NEW RESEARCH has found that proper nursing of downer cows improves their survival rate of cows by five-fold when compared to those nursed poorly.
The research - undertaken by veterinarian Dr Phil Poulton from the Tarwin Veterinary Group in Leongatha, Gippsland for his Master’s Degree - shows nearly three quarters of the cows suffered secondary complications which delayed or prevented their recovery and were often more deadly than the primary condition that caused their initial illness.
The study has been supported by the University of Melbourne and Dairy Australia. It is expected to be completed later this year.
Interim findings were unveiled at a recent FarmChat workshop held in Purnim, near Warrnambool, hosted by the Warrnambool Veterinary Clinic. The FarmChat session was the first of regular six-weekly workshops planned by the clinic.
Dr Poulton told the FarmChat session that the preliminary findings illustrated the importance of developing a nursing plan to give the cow the best chance of survival.
“If you are going to nurse them, do it properly or don’t do it at all. If the cow has a poor chance of getting up because it has a severe condition, or if you can’t nurse them well, you are better off euthanising them quickly and properly,” he said.
“It is an important animal welfare issue and farmers have a duty of care to the animal and the industry to ensure they manage downer cows properly.”
He said downer cows should be nursed in a dedicated small sheltered area on deep, soft bedding with 30-40cm of hay or sawdust. A barrier was needed to prevent the cow from crawling off the bedding.
He said dairy farmers should have a suitable area established before any problems arise. “If you wait until you have a down cow you often don’t have time to set it up then, as they always occur when you’re too busy,” he said.
Most cows will be down because of milk fever, pregnancy toxaemia and calving paralysis but without adequate nursing the cow will be prone to other problems.
During the FarmChat workshop, Dr Poulton said leaving a downer cow outside in the paddock in the wet and cold was not suitable but putting them in a shed on a hard floor wasn’t any better. Both would lead to secondary complications.
The study found many cows died from secondary complications including femoral nerve damage, significant muscle damage, dislocated hip and exposure.
“That was because they were not managed well,” he said.
He said that lifting and moving a cow must be effective, safe and supervised. Carrying them into a front-end loading bucket is an excellent way to move them and they should not be moved by lifting with hip clamps only, unless for only a very short distance.
Downer cows should be treated with anti-inflammatories, rolled to prevent injury and monitored every day for secondary complications.
Dr Poulton said about half the sick cows he saw last year were nursed unsatisfactorily when he first saw them.
“It is important that farms do this properly. It is very rewarding when they get up and this study shows that if you have excellent nursing practices nearly half of them will make it,” he said.