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Dairy calves are at high risk for morbidity and mortality early in life. Understanding producer attitudes is important for implementation of best management practices to improve calf health. The objectives of this study were to evaluate usage frequency and producer attitudes on key calf management practices between conventional and organic dairy operations. A cross-sectional survey was mailed to conventional and organic dairy producers in Ohio and Michigan that included questions on cow-calf separation, colostrum management, and vaccination use. The overall survey response rate was 49% (727/1488); 449 and 172 conventional and organic producer respondents, respectively, were included in the final analysis. Binary, cumulative, and multinomial logistic regression models were used to test differences within and between herd types for management practices and producer attitudes. The majority of conventional (64%, 279/439) producers reported separating the calf from the dam 30 min to 6 h after birth. More organic (34%, 56/166) than conventional (18%, 80/439) producers reported separation 6 to 12 h after birth, and organic producers were more likely to agree time before separation is beneficial. Few conventional (10%, 44/448) and organic (3%, 5/171) producers reported measuring colostrum quality. Most conventional producers (68%, 304/448) hand-fed the first feeding of colostrum, whereas the majority of organic producers (38%, 69/171) allowed calves to nurse colostrum. Lastly, 44% (188/430) of conventional producers reported vaccinating their calves for respiratory disease, compared with 14% (22/162) of organic producers; organic producers were more likely to perceive vaccines as ineffective and harmful to calf health. Thus, the usage frequency and perceived risks and benefits of calf management practices vary considerably between conventional and organic dairy producers. These findings provide helpful information to understand decision making at the herd level regarding key calf management and health practices, regardless of production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive calving management program designed to enhance the flow of applied, research-based, calving information to dairy personnel. Calving personnel (n = 70), serving an estimated 18,100 cows from 18 Ohio dairies, attended the calving management program (~1 h of training and ~2 h of demonstration). Description of the birth canal, behavioral signs of normal parturition (stages I to III), dystocia (presentations, positions, and postures), hygiene practices during the assistance procedure, strategies for intervention (when and how to intervene), record-keeping, communication (when to call for help), and newborn care were discussed. Posttraining follow-ups (2/yr) were available for participating personnel. Educational materials were delivered through lectures followed by group discussions and hands-on demonstrations. Attendees were assessed using pre- and posttests of knowledge to determine the level of knowledge gained during the training program. Participants evaluated the program and provided feedback at the conclusion of the program. Dairy personnel reported that the overall program, presentations, and discussions were useful. The presented materials and demonstrations substantially increased the knowledge level of the attendees by 20.9 percentage points from pre- to posttest scores. Importance of open communication within the farm team, recognizing the landmarks for parturition, signs of calving progress, reference times for intervention, hygiene practices at calving, and strategies to correct abnormal presentation, position, or posture were listed as learned concepts with immediate field application. The follow-up assessment with participant personnel revealed that they were able to implement and apply their learned skills, communicate calving records with the farm team, and follow written calving protocols. Results indicated that the workshop was relevant and effective, offering information with immediate field application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to assess the responses to treatments (clinical cure and cow survival 14 d posttherapy) of cows with clinical endometritis (CE) that received intrauterine infusion of a hypertonic solution of 50% dextrose (DEX) or subcutaneous ceftiofur crystalline free acid (CCFA) and subsequent pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) in cows with CE compared with cows without CE. Cows (n = 760) from 2 dairy herds were screened for CE using vaginoscopy and measurement of cervix diameters [exam 1; 26 ± 3 d in milk (DIM)]. Cows with vaginal discharge scores of 2 or 3 (scale 0--3) were stratified by parity and randomly allocated into 1 of 3 treatment groups: (1) intrauterine infusion (~200 mL) of 50% DEX solution (n = 79); (2) 6.6 mg/kg single-dose of subcutaneous administration of CCFA (n = 75); or (3) untreated control animals (CON, n = 83). Fourteen days posttherapy (at 40 ± 3 DIM), cows with CE were re-examined (exam 2; 40 ± 3 DIM) to assess the response to treatments. All cows were presynchronized with 2 injections of PGF2α given 14 d apart (starting at 26 ± 3 DIM) followed by Ovsynch (OV; GnRH--7 d--PGF--56 h--GnRH 16 h--timed-AI) 12 to 14 d later. Cows displaying signs of standing estrus any time during the protocol were inseminated, whereas the remaining cows were subjected to timed AI 16 h after the second GnRH of OV. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed via transrectal ultrasonography at 39 ± 3 d post-AI followed by pregnancy reconfirmation 30 d after the first pregnancy diagnosis. Uterine swabs revealed that Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Escherichia coli were the most predominant bacteria isolated at the time of treatments. Mortality within 14 d posttherapy was not different among treatment groups. Cows with CE had greater cervical diameter at exam 1 and decreased P/AI compared with cows without CE. Treatment with CCFA or DEX increased the proportion of cows with clear vaginal discharge (score 0; clinical cure) 14 d posttherapy compared with CON cows. Pregnancy per AI from DEX (29.8 ± 4%) cows tended to differ from that of CON (21.1 ± 4%) or CCFA cows (19.7 ± 4%), but it resulted in similar P/AI as those cows without CE (39.1 ± 2%). The use of intrauterine DEX alone or as an adjunct of antibiotic therapy for the treatment of CE needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this observational study were (1) to assess the time from the appearance of the amniotic sac (AS) or feet outside the vulva to birth in Holstein cows (primiparous and multiparous) with (dystocia) or without assistance (eutocia) at calving, and (2) to estimate reference times to be used as guidelines for obstetric intervention in Holstein cows that need assistance during difficult births. Cows (n = 92) from 1 commercial dairy operation were used in this study. Periparturient dairy cows (primiparous, n = 58; multiparous, n = 34) were placed in a maternity pen and constantly monitored until birth. The calving ease of cows, time from AS or feet appearance to birth, calving progress from a subset of 15 cows (frequency and duration of abdominal contractions during labor), calf birth weight, calf sex, and stillbirths (born dead or died within 24 h after birth) were recorded. The reference times for obstetric intervention during dystocia were estimated based on values from unassisted births (normal). The normal range of times from the appearance of AS or feet outside the vulva to birth was estimated based on the mean + 2 standard deviations (SD) of unassisted births. According to farm protocol, assistance was provided to cows without calving progress 80 min after AS appearance or earlier (e.g., to correct malpositions). Cows with dystocic births had a longer time from AS appearance to birth and increased incidence of stillbirth compared with cows with eutocic calvings. After the appearance of the AS, calving progress was evident every 15 min for eutocic births. The estimated reference times (mean + 2 SD) from AS appearance to birth were 69.7 min and from feet appearance to birth were 64.6 min for eutocic births. Findings from this study suggested that calving personnel should start assisting cows 70 min after AS appearance (or 65 min after feet appearance) outside the vulva. The time spent in labor (straining) combined with the time from the appearance of the AS or feet to birth, and the assessment of calving progress (as described for eutocic births) should be used as guidelines for obstetric intervention during difficult births under field conditions. These reference times should be interpreted in combination with adequate obstetrical knowledge and examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic diseases including displaced abomasum, ketosis, and lameness have substantial impact on the productivity of beef and dairy cattle herds. Laminitis has been associated to nutritional effects causing metabolic disorders. These diseases are more prevalent in dairy herds and their impact in production is more extreme in dairy cattle than in beef cattle. Therefore, the stronger signal of disease incidence in dairy herds offers a model to further the understanding of the factors influencing the incidence of these diseases in beef cattle. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of nongenetic and genetic factors on the incidence of displaced abomasum, lameness, and ketosis. Health records were analyzed from approximately 6,200 records from Holstein cows across 4 U.S. regions. Two indicators of these diseases were studied: binomial detection of at least 1 disease and multinomial detection of none, at least 1, and at least 2 diseases in 1 lactation. The fixed effects explanatory variables included parity, season, milk yield level (high and low), region, and BCS, and sire was included as a random effect. Parity, season, and milk yield level had significant effects on both disease indicators. The binomial probability of disease and the multinomial probability of multiple diseases were higher with higher parity, in summer relative to winter, and in high producing cows relative to low producing cows. The heritability estimates of the binomial and multinomial disease indicators were 0.28 and 0.3, respectively. The heritability estimates for incidences of displaced abomasum, lameness, and ketosis were 0.33, 0.16, and 0.19, respectively. Our findings suggest that the 3 diseases share both the nongenetic and genetic components and that management practices and genetic selection to reduce the incidence of 1 or 2 of these diseases will reduce the incidence of the remainder diseases. These findings contribute to an animal health project (USDANIFAILLU538909) and a multistate project database (USDANIFAAFRI003542) for direct measures of health and fertility in cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory disease is a complex phenotype and the diagnostic can be attributed to multiple causes including viral infection (e.g., respiratory coronavirus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus), bacterial infection (e.g., pneumonic spp.; lungworm), and vena caval thrombosis. Moreover, the impact of respiratory disease in cows varies with the stage of lactation when the disease is detected. In general, intense management practices facilitate the detection of respiratory disorders in dairy cattle herds relative to beef cattle herds. Thus, we propose that study of respiratory disease incidence in a large dairy cattle data set as paradigm to advance the knowledge on the factors influencing the incidence of this disease across cattle types. Respiratory disease information on 6,283 Holstein cows across four U.S. states and nine herds were evaluated. Two descriptors of respiratory disease were evaluated: days in milk to respiratory disease detection and the binary detection of respiratory disease. Survival analysis was used to study the days in milk-to-disease. The binary variable respiratory disease detection was analyzed using a binary logistic model. Lactation number, season, region, farm, body condition score, and milk yield level (3 levels) were included in the model as fixed explanatory effects whereas sire was considered a random effect. Incidence of respiratory disease was lower in summer relative to winter, and there was a nonsignificant trend on lactation number. Body condition score had a significant effect, with higher body condition score associated with lower incidence of respiratory disease. Farm, body condition score, and milk yield level had significant effect on the time when respiratory disease was identified. The heritability estimate for incidence of respiratory disease was 0.4, suggesting that despite the high number of potential causative agents, selection for less susceptible cattle can be an effective strategy to reduce the impact of this disease. The heritability estimate of the days in milk-to-disease was 0.13, showing that non-genetic components may play an important role on the stage of the lactation when the disease is detected. These findings contribute to an animal health project (USDA-NIFA-ILLU-538909) and a multistate project database (USDA-NIFA-AFRI-003542) for direct measures of health and fertility in cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calf diarrhea is the most common reason for mortality and antimicrobial therapy in preweaned calves on dairy farms in the United States. Conventional and organic livestock producers require alternative therapies for calf diarrhea to reduce the necessity of conventional antimicrobials. Alternatives administered for mild cases or early in the disease course may be useful to mitigate disease progression and reduce the likelihood of septicemia and negative sequelae. Lactoferrin is a bioactive protein naturally found in colostrum that has been shown to prevent septicemia in high-risk infants. Among organic producers, garlic extract is widely used for the treatment of disease and perceived to be efficacious. The objectives of the study were to determine the effectiveness of lactoferrin and garlic extract to reduce mortality and culling, improve weight gain, and reduce the duration of disease in preweaned calves with the first diagnosis of diarrhea. In total, 628 calves with diarrhea from a single commercial dairy were enrolled in a blinded, randomized field trial. Calves diagnosed with diarrhea (fecal score ≥3), were randomized to 3 consecutive days of oral garlic extract, lactoferrin, or water (control). Calves were clinically evaluated for up to 10 d. Body weight was measured at enrollment and 10 d later. For calves receiving garlic extract, the risk of death or culling was not significantly different than calves in the control group; however, calves that received lactoferrin had approximately half the risk of death or culling in the 120 d following diagnosis. Additionally, the relative risk of death or culling in the 60 d following diagnosis was significantly lower for the subset of calves with severe diarrhea at enrollment. Neither garlic nor lactoferrin had a significant effect on disease duration or average weight gain during the 10-d period. Lactoferrin significantly reduced mortality and culling when administered to preweaned calves with the first diagnosis of diarrhea; however, additional studies conducted across multiple farms are necessary to corroborate the observed reduction in mortality and culling. If the results are confirmed, lactoferrin may become an important tool to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the necessity of antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of milk cessation method (abrupt or gradual) at dry off on milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) up to 120 d in milk during the subsequent lactation. Data from 428 cows from 8 dairy herds in Ohio were analyzed. Abrupt cessation cows kept the farm's regular milking schedule (2 or 3 times) through dry off and gradual cessation cows were milked once daily for the final week of lactation. Milk yield and SCS were collected using Dairy Herd Improvement Association test-day records. Aseptic quarter milk samples were collected approximately 1 wk before dry off, at dry off, and within 1 wk after calving for bacterial culture to determine the presence of intramammary infections. Overall, milk cessation method was not significantly associated with either milk yield or SCS in early lactation; however, interaction between the milk cessation method and herd was highly significant. Cows producing greater amounts of milk around dry off had significantly higher SCS in the following lactation. Shorter dry periods were significantly associated with decreased milk yield in the following lactation, especially among abruptly dried off cows. Additionally, as expected, several other factors, such as parity of cows and stage of lactation, were significantly associated with both outcomes. No interactions between the milk cessation method and the other explanatory variables in the final models were significant. The results of the current study suggest that higher milk yield at dry off was associated with higher SCS in the following lactation, even though milk cessation method at the end of lactation had a varying effect on test-day milk yield and SCS in different herds during the first 120 d in milk in the following lactation. The specific herd characteristics influencing this could not be identified within this study, warranting further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Assessment of calving progress and reference times for obstetric intervention during dystocia in Holstein dairy cows," that was published in a 2011 issue is presented.