Jennifer MacKenzie is an agricultural photo journalist with almost 30 year's experience. Operating from her base in Cumbria, Jennifer undertakes mainly industry-related freelance writing and photography.
Improved Calf Health
Calf health has been dramatically improved at Dobcross Hall Farm following
an holistic approach to pneumonia control.
Peter and Alison Holliday and sons Ian and Alistair farm 410 acres, mostly
rented from the Church Commissioners, where they run the closed Holdale
pedigree Holstein herd which averages 9,600 litres a cow with milk sold
to Meadow Foods. 100 acres of winter and spring barley and winter wheat
is grown and whole-cropped and crimped.
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| Calf housing with Ian Holliday (centre), David Black and Jemma Reed |
Paragon Veterinary Group’s David Black, as part of his routine fortnightly
visits to the farm at Gaitsgill, Carlisle, has regular discussions with
the Hollidays about general herd health which was already running at a
high level.
However, over the past one to two years young calves have had issues with
coughing and pneumonia as well as the occasional joint problem and ear
infection, resulting in growth rate setback and the odd calf death, vet
Jemma Reed from XLVet’s member practice Paragon encouraged the Hollidays
to take advantage of the RDPE Northwest Livestock Programme Animal Health
and Welfare Project.
The programme subsidised the cost of testing so calves were blood sampled
to investigate the cause of the problem and tests pinpointed Mycoplasma
as the cause.
Previously, the calves were receiving multiple treatments, and Jemma chose
a specific antibiotic (Draxxin) to tackle the bacteria, which is unusual
in that it doesn’t have a cell wall, as well as an anti-inflammatory
(Metacam).
“There is no vaccination for this particular bug as a preventative
measure so key to controlling it is management,” said Jemma. “It
can be present in the cows’ milk but it can also spread from calf
to calf. So we looked at the wider picture.
“Pneumonia costs the UK cattle industry around £80 million
a year, with the average cost per ill dairy calf running at £43 which
takes into account weight loss or poor daily liveweight gain which is the
biggest single cost, vet fees, death and increased labour,” she added.
“Addressing the major risk factors such as ventilation, housing and
stocking and vaccination based on the farms history, clinical signs and
diagnostic tests is the way to help prevent pneumonia’.
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| The wall where yorkshire boarding was removed and blinds which were open on both sides have been installed |
Symptoms of pneumonia include increased breathing rate and effort, a cough,
nasal discharge, a raised temperature with calves being off their feed
and apparently dull. Treatment is with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.
First to be looked at at Dobcross Hall was the level of maternal antibodies
received through colostrum by calves in their first week of life.
“We thought our colostral transfer level was fine - the calves were
getting six pints of their mother’s colostrum in six hours,” said
Ian. “However, we learned that they should receive seven per cent
of their body weight within six hours of birth and 10 per cent in 12 hours.
“For the calf to get the volume needed, it would have to suckle for
20 minutes. We started tubing the calves twice within the first six to
12 hours to give them the required amount of colostrum,” he added.
Subsequent tests showed that the new system was providing good levels of
maternal transfer of antibodies.
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| Calf machine controls and screen with individual animals' activitity |
The Hollidays also discussed the method of rearing the calves and decided
to change from bucket rearing to a two station calf feeding machine in
March (2010).
"By allowing controlled but regular access to milk replacer, calf
machines are a much more natural method of feeding, but producers must
pay real attention to both hygiene and management and the result will be
much better growth rates," said Jemma.
Now calves drink up to a maximum of 7.2 litres a day compared with the
4.5 litres on the bucket system with activity monitored by the machine’s
computer. Improvements in overall health have been significant say the
Hollidays and this should help them in their aim to calve heifers at two
years old or younger.
By being ultra hygienic and cleaning the machine twice a day, intakes have
been increased by a further 10 per cent.
While the time spent filling and cleaning the machine is similar to the
old bucket rearing method, it can more easily fit in with other work on
the farm throughout the day.
Calves are gradually and automatically weaned off the machine within 60
days. Also new to the calf management is maintaining the same animals in
groups of up to 10, even after weaning, to help reduce stressful social
changes.
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| Older Calves |
A new extension has been built onto the existing calf shed at a cost of £12,000
to house the weaned calves for up to two months prior to turning out. Previously
after weaning they were turned into the same building as older youngstock.
Further investments of £6,000 were made, with grant aid, in improving
ventilation to the original and new building extension with an Arntjen
curtain system, replacing Yorkshire boarding. It is operated with separate
weather stations on either side of the building to control air flow above
the calves.
“With the help of our vets we are continually trying to improve all
areas of performance within the herd,” said Peter.
“It costs well over £1,000 to get a heifer to calving which
we are currently averaging at 25 months. As a result of the changes made,
we are spending less; our antibiotic usage alone has reduced by half, and
we are getting a healthier animal which we may be able to calve even earlier
and also should have a more productive lifetime,” he added.
