How to Carry Out Dairy Cattle Health Care? Ten Key Points to Help You Raise Cattle Scientifically

1. Timely breeding. Breeding heifers at 15-18 months of age or when they reach 350 kg of body weight, and breeding productive cows 2-3 months after calving, can increase the reproduction rate and yield greater economic returns. First, pay attention to observing the cow's estrus; during estrus the cow appears excited, behaves restlessly, often mounts other cows and also accepts being mounted by other cows, and discharges transparent mucus from the vulva. Second, inform the breeding technician of the exact time of estrus (ovulation occurs 10-12 hours after the end of estrus, sperm survive in the reproductive tract for 24 hours, and eggs survive 6-12 hours), which can effectively increase the conception rate of artificial insemination. About 24 hours from the beginning of estrus, artificial insemination is carried out using the method of grasping the cervix with the hand.

2. Balanced nutrition. Balanced nutrition is the material foundation for dairy cattle to stay healthy and extend their years of use; it can maintain normal appetite, achieve good body condition, and enhance overall milk production potential. It prevents poor absorption of overall nutrition due to the lack of some nutrients, which causes waste of forage and feed, stunted growth and development, the appearance of disease, and effects on normal production. Feeding grass follows the principle of giving small amounts and adding frequently, feeding green hay together with silage. The amount of concentrate feed is determined according to milk yield and the quality of roughage.

3. Massaging the udder. Massaging the udder is one of the effective measures for improving the milk production performance of dairy cattle; it can cultivate the cow's gentle temperament, promote the growth and development of the mammary gland tissue, and, under the combined action of the nervous system and the endocrine system, allow the cow to accept milking smoothly, drain the milk from the udder as completely as possible, prevent mastitis caused by residual milk in the udder, and increase the total milk yield during the lactation period.

4. Plenty of water in summer. Water accounts for 86%-89% of milk, while protein, fat, lactose, minerals and vitamins account for 11%-14%. In the hot summer, the amount of water dairy cattle need to drink exceeds that in spring, autumn and winter; an adult dairy cow needs to drink 1.5 kg of water for every 0.5 kg of dry matter fed, and needs to drink 1.5-2 kg of water for every 0.5 kg of milk produced. Sufficient free access to water helps the normal synthesis of milk, helps lower body temperature, and reduces diseases caused by the hot summer climate. Therefore, in order to meet the drinking water needs of dairy cattle, cattle farms must install automatic drinkers in the barns or exercise yards.

5. Warm water in winter. Research has proven that the amount of water a cow drinks is affected by dry matter intake, climatic conditions, diet composition and the cow's physiological condition. A dry-period dairy cow needs to drink 35 kg of water per day, a dairy cow producing 15 kg of milk per day needs to drink 50 kg of water per day, and a dairy cow producing 40 kg of milk per day needs to drink 100 kg of water per day. The normal body temperature of dairy cattle is 38.5°C-39°C; a drinking water temperature of 10°C-19°C in winter and spring can satisfy the maximum drinking water needs required for dairy cattle production, reduce the cow's stress response, lower feed consumption, and increase milk production performance.

6. Shade in summer. Although forage and feed conditions are good in summer, high temperatures and stuffy air cause dairy cattle to have poor appetite and a faster breathing rate, affecting lactation. Setting up shade sheds over the barn roof or in the exercise yard and providing shade can lower body temperature and prevent heatstroke; when necessary, the cow's body temperature can be lowered by washing with cold water or spraying water.

7. Basking in the sun in winter. Calcium deficiency in the dairy cow's body and an imbalance in the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in winter both directly or indirectly affect reproduction. Basking in the sun can promote the synthesis of organic calcium, increase the absorption of feed phosphorus, raise the conception rate, prevent osteoporosis in adult cattle, and reduce the occurrence of diseases such as postpartum paralysis and retained placenta.

8. Brushing the cow's body. This enhances the affinity between dairy cattle and people, cultivates the cow's gentle temperament, and makes management easier. It promotes skin metabolism, improves blood circulation, prevents the mutual transmission of disease, and benefits the cow's health.

9. Clever exercise. Each cow should have 20-30 sq m of exercise yard available for free movement; this not only exercises the physique, speeds up metabolism and improves health, but also improves appetite, promotes feed intake, increases milk yield and milk fat percentage, and prevents difficult calving and deformation of the cow's limbs. Good dairy cattle health care can extend the raising years of high-yielding dairy cows and increase the number of milk-producing parities. If conditions are limited and there is no exercise yard, driving the cows to exercise for 2-3 hours can also achieve the purpose of exercise.

10. Emphasize science. The factors affecting the production capacity of dairy cattle include genetic, physiological and environmental factors, among which environmental factors have a relatively large impact. Among external environmental factors, feeding and management are important factors affecting the production capacity of dairy cattle; scientific feeding and management are the key to giving full play to the production capacity of dairy cattle. For the same dairy cow, different feeding and management methods can result in a difference of 30%-60% in milk yield. Therefore, according to its growth stage, body condition, body weight, milk yield, milk fat composition and other conditions, it should be reasonably supplied with full-price forage and feed for raising, with scientific management and a comfortable environment created, so as to obtain the greatest economic benefit with the lowest capital input.