Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare): A cause for concern? Mission Impossible?

1. Dairy Cow Health (and Welfare):A cause for concern?Mission Impossible? Martin Green Prof Cattle Health and Epidemiology Jon Huxley Assoc Prof Cattle Health Population Health Group

2. Thanks to…SVMS Population Health Staff: Dr Andrew Bates Dr Marnie Brennan Dr Rachel Dean (Director Evidence-based Vet Med Centre) Prof Martin Green Dr Jon Huxley Dr Nigel Kendall Prof Jamie Leigh Adam Spencer Dr Wendela Wapenaar Dr Lisa Yon Postgraduate Students: Aurélien Madouasse Sarah Potterton Hannah Robbins Jennifer Wills David Black Special Profs / Lecturers: Prof Laura Green James Husband Peter Orpin Dairy Herd Health Group: Andy Biggs Dr James Breen Mark Burnell Alistair Hayton Bill May Jon Reader Jon Statham Mike Thorne RCVS Trust Clinical Resident : Simon Archer

3. 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!

4. 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

5. Dairy Cow Welfare Ill health Pain Suffering by • ‘Hurt’ (sensations eg aches, stabs, heat etc) • Emotional state altered • Behavioural changes

6. Dairy Industry

7. But within this market… Loser

8. In what way are cows losing out? • Health • NB Other aspects e.g. Behaviours Fear, distress Discomfort Nutrition

9. Concerns - Lameness

10. UK Incidence Rate (Cows treated/100cows/year) Independent

11. 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)

12. Concerns – Mastitis“Inflammation of the Mammary Gland” • Clinical cases • Subclinical infections • Somatic Cell Counts

13. Incidence Rate of Clinical Mastitis >50 cases/100 cows/yr Bradley et al 2007

14. Herd Somatic Cell Counts Bulk tank SCC in 1845 herds over 3 years 45% herd test days above 200,000

15. Somatic Cell Counts Individual Cow in 1845 herds over 3 years • 25% herds: >30% cow-readings above 200,000 cells/ml • 25% herds : > 20% cows remain above 200,000 cells/ml for 2 consecutive recordings

16. 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

17. Concerns - Metabolic Disease? • Displaced abomasa • Hypocalcaemia • (Sub clinical) Ketosis

18. 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?

19. Concerns - Calving Management? • Calving associated • Incidence rate? • A common cause of on-farm emergency culling and death of adult dairy cows?

20. 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…)

21. 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

22. Why are cows losing out? • Cheap food is great but … • Our demands on each cow tend to increase • Increased metabolic load

23. 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

24. 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?

25. Unsuitable environments? • Cubicle size

26. Unsuitable environments? Concrete

27. Unsuitable environments? It’s not just housing…!!

28. What a Market doesn’t ask:- Cow NEEDS? Provide resources to meet needs?

29. Dairy Industry

30. Public perception of dairying good at present? • A distant view? • Will it change…

31. 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

32. An Example: Mr F, Somerset • Many years of poor milk prices…

33. An Example: Mr F, Somerset As soon as milk prices increased … …invested in new buildings / environment for the cows

34. 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

35. Farmer approach… • Many different personalities and abilities • No training required • Little regular quality assurance Basic ‘Health’ Schemes… • National dairy farm assurance scheme • Retailer schemes

36. But who will improve the cow’s situation? Milk Buyer ? Farmer ? Consumer? Govern-ment ? Retailer ? Vets? Welfare Groups ? Funding bodies

37. But who will improve the cow’s situation? ?Mission Impossible Vets?

38. 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

39. 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!

40. Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health • Main health elements • Reproduction • Lameness • Mastitis • Metabolic conditions • Infectious & parasitic disease • Injury • Nutrition • Culling reasons • Young stock • Biosecurity

41. Approach to Managing Dairy Herd Health Objectives Recording Evaluation/interpretation Targets achieved? Yes or No Problem analysis (diagnosis + intervention)

42. 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

43. Data Monitoring – Critical Indicators • Monthly or fortnightly assessment ofearly indicators of health or production • Realistic targets • for individual units

44. 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)

45. Decision-Making Strength of Information Importance of Event Cost / Effort to Change Possible outcomes

46. 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

47. Dairy Herd Health • Key issues Relationships Social aspects

48. 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 Hudson

49. DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan 10-15 Action Points “Data Patterns ” Herd Category Must Should COMPLIANCE Could STARTED APRIL 2009!

50. Dairy Cow Health and the Environment?