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Know How / Dairy / Health and welfare

Good health and welfare is an essential feature of dairy herd management. Read up-to-date information on major welfare issues and diseases affecting dairy animals including infectious disease such as bovine TB and BVD, respiratory disease, mastitis, lameness and keep up to date with the latest welfare requirements.

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Case studies

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How cow minerals unlocked calf health for Somerset farm

The Creeds are meticulous when it comes to calf rearing, so when animals suddenly started to get sick, it was a mystery as to why – until they discovered their…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Gold Cup winners share body condition scoring strategy

Embracing technology and keeping a close eye on cow condition have helped maintain pregnancy rates at 23% and support cow longevity at an Ayrshire family farm. The Logans, from Holehouse…

LIVESTOCK

How Welsh dairy has halved carbon emissions

A Welsh family dairy has almost halved its carbon footprint from 1,447g to 809g of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, placing the farm within the…

DAIRY

Cut in mastitis saves 460-cow herd more than £23,000

Adopting five recommendations from the AHDB mastitis control plan has saved a 460-cow herd £23,572 in one year just by reducing the amount of mastitic milk that had to be…

LIVESTOCK

How a Canadian dairy tackles heat and irrigation limits

Higher summer temperatures and limits on irrigation are prompting John Vanden Dungen and his family to find new ways of making their business more resilient. John farms with wife Tanya…

DAIRY

How an Indonesian dairy will expand to 3,500 cows

A British herd manager is overseeing the strategic expansion of a 1,900-cow farm in Indonesia, adding two new barns with close to 1,000 cow spaces and a 90-point rotary this…

Practical advice

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DAIRY

Advice on BVD vaccination for autumn block-calvers

As autumn block-calving builds momentum, herd managers need to check they have remembered to slot in their annual boosters against bovine viral diarrhoea at least one month before mating starts.…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

What is holding back improvements in youngstock management?

An exclusive Farmers Weekly survey has revealed that poor farmer to vet engagement and monitoring could be preventing beef and dairy farms from lowering disease and improving performance in calf…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop losses when grazing youngstock on herbal leys

A fundamental misunderstanding of how to manage stock grazing herbal leys has caused heartache on some farms this summer, as more yearling cattle and weaned lambs have died from twisted…

DAIRY

4 ways to assess the true cost of mastitis to your farm

The cost of a case of mastitis is used to calculate the total annual expense to a herd. This figure is then used to estimate return on investment (ROI) in…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Advice on how to maintain a tight calving block

Achieving a tight calving block is key to the success of a block-calving system. Typically, farms will aim for a calving period of nine to 12 weeks, with 75-80% of…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why you should stop blanket cattle worming and how to do it

Many cattle farmers are still taking a blanket approach to using wormers, which could render them useless while damaging the fragile ecosystem that makes livestock farming viable. This is the…

Insights

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Calf monitoring and health plans key to future performance

Some 90% of farmers want to make changes to improve the future sustainability of their youngstock management in the next 12 months, according to a Farmers Weekly exclusive survey. Yet…

DAIRY

Wearable device for cattle aims to improve dairy health

A new device, which is claimed to be the first integrated health microchip and activity monitor for livestock, could enable early detection of pre-clinical conditions and disease prediction in real…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

3 technologies to improve udder health

With pressure on dairy farmers mounting to cut the carbon footprint of their operations and improve efficiencies amid a backdrop of labour challenges, technology has the potential to help all…

DAIRY

Why milking robots are a good fit for Iceland’s dairies

About half of all dairy cows in Iceland are now milked through robots, with the fast-paced adoption of technology allowing farmers to enjoy a more laid-back way of life. With…

DAIRY

How milk testing could help predict lameness in dairy cows

A study has revealed that sampling and testing milk for specific biomarkers could help farmers predict lameness in dairy cows long before the onset of visible symptoms. The presence of…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why low-cost devices can be effective to detect lameness

Low-cost thermal imaging devices are as effective at detecting lameness in dairy cattle as expensive alternatives, a study led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed. Infrared thermal imaging…

DAIRY

How enrichment could help cow welfare and public perception

Animal welfare has tended to focus on the physical state of animals. More recently, though, the importance of considering their emotional and mental wellbeing has been established, too – creating…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why calf cough is unreliable as early warning for pneumonia

Waiting for clinical symptoms to diagnose respiratory diseases in calves may mean many cases go undetected and untreated, according to research from the US. Health plans are largely focused on…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

A guide to mastitis treatment options for dairy cows

Mastitis is a major challenge for dairy farmers, from both cow health and economic perspectives, with recent figures from Kingshay estimating a cost/case of £386 – based on a milk…

BOVINE TB

How the free bovine TB advisory service is helping farmers

The TB Advisory Service (TBAS), is a Defra-funded initiative which gives free, practical advice to help dairy and beef farmers control bovine TB on farms in England.  The TBAS programme…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why genetics can play bigger role in breeding out lameness

Good husbandry, environment and nutrition all play a part in the fight against dairy cow lameness. But new research has found genetics has a bigger role than was previously thought.…

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW

Could thermal imaging transform livestock health management?

Thermal imaging is common in human medicine, but research from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) shows there is huge potential for it to be used in the early detection of cross-species…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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