Managing a healthy dairy herd
Also see Cattle ticks
Diseases and disorders
General
Diseases of dairy heifers - Management and vaccination
Covers common disease problems and causal organisms, management - disease prevention, vaccinations and vaccines.
Managing cattle health risk with chicken litter fertiliser
When using chicken litter as a dairy pasture fertiliser it is important to apply appropriate management techniques to maximise the benefits and minimise cattle health risks.
Managing health risks to human health when using chicken litter as a fertiliser on pastures
Chicken litter may contain pathogens (potentially harmful organisms), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes, hormones and heavy metals. The potential risks and how best to manage the risks are presented.
Diseases
Botulism
- Economic benefits and animal welfare considerations of vaccination programs
- Why annual vaccination may be crucial
- A potential disease problem in intensively fed beef and dairy cattle
Specific advice on how to deal with outbreaks of botulism is provided.
Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF or Three day sickness) in dairy cattle
Economic benefits and animal welfare considerations of vaccination programs.
Campylobacteriosis or vibriosis
- Fact sheet
Campylobacteriosis, or vibriosis, is a venereal disease of cattle caused by a bacterium that lives in the lining of the reproductive tract. Infection in a herd reduces reproduction and prolongs the calving period. - Vaccintation programs
Economic benefits and animal welfare considerations of vaccination programs
EBL - Enzootic bovine leucosis
- EBL - Enzootic bovine leucosis
Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) is a viral disease, which causes leukaemia in cattle.
Parasites
Buffalo fly
Buffalo flies are a serious problem for the Queensland dairy industry. In heifers the main loss in production is due to reduced growth as feed intake is reduced with fly irritation.
A multi-parasite approach to buffalo fly control
To delay buffalo fly resistance to regularly used chemicals the treatments should be alternated and combined with other parasite control treatments.
Common treatments for external parasites of cattle (March 2007)
A general guideline for users of treatments for external parasites of cattle.
Worms
Round worms (nematodes) and flat worms (platyhelminthes - fluke and tapeworm) can seriously impair growth of young animals (weaning to about 8 months) causing loss of condition, scours, anaemia and, in cases of severe infestation, death.
Neospora caninum
Neospora caninum, a microscopic protozoan parasite, was first described a little over a decade ago and has since been shown to be a major cause of bovine abortion throughout the world.
Metabolic disorders
Ketosis (acetonaemia)
Inadequate feed intake at calving can lead to utilisation of fat stores by the cow and the subsequent release of fatty acids. This leads to a build up of ketone bodies which produce the signs of ketosis.
Milk fever (hypocalcaemia)
A common metabolic disease of dairy cattle, including cause, symptoms, treatment and prevention.
Tick fever in dairy cattle
Healthy dairy heifers: managing ticks
Tick fever in dairy cattle: vaccination program
Tick infestation in dairy cattle: vaccination program
Vaccinations
Vaccinating dairy cattle against disease - Economic considerations
Vibriosis (bovine genital campylobacteriosis) in dairy cattle
Economic benefits and animal welfare considerations of vaccination programs
Clostridial diseases in dairy cattle - Vaccination program
Economic benefits, animal welfare and human health considerations of vaccination programs.
Colibacillosis in dairy cattle - Vaccination program
Economic benefits and animal welfare considerations of vaccinating dairy cattle against colibacillosis
Human health considerations
Q fever in dairy cattle - Human health considerations for vaccination
Avoid aflatoxin poisoning of livestock, and the potential for residues in milk and meat
Managing health risks to human health when using chicken litter as a fertiliser on pastures
Chicken litter may contain pathogens (potentially harmful organisms), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes, hormones and heavy metals. The potential risks and how best to manage the risks are presented.
Clostridial diseases in dairy cattle - Vaccination program
Economic benefits, animal welfare and human health considerations of vaccination programs.
Poisonings
Grasstree poisoning
Grasstrees and yacca are common names given to plants belonging to the genus Xanthorrhoea. These plants, with their long flower spike, are capable of causing a peculiar disease which is often called `wamps'.
Swill feeding and exotic disease prevention
Protect your animals
All animal owners should know how to maintain the health of their animals and protect them against diseases.
Herd management
Dairy replacement heifers
- Growth targets: age and live weight
- Growth targets: benchmarks of performance
- Feed requirements and forage quality
- Feed management: birth to weaning
- Feed management: post-weaning to calving
Rearing the dairy calf
