My dairy farm is foot-and-mouth disease positive – what now?
What can you expect and what are your options if your dairy is affected by foot and mouth disease (FMD)? Should you vaccinate your herd against FMD or not? How does this affect your herd? How does it affect the milk buyer? FMD in a dairy parlour has serious implications. The implications of the regulations […]
Brucellosis test results … ‘much more’ than just a result
The results on a test report are not just a result, it is a mouthpiece that communicates a specific message to you. Just like in the model of communication, there is ‘noise’ that can influence or distort the test result conveying message. Using brucellosis testing as an example, the speaker will point out the possible […]
Brucellosis: Know your enemy
Eroding your profits and threatening your health – brucellosis will ruin you financially and mentally. It is known as an ‘erosion disease’ since it causes chronic low grade production losses and it also poses a health threat to the farmer, his family, his labour force, and the general public. Eradicating the disease is costly and […]
Understanding lameness in dairy cattle
The welfare, production loss and health implications of lameness in dairy cattle are well documented. However, there appears to be a general lack of understanding how and why lameness develops. The webinar focused on the anatomical and physiological changes that take place in the hoof that lead to lameness and the various factors that lead […]
Increase your profits with dairy farm animal welfare
A happy cow is a healthy cow, a healthy cow is a productive cow, and a productive cow is a profitable cow! In this webinar, Dr Mark Chimes shares how to improve your dairy production with simple welfare steps that you can implement on your dairy farm. Download the presentation. https://youtu.be/ww3fJ5qH2-0
Managing flies on dairy farms
Flies are not only a nuisance, but they are also vectors of bacteria and disease. Flies, often dismissed as mere nuisances, pose a far more significant threat than meets the eye. Not only are they an irritant, but they also act as vectors for bacteria and diseases. Nowhere is this threat more apparent than on […]
Escherichia coli from a One-Health perspective
Escherichia coli (E. coli), a Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacterium predominates among the bacteria in the intestine of many animal species. E. coli infections in livestock may be enteric or extraintestinal. The most common clinical manifestation of enteric infections is diarrhoea. Extraintestinal infections include septicaemia, oedema disease, mastitis, uterine infection, and abortion. Certain E. coli are […]
Foot and mouth disease – Practical considerations
The Dairy Standard Agency acts as the independent organization of the organised dairy industry with its members, MPO and Sampro. The main purpose of DSA is to promote the improvement of the quality of milk and other dairy products in the interest of the consumer and the industry. One of the 17 projects of the […]
Mycotoxins
The diet of a dairy cow is complex, being composed of various raw materials – what is the mycotoxin risk of these diets, and which raw materials carry the highest risk? What impact do these mycotoxins have on dairy cows’ health and performance? Furthermore, how can we detect mycotoxins and protect dairy cows? During this […]
The prudent use of antibiotics
Antibiotics have revolutionised the world of medicine, for both human and animal health. They are especially valuable in maintaining the high-health status of today’s incredibly efficient cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats and have played a critical role in keeping livestock healthy and productive. Nevertheless, for all their benefits, antibiotics also need to be used with […]