = 130), and third or greater-parity (n = 267) dams. Based on hip height at 18 mo of age, heifers were assigned to three FS groups: small (115 to 126 cm), medium (127 to 133 cm), or large (134 to 145 cm). Small and medium FS heifers attained puberty at younger (P<.05) ages (633.2+/-12.3 and 626.4+/-12.0 d) than large FS heifers (672.3+/-17.1 d). Calving rate in large FS second-parity dams was 27% less (P<.05) than in small and medium FS dams. In third or greater-parity dams, CR was greater (P<.05) for small FS cows than for medium and large FS cows. Across the three parity groups, CR improved with increasing BCS. Except for the first-parity dams, animals with better fall BCS calved earlier (P<.05). In first-parity dams, SR was less (P<.01) in large (47.9+/-11.0%) than in small (80.7 +/-5.2%) and medium (83.4+/-4.7%) FS groups. Weaning rates of large FS first- and second-parity dams were less (P<.05) than those of small and medium FS dams. Second-parity dams with BCS 3 had lower (P<.05) WR than dams with BCS 4 and 5. Within first- and third or greater-parity dams, BWT of calves born to small FS cows were the lightest, and those born to large FS dams were the heaviest; those born to medium FS dams were intermediate (P<.05). In second-parity dams, BWT of calves of large FS dams were greater (P<.05) than those of small and medium FS dams. In first-parity dams, calves weaned by small FS cows had lower (P<.05) WWT than those weaned by higher FS cows. In the third or greater-parity group, large FS dams weaned heavier calves (P<.05) than other dams. In all parity groups of dams, calves out of large FS cows had greater ADG (P<.05) than those from small and medium FS cows. In first-parity dams, PPC was comparable between small and medium FS dams, but both tended to be greater (P<.10) than PPC of large FS dams. Small and medium FS females reached puberty at an earlier age, calved earlier, and had greater calving, survival, and weaning rates, as well as greater kilograms of calf produced per cow exposed than the large FS females. As the large FS cows matured, they seemed to have overcome the negative effects imposed by FS that were observed at younger ages. Their performance traits were generally all comparable to those of smaller cows once they had reached maturity.     

Litter Size and Vagina–cervix Catheter Penetration Length in Gilts

As in other species, the reproductive tract in pigs increases in size with age and body weight, and the development of the reproductive tract depends on a balance between development of the pituitary–ovarian axis and the influence of metabolic hormones. Two experiments were conducted in prepubertal Duroc gilts, 150–180 days of age, to determine whether litter size is related to vaginal–cervix catheter penetration length during insemination. In experiment 1, oestrus was induced in 452 gilts with a combined dose of 400 IU Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophine (PMSG) + 200 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The gilts were classified into three catheter penetration length groups: Ih, ≤ 21 cm; IIh, > 21 and < 28 cm; IIIh, > 28 cm. The litter size was lowest in group Ih (7.35 ± 0.15) compared with groups IIh (7.81 ± 0.12; p < 0.05) and IIIh (10.0 ± 0.36; p < 0.001). In experiment 2, first oestrus was induced in 162 gilts by boar exposure. The gilts were classified into three catheter penetration length groups at insemination during their second oestrus: In, ≤ 24 cm; IIn, > 24 and < 26 cm; IIIn, > 26 cm. As in experiment 1, the litter size was lowest in the group with the shortest catheter penetration length (8.32 ± 0.19). The litter size was not different among gilts of groups IIn and IIIn (8.84 ± 0.35 and 9.56 ± 0.46, respectively), but litter size was lower (p < 0.05) in group In than in group IIn. Based on the combined data from both experiments, the correlation between the catheter penetration length and total number of piglets born was expressed as: y=5.346 ± 0.104x; r=0.361 (p < 0.05). Fertility rate was not different among the groups of gilts induced into oestrus by hormone treatment or inseminated in the second oestrus; however, the total fertility rate of boar‐exposed gilts was higher (p < 0.0001) than PMSG/hCG treated animals. Thus, it is possible to conclude that litter size at first farrowing is associated with vaginal–cervix catheter penetration length during insemination of the gilt.