Environment, nutrition, and management practices for far-off, close-up, and fresh cows on Canadian dairy farms—A retrospective descriptive study

• Published in: Journal of Dairy Science
• Main Authors: Rita Couto Serrenho, Christopher Church, Darren McGee, Todd F. Duffield
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2022
• Subjects: dairy cow; practices; assessment; transition; Dairy processing. Dairy products; SF250.5-275; Dairying; SF221-250; Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20919; https://doaj.org/article/3db08d2142c2412fa32408d471c51424

ABSTRACT: The complex and interrelated management components of dairy farming are associated with health, production, and profitability of the herd, yet there is limited objective data on current management practices of the far-off, close-up, and fresh periods across Canadian dairy farms. We aimed to describe management practices of Canadian dairy farms by using a pre-existing risk assessment tool and outline potential management opportunities. Upon veterinarians' or producers' request, a transition management risk assessment (The Vital 90, Elanco) was performed by trained observers (n = 10) during farm visits (n = 78) between August 2014 and March 2018. Most farms were in Ontario (n = 64), whereas the remaining were in Alberta (n = 5), British Columbia (n = 4), Manitoba (n = 1), Prince Edward Island (n = 2), Newfoundland (n = 1), and Saskatchewan (n = 1). The study included 79 questions about nutrition, pen management, and cow comfort of the dry (approximate ranges: far-off, −60 to −20 d in milk; close-up, −20 to 0 d in milk) and fresh (0–30 d in milk) periods. The herds averaged 125 milking cows, and most had 2 defined dry groups (81%). Freestall (FS; 54%) and straw-bedded loose pack (BP; 81%) were the most common housing systems observed in the far-off and close-up periods, respectively. Heifers and cows were housed together in 56, 80, and 59% of the far-off, close-up, and fresh pens, respectively. A large proportion of the far-off (FS: >100% stocking density; BP: <9.3 m2/cow; 41%), close-up, and fresh pens (FS: >80% stocking density; BP: <13.9 m2/cow; 52 and 49%, respectively) were overstocked. Poor water access was observed across all periods (65, 58, and 24% of the far-off, close-up, and fresh, respectively). Only a few farms had proper heat abatement systems in place (absence of properly functioning soakers or fans; <10% in the dry and 15% in the fresh periods). Cows were able to sort their ration in 60% of the dry period pens and 31% of the fresh pens. In 73% of the farms, fresh cow health ...