Presentation from dairy cattle reproduction council. Optimizing the Transition cow environment : Implication for behaviour and health.

1. Optimizing the transition cow
environment: implications for
behavior and health
Katy Proudfoot, MSc
UBC Animal Welfare Program
DCRC Conference, November, 2010

2. UBC Research Reports
Want updates on UBC research? Check out the
UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre
Research Reports:
http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/dairycentre/reports
or email Katy to be sent new Research Reports
monthly: Kproudy@gmail.com

3. The Plan
1) Discuss the relationship
between a transition cow’s
behavior and her health
2) Recommend transition cow
environments that reduce
disease risk

4. The problem with transition
• ~ 30-50% of cows become
ill during the transition
period
• Disease results in:
–  milk production
–  reproductive
efficiency
–  longevity
–  involuntary culling
–  Lost $$

5. The problem with transition
Gröhn et al., 2003

6. The problem with transition
Why do some cows get sick and others
stay healthy?
• Parturition
• Lactation
• New environment (heifers)
• Diet change
• Regrouping

7. How do we prevent disease?
The steps:
1) Identify behaviors that are linked to
disease
2) Determine which management
practices affect these behaviors

8. How do we prevent disease?
The steps:
1) Identify behaviors that are linked to
disease
2) Determine which management
practices affect these behaviors

9. Metritis Diagnosis
Metritis
VD=0 VD=1 VD=2 VD=3 VD=4
Less than More than 50% Red/brown
Clear or no Blood or 50% pus pus watery with
discharge flecks of pus and bad smell and bad smell putrid smell
No Fever No Fever Fever
Healthy Mild Metritis Severe Metritis

10. Metritis: feeding time
120
Feeding time (min/d)
100
80
60
40
20 Healthy
0
-12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Day Relative to Calving
Urton et al. 2005 J. Dairy Sci. 88:2843-2849

11. Metritis: feeding time
Cows with metritis spend less time eating 3 wk
before disease diagnosis
120
Feeding time (min/d)
100
80
60
40
Healthy
20 Clinical signs of
Severe Metritis infection
0
-12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Day Relative to Calving
Urton et al. 2005 J. Dairy Sci. 88:2843-2849

13. Metritis: DMI
DMI (kg/d)
He althy
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233.

14. Metritis: DMI
Sub-clinical cows show declines
in the week before calving
DMI (kg/d)
Clinical signs of
infection
He althy
M ild ly M e tritic
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

15. Metritis: DMI
Clinically sick cows showed the greatest drops
in DMI before calving
DMI (kg/d)
He althy Clinical signs of
M ild ly M e tritic infection
S e ve re ly M e tritic
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

16. Metritis: DMI
1.8
Healthy
DMI at each hour (kg)
1.6
Mildly Metritic
1.4
Severely Metritic
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 Feed delivery Feed delivery
0
0:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 16:00 20:00
Hour of day
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

17. Metritis: DMI
1.8
Healthy
DMI at each hour (kg)
1.6
Mildly Metritic
1.4
Severely Metritic
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 F.D. F.D. delivery
Feed
Feed delivery
0
0:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 16:00 20:00
Hour of day
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

18. Metritis: DMI
Sick cows eat less during peak feeding times
1.8
Healthy
DMI at each hour (kg)
1.6
Mildly Metritic
1.4
Severely Metritic
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 Feed delivery Feed delivery
0
0:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 16:00 20:00
Hour of day
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

19. Metritis: social behavior

21. Metritis: social behavior
Sick cows avoid the feed bunk and social interactions…
20
displaced another
# Times a cow
15
10
5
0
Healthy Mildly Severely
Metritic Metritic
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233

22. Metritis
Metritis has a short-term effect on production (-18 lbs/d)
60
Milk Production (kg/d)
50
40
30
20
Healthy
10 Mildly Metritic
Severely Metritic
0
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
DIM

23. Metritis
Metritis has a long-term effect on production…
60
Milk Production (kg/d)
Healthy
50
Metritis
40
30
20
10
0
2 8 14 20 26 32 38 44
Week of lactation
Wittrock et al. under review with JDS

24. Metritis
Cows with metritis are more likely to be culled…
60%
50%
40%
30% Culled
20%
10%
0%
Healthy Metritis
Wittrock et al. under review with JDS

25. Metritis
Cows with metritis are more likely to be culled…
60%
50%
40%
Culled
30%
Not bred
20%
10%
0%
Healthy Metritis
Wittrock et al. under review with JDS

26. Sub-clinical ketosis
25
20
15
Healthy
Healthy
10 Sub-clinical
SCK+1
Ketosis
5
0
‐14 ‐12 ‐10 ‐8 ‐6 ‐4 ‐2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Day relative to calving
Goldhawk et al J. Dairy Sci. 92:4971-4977

27. Lameness
A transition cow disease?

28. Lameness
8 to 15 wk High incidence of
claw horn lesions
Transition
-3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Week Relative to Calving
Recorded standing behavior Recorded claw horn lesions

29. Lameness: standing behavior
Standing Time (min/d)
1000
800
600
400
200 Healthy
0
wk -2 +24 h wk 1 wk 2
Period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

30. Lameness: standing behavior
Cows diagnosed with lesions stood
longer during transition
Standing Time (min/d)
1000
800
600
400
Healthy
200
Lesion
0
wk -2 +24 h wk 1 wk 2
Period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

31. Lameness: standing behavior
Cows diagnosed with lesions stood
longer during transition
Standing Time (min/d)
1000
800
600
400 What are they
doing? Healthy
200
Lesion
0
wk -2 +24 h wk 1 wk 2
Period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

32. Lameness: standing behavior
900
Standing Time (min/d)
800
700
600
500
400 Feeding
300
200
100
0
Healthy Lesion
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

33. Lameness: standing behavior
900
800
Standing Time (min/d)
700
600
500 Feed Alley
400
300 Feeding
200
100
0
Healthy Lesion
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

34. Lameness: standing behavior
900
800
Standing Time (min/d)
700
600 Alley
500
400 Feed Alley
300
Feeding
200
100
0
Healthy Lesion
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

35. Lameness: standing behavior
900
800
Standing Time (min/d)
700
600 4 Feet in Stall
500 Alley
400
Feed Alley
300
200 Feeding
100
0
Healthy Lesion
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

36. Lameness: standing behavior
900
Standing Time (min/d)
800
700
600
500
400 2 Feet in Stall
300 4 Feet in Stall
200 Alley
100 Feed Alley
0 Feeding
Healthy Lesion
Proudfoot et al., 2010, JDS 93(9):3970-3978

37. How do we prevent disease?
Metritis, Ketosis Lameness
Low pre-partum feed High pre-partum
intake standing time
FEED BUNK LYING STALLS
REGROUPING

38. How do we prevent disease?
The steps:
1) Identify behaviors that are linked to the
diseases
2) Determine which management
practices affect these behaviors

39. The feed bunk
Stocking density
Feeding
frequency

40. Feed bunk: stocking density
100 Fresh Feed 32 in/cow
24 in/cow
Fresh Feed
16 in/cow
80
% of cows feeding
8 in/cow
Milking
60
Push Up Push Up
40 Push Up
Milking
20
0
0:00 3:00 6:00 9:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
Time of day
Huzzey et al., 2006. J. Dairy Sci. 89:126-133

41. Feed bunk: stocking density
Healthy cows that have to compete for
feed eat less before calving
20
18
16
14
DMI (kg/d)
12
10
8
6 Non-competitive (1:1)
4 Competitive (2:1)
2
0
-14 -12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Day relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2009 JDS

42. Feed bunk: stocking density
Displacements increase by 65% when cows are
overstocked
Non-competitive
28
Displacements/day
24 Competitive
20
16
12
8
4
0
Primiparous Multiparous
Proudfoot et al., 2009 JDS

43. Feed bunk: stocking density
Overstocked cows stand 3 h/d longer in the week after calving
Competitive
Non-competitive
15
13
Standing time (h/d)
11
9
7
5
3
1
- 2 wk 1 wk 2-3 wk
Period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2009 JDS

44. The lying stalls
Stocking Neckrail
density
Bedding

45. Lying stalls: stocking density
Increased stocking density at the lying stalls =
shorter lying times
14
Lying time (h/d)
13
12
11
8 9 10 11 12
Number of stalls per group of 12 cows
Fregonesi et al., 2007 J. Dairy Sci. 90:3349-3354

46. Lying stalls: stocking density
Cows like to lie down at the same time, regardless of stocking density
100
100.0%
Stocking level
90.0% 150 % stocking 150%
100%
80.0%
100 % stocking
% Cows lying
70.0%
r r 60.0%
co l i
5050.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0
09:10
0.0%
00:00
00:50
01:40
02:30
03:20
04:10
05:00
05:50
06:40
07:30
08:20
10:00
10:50
11:40
12:30
13:20
14:10
15:00
15:50
16:40
17:30
18:20
19:10
20:00
20:50
21:40
22:30
23:20
0 12 Time
24
Time (h)
Fregonesi et al., 2007 J. Dairy Sci. 90:3349-3354

47. Lying stalls: bedding
More bedding improves lying times…
Lying time (h/d)
Tucker & Weary, 2004, J. Dairy Sci. 87: 2889-2895

48. Lying stalls: bedding
Preference test: What would they choose?
All stalls have wet sawdust
Force phase
All stalls have kiln dried sawdust
Choice phase
1/2 stalls wet sawdust + 1/2 stalls kiln dried

49. Lying stalls: bedding
Force phase: Dry bedding improves lying time…
Lying time (h/d)
Fregonesi et al., 2009. JDS

50. QuickTime™ and a
YUV420 codec decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

51. Lying stall: neckrail
No neckrail
Neckrail

52. Lying stall: neckrail
Moving the neck-rail farther from the curb
can decrease perching behavior
1.2
Neck rail
No neck rail
0.8
0.4
0
Two Four
Number of hooves in stall
Bernardi et al., 2009. J. Dairy Sci.

53. Lying stalls : neckrail
5
4.5
Neckrail No neckrail
4
3.5
3
Gait score
2.5
2
No neckrail Neckrail
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Week
Bernardi et al., 2009. J. Dairy Sci.

54. Lying stalls : neckrail
Stall and udder
cleanliness?

55. Lying stall: neckrail
Without the neckrail, cows and stalls are dirtier
4 4
Udder cleanliness
Without neck rail
Stall cleanliness
3 3
With neck rail
Score 2 Score 2
1 1
0 0
Treatment Treatment
Bernardi et al., 2009. J. Dairy Sci.

56. Lying stall: neckrail
New cases of disease Neckrail No neckrail
Lameness 11 2
Mastitis 0 0
SCC>100,000 cells/ml 2 1
“Neckrail paradox”
Bernardi et al., 2009. J. Dairy Sci.

57. Regrouping
Cows moved to a new group take 2 days to adapt, reduce
feeding time and lose 8 lbs of milk on the first day!
30
Reactor
Actor
Displacements
20
10
0
-1 0 1 2 3
Day
von Keyserlingk et al. 2008. J. Dairy Sci.

58. Regrouping
Social disruption
Weekly entries into pen
Slide courtesy of Dr. Nigel Cook,
University of Wisconsin, Madison

59. Regrouping
Social disruption
etc….
Daily entries into pen
Slide courtesy of Dr. Nigel Cook,
University of Wisconsin, Madison

60. Summary
Metritis, Ketosis Lameness
Low pre-partum feed High pre-partum
intake standing time
• Overstocking the lying stalls
• Overstocking the feedbunk
• Aggressive neckrail position
• Regrouping often
• Poor bedding

61. Take home messages
 We can use this research to design optimal
environments that reduce the risk of disease
 An optimal environment means:
- Don’t overstock the feed bunk or lying stalls
- Keep transition cows in well bedded, dry stalls
with non-aggressive or no neckrails
- Minimize regroupings and social turmoil

62. Thanks!
Natural Sciences and Engineering Council, Dairy Farmers of Canada, BC
Dairy Foundation, Pfizer, Westgen, Beef Industry Development Council, BC
Milk Producers, Alberta Milk and many others listed at
www.landfood.ubc.ca/animalwelfare/