Reproductive performance of northern Australia beef herds. 1. Survey of nutritional, breeding and herd health management practices and of the environment

SUMMARYEighty autumn-calving (A) and 82 spring-calving (S) British Friesian cows were divided during the grazing season into two groups: one group received silage overnight indoors and grazed herbage during the day (partial storage feeding, P) and the other was conventionally set-stocked (C). The effects of the four treatments (AC, AP, SC and SP) on reproductive performance and herd health are reported for the 27-week grazing season and the subsequent 25-week housed period in 1985/86 in North Wales. Calving to conception interval was not affected by treatment but, in treatment SP, pregnancy rate to all services was lower and number of barren cows was greater than in the other treatments. Partial storage feeding increased the incidence of under-run heel and laminitis in the early part of the grazing season, and this was reflected in poorer locomotion. Treatment SC resulted in an increased incidence of punctured sole with pus later in the grazing season. Both autumn-calving treatments resulted in a large decrease in lameness and poor locomotion at drying off, but these increased in the autumn before housing. The mean duration of each lameness incident was 1·88 months and, in 40 out of 97 incidents, lameness was preceded by uneven gait. The incidence of lameness and poor locomotion was low for all treatments throughout the housed period. It is concluded that a high standard of buildings and reproductive and herd health management is necessary for partial storage feeding to be practised successfully.

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Survey of cow-calf producer perspectives on management strategies and industry challenges. Part 1: handling practices, and health and industry challenges

Translational Animal Science ◽

10.1093/tas/txy138 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 195-203

Author(s):

Miriam S Martin ◽

Scott A Grau ◽

Burt W Rutherford ◽

Temple Grandin ◽

Lily N Edwards-Callaway

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Management Practices ◽

Health Management ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Animal Health ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Age Groups ◽

The United States ◽

Herd Health ◽

Cow Calf

Abstract The objectives of this study were to benchmark cow-calf producer perspectives on management strategies and challenges, and to determine if demographic differences and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification status influenced the frequency of certain management strategies. A total of 1,414 responses from cow-calf producers in 44 states were collected through an online survey conducted in partnership with BEEF, a producer-focused magazine. Survey recipients were asked 30 questions to gather demographic information, respondents’ current handling and health management practices, and how they prioritized industry challenges. The frequency of management methods and decisions such as preconditioning and identification methods were impacted by respondent age, operation size, location, and BQA certification (Ps ≤ 0.009). BQA-certified respondents more frequently used electronic ear tags and freeze branding (Ps = 0.009). Overall, 74.5% of respondents were preconditioning their calves. Respondents who were BQA certified more frequently preconditioned their calves (449; 81.5%) compared with those who were not BQA certified (582; 70.4%) (P < 0.001). BQA training seems to be having a positive impact on production practices. Respondents identified cow-calf health as the biggest beef industry challenge and identified land availability or price as the biggest challenge to producers’ own operation. Respondents identified bovine respiratory disease, flies, pinkeye, and reproductive health as the most important animal health issues on producers’ operations. Health challenge responses varied significantly by producer age, beef cow inventory, and region of the United States (Ps < 0.001). Calf or neonate health was most commonly identified as the biggest challenge for respondents under the age of 30 years. Producers between the ages of 55 and 70 years most commonly responded that the Veterinary Feed Directive or regulations were more of a challenge than other age groups. Respondents clearly identified managing herd health as a challenge throughout the survey. Respondents with similar herd health challenges were identified based on demographic categorization, such as age of respondent and region.

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Reproductive performance of northern Australia beef herds. 2. Descriptive analysis of monitored reproductive performance

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an17495 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

K. D. McCosker ◽

G. Fordyce ◽

P. K. O'Rourke ◽

M. R. McGowan

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Performance ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Northern Australia ◽

Beef Herds

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Information and Herd Health Management Practices in Texas Dairies

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200025279 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Wayne H. Howard ◽

Thomas O. Knight ◽

C. Richard Shumway ◽

Robert W. Blake ◽

Michael A. Tomaszewski

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Health Management ◽

Extension Agents ◽

Subjective Probabilities ◽

Herd Health ◽

Marginal Value ◽

Dairy Management ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Production Characteristics

AbstractThe dissemination of information by extension agents on dairy management practices used to control mastitis and the reception and use of that information by producers are investigated. Producers are surveyed to determine current practices used. The relationship between milk yield, somatic cell count, management practices, and producer and production characteristics is estimated. Subjective probabilities are elicited from “experts,” extension agents, and producers concerning the impact and cost of various management practices. Subjective marginal value products and marginal input costs are computed and compared for the respondent groups. Stochastic dominance is used to rank the relative importance of the practices as perceived by the respondents.

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Epidemiology and Management of BVDV in Rangeland Beef Breeding Herds in Northern Australia

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12101063 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 1063 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael McGowan ◽

Kieren McCosker ◽

Geoff Fordyce ◽

Peter Kirkland

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Management Practices ◽

Northern Australia ◽

Routine Testing ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Persistently Infected ◽

Lactating Cows ◽

The World ◽

Intensively Managed

Approximately 60% of Australia’s beef cattle are located in the vast rangelands of northern Australia. Despite the often low stocking densities and extensive management practices of the observed herd, animal prevalence of BVDV infection and typical rates of transmission are similar to those observed in intensively managed herds in southern Australia and elsewhere in the world. A recent large three- to four-year study of factors affecting the reproductive performance of breeding herds in this region found that where there was evidence of widespread and/or recent BVDV infection, the percentage of lactating cows that became pregnant within four months of calving was reduced by 23%, and calf wastage was increased by 9%. BVDV is now considered the second most important endemic disease affecting beef cattle in northern Australia, costing the industry an estimated AUD 50.9 million annually. Although an effective killed vaccine was released in Australia in 2003, the adoption of routine whole herd vaccination by commercial beef farmers has been slow. However, routine testing to identify persistently infected replacement breeding bulls and heifers has been more widely adopted.

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Health management practices and reproductive performance of ducks in Nigeria

Journal of Agricultural Sciences Belgrade ◽

10.2298/jas1503325o ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 325-337

Author(s):

Abel Oguntunji ◽

Kolawole Ayorinde

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Performance ◽

Management Practices ◽

Health Management ◽

Primary Data ◽

Hatching Rate ◽

Self Medication ◽

North Central ◽

Veterinary Medicines ◽

Health Related ◽

Small Holder Farmers

At present, duck production is in its infancy stage in Nigeria. Ducks are mostly reared extensively and concentrated in the hands of small-holder farmers. A survey on health management practices and reproductive performance of ducks was conducted in three south-west (Oyo, Osun and Lagos) and one north central (Niger) states in Nigeria. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires administered to 400(100 per state) duck farmers and were analysed with descriptive statistics (percentage). Results on management of health-related challenges showed that 51.5% of respondents were practicing self-medication and majority in this category used ethno-veterinary medicines. Other measures adopted were neglect (12.25%), consumption of sick animals (10.50%), veterinary service (10.25%), among others. Reproductive performance estimates showed that about half (52.50%) of the respondents indicated 5?6 (24.75%) and 7?8 (27.50%) months as sexual maturity age of female ducks while the highest proportion (41.25%) indicated 16?20 eggs as clutch size. Hatchability rate was very high; 52% of duck farmers indicated that hatching rate was above 80%. Adoption of improved management systems by duck farmers will be of immense contribution to the health management and reproductive performance of ducks in Nigeria.

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