Page 10 - Quebec Farmers’ Advocate / July - August 2010

One more tool at hand: the human eye!

Rough, patchy and greasy-looking hair indicates that the animal is suffering from a deficiency or excessive A runny nose may be a sign of rumen instability. stress.

Depending on whether it is hollow or filled out, this triangle on the animal’s flank provides us with informa- As is the case in humans, a bowed head is an indication that something is amiss. tion about the animal’s appetite and the digestibility of the ration.

Steve Adam, agr. language and the environment in our cows. That means we have dietary or parasitic nature. period, when we want the Dairy Production Expert – which they live. This idea of to pay attention and take time to Rough, patchy, greasy-looking rumen to be full. At the peak of Comfort, Behaviour, Welfare observing animals from all angles watch our animals every day. hair, for example, indicates that lactation, the rate of passage of Research and Development originates mainly from Europe There are many signs that tell the animal is suffering from a feed should be relatively high. Valacta and is gradually gaining ground us something is amiss in our deficiency or excessive stress. That means we want a rumen on this side of the Atlantic. cows’ immediate environment. The appearance of a young calf’s that is full after feeding but Greater productivity, heavy Since cows don’t speak the Whether it’s a question of com- coat tells us a great deal about its which empties out quite fre- work load, increased responsi- language of humans, their body fort, stress—potential or actu- health status. A sleek, glossy, quently. The feed passage rate bilities, high cost of mechaniza- language becomes that much al—, or feeding, an animal will clean coat is a good indicator of can also indicate the digestibility tion, rapid increase in the com- more informative. Current tech- always react by trying to adapt an animal’s health and well- of the ration. Coarse forages puterization of dairy opera- nological research is aimed at to its surroundings, which are being. tend to remain in the rumen for tions… In this whirlwind of developing precision instru- often far removed from their Some authors have noted that a very long time, giving the activity, it sometimes happens— ments to help dairy producers “natural” state. a runny nose (see upper right impression that the rumen is inadvertently—that we lose better detect the signals con- Every farm has a set of indica- photo) or eyes can be a sign of constantly full. track of the essential element: veyed by their animals. But tors, of varying number, that can compromised rumen stability, Observing the position of a our animals! human observation and basic be monitored directly on the ani- or even ruminal acidosis. cow’s head and neck (see lower And yet, observing the behav- common sense remain the tools mals, either at the herd level or Bleeding from the nose is quite right photo) when the animal is iour and appearance of our cows of choice, thus far unbeatable, on one animal in particular. well documented as one of the lying down can tell us a great helps us understand both their for assessing the condition of Herd observations are more consequences of severe ruminal deal about her disposition. A relevant when the herd is in acidosis. cow with a drooping neck and free-stall housing or out on pas- We can tell if the rumen is ade- chin resting on the bottom of the Valacta Workshop ture. In a free-stall barn, we can quately filled by observing the manger or on the floor in front of see if the animals occupy the triangular area located between her cubicle tells us that some- whole barn or if they prefer a the last rib, the backbone and the thing is wrong. When awake, a “It pays to keep an particular row of stalls. Is the hip bone on the left hand side of healthy cow will hold her head ventilation there better? Is there the animal, where there are no upright and have alert eyes and more light? Are stall dimensions organs between the skin and the erect ears. She will also be rumi- eye on your cows!” and comfort level adequate? rumen wall (see lower left nating her last meal. When it comes to individual photo). Is there a visible hollow These are only some of the As of this spring, Valacta is offering a half-day workshop on cows, there are many indicators. there or not? A scoring system telling behavioural signs seen in cow observation. This hands-on workshop, which takes place in Sometimes the signs are quite from 1 to 4 can be helpful when animals. Detailed observation of the barn, gives participants an opportunity to compare observa- easy to figure out while in other assessing rumen fill. A score of 1 cows often makes it possible to tions with other participants and the trainer. Participants work cases interpretation is more indicates an empty rumen while detect problems and take correc- together to learn how to detect the cows’ signals and identify complex. a score of 4 corresponds to a full tive action before the situation ways to improve the comfort and well-being of their animals. Poor hair coat appearance (see rumen. This system enables us worsens or becomes irremedia- For more information, visit www.valacta.com or contact a upper left photo) can be a sign to evaluate a cow’s appetite, ble. All in all, the human eye is Valacta employee. that an animal is suffering from which is very important, partic- still a valuable tool in dairy pro- stress of an environmental, ularly during the post-partum duction!