HERD HEALTH

While the first 30ºC day is a blessed event for beachgoers and sunbathers, it is equally unwelcome in the dairy production sector.

All animals, including dairy cows, have four possible routes of exchanging heat energy with their environment. These are conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation.

Do cows experience pain after calving?

This might sound like a silly question – especially for those who have experienced childbirth. But because cows are pain tolerant, it can be difficult to know when they’re in pain.

Late at night, after the drone of the pumps are quiet, every producer has wondered, “How could I get more out of my cows?” As most good questions do, this too leads to another question. “Nutritionally, what is holding fresh cows back from maximum production?”

In the first 72 hours, her body is transforming from maintenance to high performance. Her body is being transformed like a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Many years ago, when I was a “baby” vet, I was working with an old bachelor who milked 30 cows. During pregnancy checks, I asked how his calves were doing. “If I ever get a sick calf, I go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of whiskey.