Compromise

Cattle Health

Because the use of additional recombinant hormones has been known to increase cases of infection within the animal, cattle should be supplemented with additional dietary needs and medical attention crucial in the stage of production. Because their energy supply is directed solely towards lactation during these stages of life, their supplemental needs are higher and must be considered when increasing this period of vulnerability for the cow up to 12 weeks.

Despite the use of additional hormones, there are several other drugs that are regularly introduced into the cow's body via injection or ingestion. In some cases the positives outweigh the negatives for both the farmers and cattle, but in other cases such as in the case of using growth hormones within production, could and will end controversially. Because of this, it is important for all animal production facilities to consider the factors in play, one of the most important being animal well-being and health (animal welfare). When considering the growth hormones used, there seems to be a decrease in productivity despite the increase in milk yield per cow because of the increased cases of infection throughout the facility. Even with this aspect, some facilities feel that the prevalence of illness is still less than the noticeable increase in profit. Nonetheless, I am a strong believer that to increase product yield, it is necessary to start with the animal and what it may need. Because infection is not a favorable state for the body, the result is decreased milk yield within a cow that has not truly met its potential since it is exposed to poor body conditions. If the disease and poor quality of life purveys with the use of growth hormones, production facilities as well as animal welfare groups should consider alternative means of increasing milk yield, one alternative being natural remedies.

Natural Means of Increasing Milk Yield

Studies show that cow comfort plays a large role in increasing milk yield in dairy production facilities. With certain stall design changes as well as environmental enrichment opportunities, cows showed an impressive increase in milk yield. A survey was conducted at the University of Vermont where 47 farms in Northeastern Span were observed. It was concluded that a 7.5 kg increase in milk production was due solely to stall availability. This is only one of the many ways in which a cow's comfort could be considered. Other studies demonstrate the importance of providing free stalls to allow for a comfortable, clean, and dry resting area.  Because the requirement of lying may be as high as 14 hours per day, it is crucial to keep these stalls comfortable and clean as to provide the cows with a healthy and safe means of practicing natural behaviors. Some other natural behaviors that may be considered is a cow's need to scratch if they have an itch or cool themselves if they are experiencing heat stress. Many facilities today have inhabited quick enrichment installations to increase the comfort of the cow therefore increasing the productivity and milk yield of the cow naturally via improved husbandry. Equally crucial to consider is the comfort of the cow during differing weather conditions. Because all animals have a lower and upper critical control temperature as well as a specific comfort zone, cows that are exposed to an open house barn may need supplemental means of cooling during the summer time (via water pipelines) and heating during the winter (heat lamps). Cow comfort can play a large role in physiological state due to increased stress levels and inability to fight off infection effectively. Therefore by adapting means of increasing cow comfort, individuals that prefer a more holistic means of caring for their animals as well as animal welfare groups could be sufficed and farmers everywhere would still experience an increase in profit due to increased milk yield.

Pictured here is a scratching post, a type of enrichment utilized to increase cow comfort
in dairy and meat production facilities.

Cost Effective means of Preventing Mastitis

With rising controversy over the increased use of antibiotics in meat and dairy products, it is important to consider at large the natural means of preventing and curing instances of mastitis. Mastitis is considered one of the most costly infectious diseases affecting dairy herds today. There is 12% of direct losses from clinical mastitis, 17% lost milk, 35% excess culling and death, and 36% price reduction of milk products. These are all problems that could be prevented or dealt with, without the use of regularly scrutinized antibiotics and intramammary infusions. Today coliform mastitis control vaccinations are administered regularly to prevent outbreaks of mastitis, but with increased milking and handling, udders are prone to infection and studies show that antibiotics have not reduced the incidence of mastitis overall. Alternatively, preventative measures should be taken in which milking procedures utilized are tweaked and closely monitored to prevent infection by establishing regular udder washing, fore-milking (milking by hand before machine use), milking sequence (infected cows last), complete milking, and even post-milking teat dipping and proper cleaning of equipment. 

Diet is also a crucial part in preventing and even treating cases of mastitis. Because cows are twice as likely to conjure mastitis during their dry periods, their diets must be adjusted to contain high fibrous materials as well as poor hay to provoke rapid drop in milk flow. In the case that the cow is positive for mastitis, culling should be a last resort in that their diets should be considered first. Their diets would contain low concentrates and extra fibers and added laxatives to aid with a necessary purge. Because this is a natural means of treating mastitis, if proper measures are taken during milking and processing, the cow could continue to be milked as opposed to having a withdrawal period with the use of antibiotics. This practice could reduce costs in that less high quality feed would be used during these times, less costly antibiotics would have to be purchased, and crucial milking time would not be lost due to a withdrawal period concluding in increased profit in any case. There are currently other methods out there that are further being researched to provide cows with more effective and aggressive means of handling and fighting off mastitis. This is crucial to dairy production facilities to aid in proper husbandry and practices that provide animal welfare.

Although cows would not be supplemented a tree, a high fiber diet is crucial in aiding
the purge necessary during a cow's dry period to prevent or even cure mastitis.

Sources:

http://eap.mcgill.ca/agrobio/ab370-11e.htm

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/asc/asc178/asc178.pdf

http://nmconline.org/articles/comfortSCC.pdf

http://www1.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/milk-quality-and-mastitis/giving-dry-cow-mastitis-the-boot.pdf