Cold Cleanout

Chores began this morning with temperatures below -3 degrees Fahrenheit! BRRRRRRRR! With such extreme temperatures we have to be careful that our calves are not experiencing cold stress. I wanted to know the temperature range that will consider a calf with cold stress so when I looked it up I found a very informative article that suggested calves that are less than one month old will experience cold stress at anything less than 48 degrees Fahrenheit. One adjustment to the barn was the installment of calf hutches that aid in keeping our calves protected from a chilly misguided breeze. We also have plenty of calf blankets that we put on our youngest animals to help them better regulate their temperature in such cold conditions. 

Since today was so cold we thought setting up a freshly cleaned pen would be a great idea! So we cleaned out and replaced old bedding and moved around 20 weaned calves into a new group housed setting. Personally I think they enjoyed the clean bedding and large open space to run around in! 

Today we had no new calves.

We shipped 4,670 gallons of milk.

Learning about Scours

Throughout the semester I will be collecting data on calf temperatures, colostrum information, sire and dam records, and more! The purpose of this project is to hopefully highlight any husbandry areas that we could improve upon so that our calves are receiving the best possible care. 

Scours has and is a major concern for every dairy farm, but what is it? Scours is diarrhea in calves which can be very difficult to treat as the majority of cases are caused by a virus. Viral infections are not able to be treated with antibiotics so proper management of symptoms is always key! When a calf is suspected of having scours, the best option for us is to ensure that they are well hydrated by providing them with plenty of water, electrolytes, and even supplying intravenous fluids (an IV!) if necessary. In fact, according to the University of Minnesota Extension, nearly all cases of scours can be traced back to the causative agent rotavirus, coronavirus, or cryptosporidium. If you are interested in learning more about scours here is a link to the University of Minnesota Extension which has lots of useful information: Scours Overview.

One medication that we have at the barn is very useful at treating one specific scours causing bug that I haven't mentioned, coccidiosis! All we have to do is add one of these to a tub of water and the calves will treat themselves when they go for a drink. I was curious in understanding how amprid is treating coccidiosis at a molecular level and after doing some digging I discovered that amprid will prevent these parasites from utilizing vitamin B1 (otherwise known as thiamine) which disrupts their growth and development. 

Today we had one new bull and one new heifer calf born.

We shipped 4,755 gallons of milk.

 

Twinkle Toes

I am back to posting on my blog for the next and final semester before graduating. I plan on continuing my educational blog while sharing stories and information about the various responsibilities and topics involved with the management of a dairy farm. I am very much looking forward to sharing my knowledge and learning more about the dairy industry together over the next fifteen weeks!

Today I want to share a unique calf we have on our farm that was born with an extra appendage! The term used to identify an animal that has one too many or too few appendages is coined polymelia. This calf has an extra claw positions between the two normally placed claws on her front right leg. Feet and legs are very important for a cow as they will eventually support over 1,000lbs of body weight, so it was crucial that we got this "extra toe" addressed by our veterinarian. Fortunately for us, our little lady is going to be alright and when she grows up a bit more the extra toe will be removed and cause no issues to her. 

To better understand the uniqueness to this situation I did more research on cattle hoof anatomy and found a very informative article written by Erin Malone posted by the University of Minnesota which can be found with this link Cattle Hoof Anatomy The figure below represents the average cattle hoof and we can see the characteristic medial claw (the inner claw closest to the body) and the lateral claw otherwise described as the outer claw. Our lady has a third claw located between the lateral and medial claw, seemingly attached to the fleshy space referred to as the interdigital space. 

(Credits to University of Minnesota linked above)

 

Today we had one new jersey bull calf.

We shipped 4,852 gallons of milk!