Chapter
Practical Implementation of Herd Health: Getting Started and Structuring the Health Visits
Appreciating client aspirations
Establishing farm-specific goals
Measuring performance and setting targets: the importance of data recording and analysis
Structure of the herd health visit
Other Factors to Consider for Successful Implementation of a Herd Health Programme
Relevance of genetics in herd health
References and Further Reading
2 Facilitating Change in Herd Health
Encouraging farmers to take action: context and challenges
To Change Human Behaviour, We Need First to Understand It
Selfish human behaviour research applied to herd health
How to Assist Farmers in Implementing Changes on the Farm
First identify which stage the farmer has reached
Stage I: moving from no intentions … to wanting to change
Stage II: the giant leap from wanting … to doing
Stage III: keeping up the good work
Facilitating Change: Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine
What is evidence-based medicine?
Conclusion: Facilitating Changes in Dairy Herd Health
References and Further Reading
3 Restoring the Dairy Herd: Rearing Youngstock and Replacing Cows
Dynamics of the dairy herd structure: culling and replacements
Mortality and disease in youngstock
Financial costs associated with culling of cows
Welfare considerations of youngstock rearing
Monitoring Youngstock Health
Monitoring the neonatal period (including calving)
Monitoring the pre-weaning period
Monitoring the post-weaning period
Monitoring first calving and lactation
Monitoring culling in the adult herd
Targets for Youngstock Rearing and Dairy Cow Culling
Targets for the neonatal period (including calving)
Targets for the pre-weaning period
Targets for the post-weaning period
Targets for first calving
Targets for monitoring culled cows
Disease Control in the Rearing Period
Disease control in the neonatal period (including calving)
Disease control in the pre-weaning period
Disease control and fertility management in the post-weaning period
References and Further Reading
4 Managing Herd Reproduction
The economics of fertility
Current levels of reproductive performance
Welfare and ethics of reproductive herd health
Public health and reproduction
Underlying Principles of Dairy Cow Reproduction
Reproductive physiology and hormonal control of the oestrous cycle
Monitoring Reproduction in Herd Health
The practicalities of data recording
Monitoring reproductive data on the farm
Routine performance monitoring
Control of Herd Fertility: Enhancing Reproductive Performance
Improving accuracy and rate of oestrus detection
Improving pregnancy rates
Controlling reproductive disease
References and Further Reading
5 Control of Mastitis and Enhancement of Milk Quality
An international perspective on mastitis and milk production
The economics of bovine mastitis
Welfare implications of bovine mastitis
The public health implications and perception of bovine milk
Underlying Principles of Disease
Genetic susceptibility of the host
Pathogens and their behaviour
Major versus minor pathogens
Selecting a diagnostic technique
Monitoring and Analysis of Mastitis Data
Monitoring and interpreting somatic cell count data
Monitoring and interpreting clinical mastitis data
Contagious mastitis control
Environmental mastitis control
Managing the milk-harvesting process
The role of the heifer in mastitis control
References and Further Reading
Healthy feet and normal locomotion
Incidence and prevalence of lameness
Farmer attitudes to lameness
Evaluating and Monitoring Lameness
The importance of good farm records
Setting up a locomotion scoring system on the farm
Methods of recording locomotion and lesions
Practical use of lameness data
The future of monitoring lameness in dairy herds
Treatment of clinical cases
Foot bathing and disinfection
Management of cow groups and movements
Lying time and cubicle comfort
Standing times and concrete surfaces
Cleanliness and slurry management
References and Further Reading
7 Control of Infectious Disease
Principles of infectious disease control
Introduction of a new pathogen
Spread of a new pathogen within a herd
Persistence of a pathogen within a herd
The spread of infectious diseases between herds
Principles of Infectious Disease Control
Elimination of a disease from a herd
Control of a disease in a herd
Test sensitivity and specificity
Predictive value of a test
Estimating the presence and prevalence of disease
Monitoring Infectious Disease
Control of Infectious Disease: General Concepts
Biosecurity in dairy herds
Practical Implementation of Infectious Disease Control: Disease Examples
Evaluating herd infection status
Avoiding introduction or reintroduction of a pathogen
Preventing spread and persistence of a pathogen within a herd
References and Further Reading
8 Nutritional Management of Herd Health
Introduction: The Role of Nutrition in Dairy Herd Health and Production
The role of glucose in cow metabolism
The pivotal role of the liver in adaptation to NEB
Inappropriate metabolic responses of cows in NEB
Trace elements and vitamins
Monitoring of Nutritional Management, Including Herd Targets
Assessment of the records
Monitoring nutrition: assessment of the cow
Monitoring metabolic markers
Monitoring of nutrition: assessments of feeding
Monitoring feeding: forages
Key Concepts in Formulation
Control of Major Nutrition-related Disease
Nutritional control of hypocalcaemia
Nutritional control of fatty liver and ketosis
Nutritional control of displaced abomasum
Nutritional control of subacute ruminal acidosis
References and Further Reading
9 Dairy Farming, Food Security and Environmental Issues
Background: Food Security, Energy Security and Climate Change
Environmental Issues: Significance for the Dairy Industry
Impacts of dairy farming on the atmosphere and climate change
Impacts of dairy farming on water
Impacts of dairy farming on biodiversity and local ecology
Promoting and enforcing environment protection
Reducing the Impact of Dairy Farming on the Environment
The influence of increased efficiency and improved health and reproduction
Conclusion: Dairy Farming and the Environment
References and Further Reading
Appendix 1 Sample Sizes and Disease Prevalence Estimates
Estimating Disease Prevalence from Test Results
Appendix 2 Genetics and Herd Health
Genetic indices outside the UK
Reliability of genetic indices
Dairy Herd Health
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