school of veterinary medicine and science dairy cow health (and welfare): a cause for concern?...
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School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare):A cause for concern?Mission Impossible?
Martin GreenProf Cattle Health and Epidemiology
Jon HuxleyAssoc Prof Cattle Health
Population Health Group
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Thanks to…SVMS Population HealthStaff:Dr Andrew BatesDr Andrew BatesDr Marnie BrennanDr Marnie BrennanDr Rachel Dean (Director Evidence-based Vet Med Centre) Prof Martin Green Prof Martin Green Dr Jon Huxley Dr Jon Huxley Dr Nigel Kendall Dr Nigel Kendall Prof Jamie Leigh Prof Jamie Leigh Adam Spencer Adam Spencer Dr Wendela WapenaarDr Wendela Wapenaar Dr Lisa Yon
Postgraduate Students:Aurélien Madouasse Aurélien Madouasse Sarah Potterton Sarah Potterton Hannah RobbinsHannah RobbinsJennifer WillsDavid BlackDavid Black
Special Profs / Lecturers:Prof Laura GreenProf Laura GreenJames Husband James Husband Peter OrpinPeter Orpin
Dairy Herd Health Group:
Andy Biggs Andy Biggs Dr James Breen Dr James Breen Mark Burnell Mark Burnell Alistair Hayton Alistair Hayton Bill May Bill May Jon Reader Jon Reader Jon Statham Jon Statham Mike ThorneMike Thorne
RCVS Trust Clinical Resident :Simon ArcherSimon Archer
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Our Perspective
• Dairy cows• Cow health/welfare and a ‘free’ global
market– Close to farm– Research in bovine health
• Role of the veterinary surgeon of today and tomorrow
• Author views!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Welfare
• A state of ‘wellbeing’, ‘normality’, physical and emotional norm
• 5 freedoms– from hunger and thirst– from discomfort– from pain, injury and disease– to express normal behaviour– from fear and distress
• Health an important component of good welfare– Terminology used in a variety of ways
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Welfare
Ill health
Pain
Suffering by– ‘Hurt’ (sensations eg aches, stabs, heat etc)– Emotional state altered– Behavioural changes
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Industry
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But within this market…
Loser
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
In what way are cows losing out?
•Health– NB Other aspectse.g. BehavioursFear, distressDiscomfortNutrition
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Lameness
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
UK Incidence Rate (Cows treated/100cows/year)
0
20
40
60
80
1960
1972
1983
1989
1991
1993
1996
1998
2000
Year of survey
Reported lameness incidence 1960-2000
Lame cows/100 cows/year
Independent
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
UK Prevalence
• Proportion of the herd affected:– 34% (0 – 70%)
• (Heath Feet Project 2006-07)
– 30.0% (8.5 – 74.2%)• (Huxley 2005)
– 24.2% (6.8 – 55.6%)• (Huxley et al 2004)
– 23.1% & 20.0% • (Main et al 2003)
– 20.6% (2 – 53.9%)• (Clarkson et al 1996)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns – Mastitis“Inflammation of the Mammary Gland”
• Clinical cases
• Subclinical infections• Somatic Cell Counts
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Incidence Rate of Clinical Mastitis
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Farm in ascending order of incidence rate
Inci
den
ce r
ate
of
clin
ical
mas
titi
s (c
ases
per
100
co
ws
/ ye
ar)
Bradley et al 2007
>50 cases/100 cows/yr
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Herd Somatic Cell Counts
Bulk tank SCC in 1845 herds over 3 years
45% herd test days above 200,000
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Somatic Cell Counts
Individual Cow in 1845 herds over 3 years
• 25% herds: >30% cow-readings 25% herds: >30% cow-readings above 200,000 cells/mlabove 200,000 cells/ml
• 25% herds : > 20% cows remain 25% herds : > 20% cows remain above 200,000 cells/ml for 2 above 200,000 cells/ml for 2 consecutive recordingsconsecutive recordings
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Reproduction
• Dairy cow fertility has been declining globally over the last 20 years ~rate of 1% per year
• Most common reason for non-emergency culling– 30-50% of all culls
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Metabolic Disease?
• Displaced abomasa• Hypocalcaemia• (Sub clinical) Ketosis
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns – Infectious disease
• BVD, IBR, Johnes, Leptosporosis, Neospora, calf pneumonia …
• National prevalence?– BVD / Leptosporosis >90% herds affected?– Test difficulties
• Lack of co-ordinated efforts to control?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Concerns - Calving Management?
• Calving associated– Incidence rate?– A common cause of
on-farm emergency culling and death of adult dairy cows?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Cow health could be better...
Why are cows losing out?
Important market drivers?
• Cheap (healthy, ethical) food– More for less mentality?
• Global ‘oversupply’ for many years (until recently)– Important driver of dairy prices(niches within…)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Is there enough in the farm budget for– Capital projects– Skilled labour (if available)
• Attention to detail
– Novel technologies
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Our demands on each cow tend to increase
– Increased metabolic load
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Increased Metabolic Load…
• Human Energy Requirements• Manual work or moderate exercise
~1.2 times maintenance
• Tour de France Cyclist• 2.7 x M
• Polar Expeditions• 2.4 – 3.4 x M
• Average UK Dairy Cow• 3.2 x M
• High yielding dairy cow• 4.8 x M
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why are cows losing out?
• Cheap food is great but …
• Our demands on each cow tend to increase
– Genetics focused on output (recently reduced)
– Farm environments need adapting for modern cows?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
• Cubicle size
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
Concrete
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Unsuitable environments?
It’s not just housing…!!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
What a Market doesn’t ask:-
Cow NEEDS?
Provide resources to meet needs?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Industry
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Public perception of dairying good at present?
– A distant view?– Will it change…
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
• Current performance– Lame - top 5%– Repro - top 5%– Mastitis – top 20%
– 9000 litres/cow/yr– Housed ~75% of the year
• Good farmer, cows quiet, in very good condition, cow focused environment
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
• Many years of poor milk prices…
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
An Example: Mr F, Somerset
As soon as milk prices increased …
…invested in new buildings / environment for the cows
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Farmer approach…
• Many would like to spend more on improving cow health and welfare
– But variation in attitudes
Not always clear return on investment for health / welfare matters
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Farmer approach…
• Many different personalities and abilities– No training required– Little regular quality assurance
Basic ‘Health’ Schemes…– National dairy farm assurance scheme– Retailer schemes
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But who will improve the cow’s situation?
Farmer ?Milk Buyer ?
Retailer ?
Govern-ment ?
Consumer?
Vets?Welfare Groups ?Funding
bodies
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
But who will improve the cow’s situation?
?Mission Impossible
Vets?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Modern Veterinary Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health
• Many vet practices undertaking dairy herd health management– NOT JUST HEALTH PLANNING!!– ? How many herds are included in holistic veterinary
herd health schemes?
• … elements of our approach
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health
• Farms opt in• Payment schemes
– Fixed pence per litre (contract) to deliver agreed services
– Services include • All aspects of health• +/ Diet formulation• Agreed out of hours component• Agreed surgical component• Agreed small animal component!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health
• Main health elements– Reproduction– Lameness– Mastitis– Metabolic conditions– Infectious & parasitic disease– Injury– Nutrition– Culling reasons– Young stock– Biosecurity
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
ObjectivesRecording
Evaluation/interpretationTargets achieved?
Yes or No
Problem analysisProblem analysis(diagnosis + intervention)(diagnosis + intervention)
Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health
• Herd size is increasing(~20% cows in herds >200 cows)– Assess cows and environment, but– Emphasis on data and its interpretation-
POPULATIONS
• Monitor “Critical Indicators” – Provide early warning systems of health and
production issues– Use of software
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Data Monitoring – Critical Indicators
• Monthly or fortnightly assessment of early indicators of health or production
• Realistic targets – for individual units
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Data Monitoring
• Vets have a great opportunity;– To assess data quality– To encourage accurate use – To provide regular feedback and analysis
• Quantitative skills useful!– Assess herd patterns– Can use probability to help decision process
• (Approx level of certainty)
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Decision-Making
Strength of Information
Importance of Event
Cost / Effort to Change
Possible outcomes
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Why Doesn’t it Always Work??
• Farmer compliance– Resources available
• Financial• ‘Time’
– Attitudes to risk– “Prior” beliefs
• Knowledge gaps e.g.– Lameness– Reproduction– Social and psychological aspects
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Herd Health
• Key issues
RelationshipsSocial aspects
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Taking it Further:A National Health Scheme for Mastitis Control in Dairy Cows
• Aim to identify a team of UK veterinary surgeons and advisors to work in a collaborative manner to develop a widespread mastitis control scheme
– Using a plan tested in a national RCT– First 80 people signed up!
Andrew Bradley, James Breen, Chris HudsonAndrew Bradley, James Breen, Chris Hudson
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan
“Data Patterns ”
Herd Category
Could
Should
Must
10-15 Action Points
COMPLIANCE
STARTED APRIL 2009!
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Dairy Cow Health and the Environment?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Important?
report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization…
“ the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.”
“Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.”
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
The Environment would benefit if …
• Unnecessary culling is reduced– reduced cow numbers
required
• “Wasted” milk is minimised– Due to treatments or
production losses
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
The Environment and Dairy Cow Health
Will this drive change…?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Summary
• Overall the health of our dairy cows could be (much) better– Some herds are good, but average leaves room
for improvement
• We have some of the tools needed to improve cow health– Can we implement what we know?
• Do we have the necessary resources?
– But important, large, (currently unfashionable) areas need addressing
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Who is to be the Guardian of Cow Health?
• Farmer?• Vet?• Retailer?• Government?• Consumer?• Interested groups?
Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare):A cause for concernMISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
• Do we need a new model?
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Thank you!