Calving Management: The First Step in a Successful ... Schuenemann... · Calving Management: The First Step in a Successful Reproductive Program G.M. Schuenemann, S. Bas, and J.D

Calving Management: The First Step in a Successful Reproductive Program

G.M. Schuenemann, S. Bas, and J.D. Workman

Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine,

College of Veterinary Medicine

(©2013 G.M. Schuenemann)

-- 2013 DCRC Annual Meeting , Indianapolis --

Transition Period: What, How, Why, & When?


Personnel Training

Dry Off & Late Gestation

Early lactation

Breeding & Lactation

Calving

BCS Nutrition Prior lact history

Twins/Stillbirth BCS Dystocia

BCS Nutrition NEB

VWP

BCS Nutrition NEB

Record-keeping

AI tech

Semen Delivery

DA/Ketosis

Metritis/Edometritis

Sub-Endometritis

Management

Protocols/Procedures Environment

genetics

Health

Immunizations

Synch protocols Diseases

Heat Detection

Environment

Compliance to

Protocols

Record-keeping

Record-keeping

Sire Fertility

Sire

Diseases

Facilities/Design

Milk Fever

RP Mastitis/Lameness

Overcrowding

TMR

TMR

Vit & Minerals

Vit & Minerals

Economics

People

Record-keeping

Economics

Economics

Diagnosis

NS

Data management

Feed Inventory/Delivery

Prevalence of Calving-Related Events in US

18

7.8

12

8.1

4.93.8 4

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Metritis RFM Preg Loss

Stillbirth MF DA Ketosis

Pe

rce

nt o

f all

cal

vin

gs

(6-39) (5-15) (8-28) (4-22) (3-8) (1-6) (3-6)

(USDA 2009; Schuenemann et al., 2011, JDS 94:5494-501; Brick et al., 2012, JDS 95:1894-1905; Santos et al., 2010, RDA VII:387-404; Santos et al., 2004, ARS 82:513-535)

Goal:<2%

>90% of Cows in Confinement Systems

(UDDA, 2002; USDA, 2007)

Dairy Herd Performance

Significant genetic (milk yield) and knowledge progress (nutrition, physiology, therapies) during the last 40 yrs

Are we training human resources to meet the management demands of modern dairy cows?

How about facility design?

At the end of the day, PEOPLE performance will

likely determine the RoI ($$$, $$$, $$$)


Once the cow/heifer is pregnant, calving is the main challenge with implications in the subsequent lactation

and reproductive performance

Cows Leaving the Herd


Item Reasons

Culling Mastitis

Lamenes

Reproductive problems

Low production (UDDA, 2002; USDA, 2007)

Parturition

Parturition is a process initiated by a cascade of hormonal and physical changes at the end of gestation (~276-279 days in cattle) Three stages:

- Stage I (dilation of birth canal) - Stage II (labor or calf expulsion) - Stage III (passing fetal membranes)

It progresses gradually from one stage to the next!


(Noakes et al., 2001; Norman et al., 2009; Schuenemann et al., 2013)

Parturition and Hormone Profile

(Source: Senger 1997; Pathways to pregnancy and parturition)

Normal Calf Delivery


Estimated values: Forward or Anterior = 96% Backward or Posterior = 4% Multiple calves = 5% Breech = 1%

(Hunter et al., 2013 JDS 96:383)

Backward or Posterior Forward or Anterior

Monitor Calving Progress

Cow is sniffing the newborn calf

Showing feet/nose of the calf

Appearance of the “water bag”

Birth is completed


Reference Signs and Values for Holstein Cattle

Signs of Normal Births Description References

Appearance of the AS or feet of the calf outside the

vulva Landmark references

Noakes et al., 2001

Schuenemann et al., 2011

Signs of calving progress Evident every 15-20

minutes Schuenemann et al., 2011

Mean time since the appearance of the AS outside

the vulva to birth 70 minutes(*)

Noakes et al., 2001


Mean time since the appearance of the feet of the

calf outside the vulva to birth 65 minutes(*) Schuenemann et al., 2011

Time that a cow or first-calf heifer is in labor

(abdominal contractions) ≤2 hours

Gundelach et al., 2009


Frequency of observation At least every 1 hour Schuenemann et al., 2011

(*) The mean times were estimated using the mean + 2 SD (standard deviation)


Guidelines for Assisted Births

Parturition Begins Normal Birth

Normal presentation, position, and posture

Abnormal presentation, position, and posture

Extraction Possible

Extraction Not Possible

Calf Alive/Dead

Assisted Extraction

Call Your Veterinarian

Gu

idel

ines

fo

r A

ssis

ted

Ext

ract

ion

Correction

No Progress within 30 min

Calf Alive/Dead

No Calving Progress

OBSERVATION

DECISIONS

INTERVENTION

(©2013 G.M. Schuenemann) (Adapted from Schuijt and Ball, 1980)

Executing Calving SOPs within Herd

Knowledge Skills Attitude

Personnel

Attitude: the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it


Personnel and Herd Performance

However, competent workers will often fail to perform

effectively if they have a poor attitude due to conflict, lack of

satisfaction, motivation, or communication

Fully trained and competent workers know what to do and how to do it, and have the

skills and abilities to do the work

Poor attitude will cause low work performance, affecting the overall

herd performance


0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

PRIM MULT

Still

bir

th (%

)

Effect of Parity on Stillbirth

(a,bP < 0.05)

a

b

(n=1,403) (n=2,467)


(Hunter et al., 2013; JDS 96:383)

1 dairy herd; 3,870 births

0

5

10

15

20

25

Backward Forward

Still

bir

th (%

)

Backward Presentation Increases the Risk for Stillbirth

(a,bP < 0.05) a

b

(n=144) (n=3,726)


(Hunter et al., 2013; JDS 96:383)


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1 2 3 4

Sti

llb

irth

(%

)

Calving Ease

Effect of Calving Ease on Stillbirth

(a,bP < 0.05)

a

b

(n=128) (n=3,308) (n=180) (n=254)

c

d


(Hunter et al., 2013; JDS 96:383)


Effect of Calving Training on Personnel Knowledge Level


(Schuenemann et al., 2013 JDS 96:2671-2680)

65.5

86.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pe

rce

nt C

orr

ect

(%

)

Pre-Tests Post-Tests

(*P < 0.05)

*

18,000 cows 18 herds 70 workers

15.5

6.5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Still

bir

th (

%)

a

Pre-Training Post-Training

(*P < 0.05)

*

(Schuenemann et al., 2011; JDS 94:483)

Effect of Personnel Training on Stillbirth


Unresolved conflicts significantly affect personnel attitude …

Effect of Communication at the Time of Personnel Shift Change on Stillbirth


0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

PRIM MULT

Still

birt

h (%

)

(a,bP < 0.05) a

b

(n=853) (n=3017)

2 h 10 h

(1 h before and 1 h after of shift change; 12 h/shift)

(Hunter et al., 2013; JDS 96:383)

Evaluación de la Higiene al Parto: Foto muestra un score 1

(Adaptado de Schreiner and Ruegg 2003; JDS 86:3460–3465)

Score 1: Región del perineo

esta libre de

suciedad/estiércol

(<2% de superficie)

Completamente seca

Score 2: Estiércol/suciedad

es visible alrededor

del perineo

<10% de superficie

Score 3: Región del perineo

moderadamente

cubierta con

suciedad/estiércol

>11-30% de superficie



OSU Veterinary Extension Gustavo M. Schuenemann, DVM, MS, PhD


Effect of Hygiene Score on Metritis

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Score 1 Score 2 Score 3

Ris

k f

or

Me

trit

is (

%)

Hygiene Score at Calving

(Schuenemann et al., 2011; JDS 94:744)

(a,bP < 0.05)

a

a

b

(Ajusted for RP, herd, stillbirth, parity, and CE)

(n=301) (n=117) (n=84)


Sizing the Close-Up Pen


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

Nu

mb

er

of

Bir

ths

Average = 38 births per week Range = 6-54 (or 16% - 142% of weekly average) Guideline: to avoid overstocking, plan for 162 stalls for the close-up period based on max average (140%) births per week (54 births/wk * 3 wks = 162 stalls)

54

6

38 births

(2000-cow herd)

Management of Close-Up Cows

Although “average” births per week is a valuable metric, most producers are faced with calving “ranges”

All these calculations assume cow grouping at dry-off and known “calving date”

Add additional challenges for no-calving dates (bull bred first-calf heifers or cow, missing records, or unknown pregnancy status)


Additional Factors to Consider


Season (winter-spring) (Lombard et al., 2007; JDS 90:1751–1760)

₋ Calving rate (# of births per unit of time) (Schuenemann et al., 2013; JDS 96:2671-2680.; Hunter et al., JDS 96:383)

Heat Stress – DMI and calcium balance

Managing groups of cows/first-calf heifers

Cow move and OB intervention (Villettaz Robichaud et al., 2013; Proudfoot

et al., 2013)

Dry Fresh

Far-Off Fresh Close-Up

Colostrum: ~23 g of Calcium (range 8-35 g) (Kehoe et al., 2007 JDS 90:4108-4116; Tsioulpas et al., 2007 JDS 90:5012-5017)


Serum Ca2+ within 48 h after Calving

(Adapted from Reinhardt et al., 2011; Veterinary J. 188:122–124)


Is Possible to ID Cow prior to Parturition?

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

6/17/2012 6/18/2012 6/19/2012 6/20/2012 6/21/2012 6/22/2012 6/23/2012 6/24/2012 6/25/2012

Mo

tio

n In

de

x

Cow B - Unassisted

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

6/17/2012 6/18/2012 6/19/2012 6/20/2012 6/21/2012 6/22/2012 6/23/2012 6/24/2012 6/25/2012

Mo

tio

n In

de

x

Cow A - Assisted

Calving

Close-Up Pen Fresh Pen

Close-Up Pen Fresh Pen

Calving

(Titler et al., 2013 JDS 96:646; Titler et al., 2013 JDS 96:647)

(©2013 GM Schuenemann)

The frequency of observation is critical to determining the onset of the AS or feet of the calf outside the vulva and calving progress

These recommendations work best when dairy personnel monitor cows every 1 h around the clock (24/7)

Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude Matter for Effective Team Work

What Makes an Effective Team?

We are looking for a herd manager with PEOPLE skills, team builder (dirt under the nails experience) …

Milking(10)

Pre-partum & Calving (4)

Fresh Cows & Hospital (4)

Feeding(3)

Hoof Trimming(1)

Reproduction(3)

Owner Advisory Team (3)

Maintenance(2)

Cow Pusher & Clean Stall (3)

Herd Manager (1)

Records(1)


Managing the Working Environment

Personnel: No resources for the tasks Day-off for Christmas or Holliday Pay raise or bonus (incentives) “No-show” worker Want to use cell phone Change of work shift (night vs day) Fix gate/water hose Restroom for women This is not my job! Want break Dryer/washer don’t work …

Owner/Herd Manager: Be on time for your shift “No-show” worker No cell phone or texting while at work Pick up trash/clothing from lockers Improve milking routine Work as a team and communication High SCC and milk quality Keep accurate/readable records SOPs for safety/treatments SOPs for feeding/handling cows-calves Clean, clean, clean! …


Areas for Consideration

Personnel vision loss/impairment

SOPs with pictures

(Source: http://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/about/resources.htm)

How Text May Look for Personnel with Vision Problems

Areas for Consideration

Benchmark stocking density or # milking cows ―Ag Lenders and financial advisors

Herd managers ―Be knowledgeable and aware of variation with herd

metrics, but also must be able to manage a wide range of personalities and ID/solve personnel issues on a day-to-day basis

Facility design

“I don’t care” factor

…

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

Nu

mb

er

of

He

rds

21-day Pregnancy Rate

Pregnancy Rate in Dairy Herds (DMRS 2010; 8,211 herds)

~ 26%

Top 10%

~ 8%

Bottom 10%

>73% of Variation in PR is Due to Management/Environment

(Schuenemann et al., 2013; on-gong study)

What the Top 10% of Dairy Herds Do for their Personnel?


Training and re-training programs (personnel, manager, owner) Regular meetings with personnel Monitoring performance of personnel Herd managers focused on managing the working environment (e.g., conflicts, motivation, etc.) Offer incentives based on performance and year of service …

Calving -21 d

Close-Up Cows/Heifers Far-Off

10±3

PD PD

80 110 DIM

Stillbirth/RFM Metritis

Pre-fresh Risk Factors

Preventive Management Practices

Clinical-Behavioral Metrics

Prevention is Key to Control Calving Related Events… Reproduction!

Re

pro

d

Succ

ess

Hypocalcemia Parity (dystocia) BCS at calving Uterine/metab diseases Cyclicity (cysts)

(Pursley et al., 1998; Lucy, 2001; Cerri et al., 2009; Santos, 2010; Giordano et al., 2012; Valenza et al., 2012;

Herlihy et al., 2013; Nascimento et al., 2013) (©2013 G.M. Schuenemann)

CL

For Effective Team Work …, We All Have a Job to Do

Award Winner “This Is Not My Job”

(Source: http://myfavouritestuffs.com/that-is-not-my-job/51)

Collaborating dairy farms and personnel

Practicing veterinarians

Graduate and undergraduate students

Drs. W. Shulaw, D. Sanders, and E. Gordon

COBA-Select Sires Research Fellow and the Epperson Scholarship

SARE-NCR Professional Development Program

Acknowledgements


THANK YOU!

Gustavo M. Schuenemann Email: [email protected]; Ph: 614-292-6924


Documents

Calving Management: The First Step in a Successful ... Schuenemann... · Calving Management: The First Step in a Successful Reproductive Program G.M. Schuenemann, S. Bas, and J.D