sustainability at dairy farms

(resilience)(resilience)

Sustainability at Dairy farmsSustainable sourcing

Longer productive life of the cow

In balance with environment at the farm.

Joost de Veer, 16-07-2014

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(resilience)

Important role for the veterinarian:

In favour for the farmer

Holistic view and predictive at the farm

Holistic approach of the vet: connect results and communicates with the farmer

Sustainability at dairy farms

(resilience)

(resilience)(resilience)

If you are good for the cow the cow is good for you !!

Why?

Animal welfare is profitable for the farmer

• Longer productive lifetime

• Less youngstock

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Animal welfare

Criteria

Enough to eat, ration and husbandery

Enough to drink, trough and husbandery

Enough space, husbandery

Natural behaviour

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Monitoring systems

EU, Welfare Quality System

Time-consuming

Trial with University of Utrecht

Cow Compass β

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Risk-analyses: yes, high potential.

Analyses shows risk factors at the farm

Risks focussed at quality milk

Risks focussed at quality of the way milk is produced

Certified veterinarian Integrated Cow Management training

Pro-spective approach.

Farm monitoring system, risk analysis:Cow Compass

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Farm quality management- issues

Food safety -> zoönoses

-> animal disease incidence

-> water supply

Animal welfare -> animal disease incidence

-> cow comfort / welfare

-> natural environment

Sustainable -> animal disease incidence

-> manure

-> natural environment

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Lower quality food = Lower milk production

Risk factors Chance of wrong cheese

Butaric acid bad cheese

Feed with mould

Bad water facility

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Animal welfare under pressure:

Chance of short lifetime

Lower quality way of milk production =

Lower milk production and lower animal welfare

Risk factors

Resting area

Bad water facility

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Cow Compass monitoring systemRisk analysis

Milking

feeding and water

husbandry

animal welfarework routines

animal health

youngstock

0

1

2

3

4

5

1 risk full 5 without any risk

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Components Cow Compass

Information for:

7 CSF’s Stakeholders

Critical Succes Factors e.g.: retail, goverment

± 40 PI’s Farmer

Performance Indicators

± 110 MCP’s

Management Control Points Farmer

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Ideal time management of the cow

Laying down and ruminate: 12 - 13 hours

Eating : 6 hours

10-12 meals

Drinking: 5 -10 minutes

15 - 20 litre a minute

Milking and natural behaviour: 5 - 6 hours

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Milking (CSF)

Bulk tank room   Clean, milk temperature 2

Milk system   Clean, replacing rubber components 4

Milking routine   Milking with gloves, pre milking 5

Prevention   Special treatment high risk cows 3

Score milking 3,3

PI

Performance indicator

MCP

Management Control Point

PI score

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Feeding and water (CSF)

Performans Indicator (PI)

ManagementControl

Point (MCP)

Silage process   Mould, conservation 1

Feed milk cows   Quantity, quality, ration for milking cows 3

Feed dry cows   Quantity, quality, ration for dry cows 4

Water milking cows   Quantity, clarity, sediment, smell 3

Water dry cows   Quantity, clarity, sediment, smell 5

Feed managementConcentrates, silage analyses, hygiene feed

place 5

Score feed and water 3,6

PI score

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Water trough: quality/ quantity

A cow can drink:

15 - 20 ltr per minute,

salmonella in sediment?

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Salmonella environment

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What does a cow like

Open trough, 7 cm per cow !!

clear, no sediment and odeurPI 5

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IHP 19

Seperator: food-selection

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Housing (CSF)

PI MCP

Feed gate   Number of feed places, 75 cm 3

Stable climate Light, ventilation, cow brush 2

Walking surface   Quality ground, hygiene 2

Cubicle comfort Number, comfort, hygiene, space 3

Pasturing   Pasturing, cow path 2

Score husbandry 2,3

PI score

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Lay down comfort, knee test

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Cow-comfort freestall basics

Lunge space

Neck rail

Brisket Board

Cushion

Fresh Air

Curb height

Divider height

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Irish, 1986

Body space

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Head space

Space envelope for rising Holstein cow

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IHP 24

Barn lay-out

Between

cubicles:

3 mtr

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IHP 25

Rubber floor

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Cow comfort, pasture !

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Animal Welfare (CSF)

PI MCP

Activity milk cows   Cows not active, cows not used to humans 4 4

Condition score   BCS <2 en >4 5 4

Locomotion score   Locomotion score 3, 4, 5 9 3

Hock (swollen, damaged) Most common hock score 3 3

Hygiene cows   Score 3 of 4 10 4

General appearance Ruminating, manure score, paunch score 20 3

General impression   Skin / fleece, skin damaged 3 3

Score animal welfare 3,4

Green = number Blue = PI score

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General impression, condition score, hocks, rumen fill

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Locomotion score 3 ? 4 ?

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Good looking cow !?

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IHP 31

Thin cows:

dry matter intake!

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IHP 32

The rumen rumenfill

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Working Routines (CSF)

PI MCP

Work, walk - and cross linesWork line calves to milk cows, separation of

manure and feed 2

Animal health status   BVD, IBR, Salmonella, Neospora, Para 3

Preventive   Calf rearing separate of milk cows 3

Protocol working   Mastitis, claw disorders 2

Score work process 2,6

PI score

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Animal Health (CSF)

PI MCP

Bulk somatic cellcount 3

Mastitis     2

Claw disorders     3

Metabolic disorders   e.g.displaced abomasis, milk fever, 4

Retained placenta   ( > 24 hr) 5

Endometritis     3

Forced culling     3

Remaining diseases   e.g. Bluetongue 3

Score animal health 3,4

Green = number Blue = score

PI score

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Quality system dairy industrysustainability and animal welfare

Partico introduced Koe-kompas, Friesland/Campina is joining now

Integrated Cow management vets are doing this job:

40 % of their suppliers (4500 farmers) 2200 farmers

Scientific evaluation by WUR/ASG, Wageningen

with Marten Scheffer (critical transitions in nature and society) and Ingrid van Dixhoorn, reseacher

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Cow compass and resilience

Milking

feeding and water

husbandry

animal welfarework routines

animal health

youngstock

0

1

2

3

4

5

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Milking

Feeding and water

husbandry

animal welfarework routines

animal health

younstock

0

1

2

3

4

5

Beoordeling Minimum streefwaarde milking

feeding and water

husbandry

animal welfarework routines

animal health

yougstock

0

1

2

3

4

5

Beoordeling Minimum streefwaarde

youngstock

High resilience

Low resilience

youngstock

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Dairy quality system focussed at prevention

Cow-compass: risk analyses of the dairy farm prospective approach

The present quality system is retrospective

Cow compass important management tool for the farmer, only with a very knowledgeable veterinarian and farmer!!

(resilience)