Precision dairy farming: a review of current available technologies
Dr Delana Davies: Knowledge Exchange Hub, IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dairy cows are high value farm animals requiring careful management to achieve the best results. Since the advent of robotic and high throughput milking, the traditional few minutes available for individual...
Improving piglet survival: a management approach from breeding to farrowing
Dr Ruth Wonfor: IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Take home messages:
- 50% of piglet deaths before weaning take place within the first 3 days after farrowing due to low vitality and viability.
- We can improve piglet survival through improving management practices in...
Improving piglet survival: a nutritional approach from the sow to piglet
Dr. Ruth Wonfor: IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Take home messages:
- We can improve the nutrition of the sow before and after farrowing to improve piglet survival.
- It is essential that piglets receive enough good quality colostrum in the first 24 hours...
Cow Mobility
Cow mobility is one of the most important factors in herd health, with lameness the most significant welfare issue affecting dairy herds. Lameness cases can be costly and also impact on milk yield and fertility, so good hoof health protocols...
Preparing a winter feed budget
Dr Ruth Wonfor: IBERS, Prifysgol Aberystwyth
Take home messages:
- Make sure you prepare a feed budget early for the winter months to ensure maximum profitability over the period.
- Don’t underestimate the nutritional requirements of your herd, make sure your livestock...
Rumen fluke in cattle: Future research perspectives in IBERS
Dr Ruth Wonfor: IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Take home messages:
- There is often no clinical significance of rumen fluke, but if calves grazing waterlogged pasture show signs of severe diarrhoea, rumen fluke diagnosis should be considered.
- Rumen fluke infections are often...
Lameness in Beef Herds
By Sara Pedersen MRCVS, Farm Dynamics Ltd, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan
Lameness is a painful condition for the animal and a costly one for the producer. Whilst there has been a large focus on lameness in dairy cattle, beef cattle...
Testing to identify Bovine Tuberculosis in cattle
Background
Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic notifiable disease in cattle caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium bovis.
Early efforts at detecting TB in cattle relied solely on physical examination of the animal, but despite the fact that there were...