Health management is a critical factor affecting the profitability of a cattle operation. Yet establishing, maintaining and improving an effective health programme for a beef or dairy cattle herd can be difficult due to the many variables and unanticipated risks involved. To minimise these, a herd manager should ideally implement such a programme when a calf is in utero.
According to Dr Schabort Froneman, technical manager for ruminants at animal health company Zoetis, cattle farmers should look at a herd as an epidemiological unit. This is a group of animals that share the same approximate likelihood of being exposed to a pathogenic agent. This may be because these animals share a common environment or are subject to the same management practices.
“Treating individual animals for health problems is reactive, whereas improving a herd’s health, and hence automatically improving an individual animal’s health, is proactive,” explains Froneman. “For a subclinical or clinical disease to affect an animal, three overlapping factors need to be present simultaneously: a disease-causing pathogen, a susceptible host, and an environment conducive to the proliferation of the disease. Veterinarians and herd managers should always try to prevent, or reduce, one or more of these overlaps.”
He adds that one such preventative measure is to proactively improve the immunity of a herd and, thereby, the individual animals within it. As part of this strategy, it should be understood that the breeding cow herd is the functioning nucleus of the enterprise, and the replacement heifer herd is the future of the same enterprise, as these heifers will eventually become the breeding cow herd.
This story is from the December 18, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 18, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
R17m donation of tractors, bulls and infrastructure
Small-scale farmers in KwaZulu-Natal have been given an opportunity to grow into sustainable commercial businesses through a holistic integrated programme that will provide mechanisation, infrastructure and sector expertise.
Top dairy products revealed
Lactalis South Africa has won the South African Dairy Product of the Year Award for six of the past eight years. This year it won with a 10-month-old Gouda made especially for Woolworths.
Poor waste management highlighted on Earth Day
Most of South Africa’s waste ends up in dumps, if not strewn across open spaces or littering streams and oceans.
Kenya hosts soil health summit
The health of African soil was discussed at length by gathering of experts, writes Jeff Kapembwa.
Report shows the impact that heat has on agricultural workers
The UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently released a report showing the impact of climate change on the health of workers.
Factors to bear in mind when dipping livestock
It is important to consider the intervals at which you dip livestock in relation to the specific season in which ticks become more or less, writes Shane Brody.
Good outlook for pome fruit
Varieties of fruit could be the key in growing the pome fruit sector, writes Glenneis Kriel.
Building a sustainable agriculture sector in the Western Cape
Technology, research, financial mentorship and more will be required, writes Marinda Louw Coetzee.
PwC research shows food crisis impact
A new report details how the looming food crisis will affect Africa, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Braaied meat and soft-boiled egg Thai salad
This salad with maize, peanuts and eggs will turn leftover braai meat into a completely different meal. Recipe and photo: South African Poultry Association.
