Thebasicsofcaringforcows

PhysiologyTheaveragelifespanforcattleis18to22years,althoughtheycanliveinexcessof25years.Onaverage,adultmales(“bulls”ifnotcastrated;“steers”ifcastrated)ofbreedssuchasAngus,Jersey,andHerefordweighbetween550and820kg,andadultfemales (“cows”) of the same breeds weigh between 500 and 680kg. Males andfemalesof largerbreeds, such asBrahman,Brangus, Charolaise, andHolstein, canweigh 900 to 1270 kg and around 900 kg, respectively.Many of the larger cattle,such as Holsteins, rarely reach their full weight and height before they areslaughtered.Thenormalbodytemperatureforcattleisaround38°C.NutritionalNeedsWater. Clean, freshwatermust always be available to cattle.Generally, amatureanimalconsumesbetween30-70Lofwateraday,sobesuretouseacontainerlargeenough to hold that quantity, or have an automated refill set-up. Consumption isbased on weather, so more water should be available in hot weather. Werecommend investing in an automatic watering system (available through farmsupplystoresorthecatalogsbelow)becauseitwillgreatlyreducewasteandlabour.Salt andMinerals.Saltandmineral licksshouldalwaysbeavailable toyourcattle.Saltblocksandspeciallydesignedholdersforthemcanbepurchasedatmostfeedstores. If you are in an area that has selenium-deficient soil, a salt block withseleniumisnecessary.Tracemineralblocksarealsoavailableand,dependinguponthesoilintheregionwhereyoulive,maybeadvisable.Talktoothersinyourareatoseewhatpeoplegenerallydolocally.

Feed. As ruminants (animals with stomachs that have four chambers), cows relymainly on hay or pasture (fiber) to fulfill their dietary needs.Grain is very high inenergy and fat, and not what cows evolved to eat. Pasture should be of a goodqualityandplentifulbecause itprovidesthebulkofthecow’sdietaryneeds intheseasons it isavailable.Besuretofamiliarizeyourselfwiththespeciesonyour landandcheckforpoisonousplants.Ifadequatepastureisnotavailable,youwillneedtosupplementwithhay.Adult cattleneedup to4%of their bodyweight in grass typehaydaily; in severewinterweatherthiswillbeatit’shighest.Toavoidhaywaste,wesuggesttheuseofa hay feeder. If you are feeding your cattle outdoors, place hay under cover toprevent feed fromgettingwet,aproblemthatcanbeexpensiveandhazardoustoyouranimal’shealth.Becausehayislessexpensiveperbalewhenpurchasedinlargequantities, building some type of hay storage structure or loft is well worth theinvestment.Ifyouhavemultiplecowsoranimalstofeedhaytoinwinter,itismuchmorecost-effectivetouselarge-bales.Bearinmindthehandlinglogisticsthatcomealong with this saving. Stockpiling winter grazing and feeding in the field maypresentagoodcotandlaboursaving.HandlingCowsItisimportanttobecarefulwhenworkingaroundanylargeanimal.Althoughcattlearenotusuallyaggressive,theyareverystrongandcaninjureyouaccidentallywhentheyareperformingnormalmovementssuchasswingingtheirheadstothesidetoswatatflies.Alsobealerttowhereyourcowsaresteppingsotheydon’taccidentallycrush your feet. Cowsmay feel threatenedwhen confined, and some do kick orthrowtheirheads.Donoteverallowyourself tobecorneredwithoutaneasywayout.Afrightenedanimaloronewhofeelsthreatenedwilloftenrunyouintoawallorgate,soalwaysbeveryawareofyourlocation.If youareworkingwitha smallnumberofbeastswe recommend that youhalter-train your cattle andusehalters regularly for groomingand check-ups so that thecattle become used to them. Cattle are relatively easy to halter-train if you startwhentheyareyoung,andthisisgreatifyouaregoingtomilkthem.Byregularlybrushingyourcattleandrunningyourhandsovertheirbodiesandlegs,youwillgetthemaccustomedtobeinghandled,leadingtolessstressfulhandlinginthefuture.Oneofthemostimportantwaystokeepyourselfandyouranimalssafeisto know each individual animal and how they react in stressful situations. Whenkeepingasmallamountofcowsyoureally learna lotabout their individualneedsandtemperament.Inalargeherdthisisstillpossible,butatrueherdbehavesquitedifferently from a small number of individuals. Handling an aggressive or evenfrightenedanimalcanbeextremelydangerousandisnotsomethingthatshouldbeattemptedwithoutyearsofexperience.ShelterRequirementsBuilding. Cattle shelters neednot be elaborate, but theymust bewaterproof and

draft-free.Dependingon theclimate inyour location, youmayneedonlya three-sidedstructurewiththeopensidefacingawayfromtheprevailingwinds.If you have a totally enclosed barn, be sure it iswell ventilated. This is extremelyimportant for both hot and cold weather. If the barn ismuchwarmer than 10°Cduringcoldweather,humidityfromurine,manure,andbodymoisturemayriseandcancausepneumoniaaswellasmouldstoformonthestructure.Allow at least 3.5m2 for each animal, but check your local regulations. Alwaysprovideyourcattlewithplentyofclean,drybedding.Straworwoodchipissuitable,cows should not stand on hard surfaces like concrete. Remove damp and soiledstraw daily, replacing it with fresh bedding. You can add biochar to help absorbnutrients and control odour. We use a deep litter system, adding materialcontinuouslyoverthewinter,allowingthepigstoturnitandaerateitinthespringbeforetakingitouttomulchthetreelanes.Fencing.Permanentfencingforcowsshouldbeapproximately1.2mhigh,stretchedtaut,andsecuredtopostsatevery2.5-3m.Singlestrandelectricmobilefencingistotallyadequateiftheanimalsaretrainedandrespectfulofthewire.Trainingyounganimals is important. We run all our animals in portable electric fences, but alsohaveapermanentperimeterfenceforelkanddeer,minimizingtheriskofanimalsgettingoutofthefarmevenifthemobilefencingfailed.HealthCareBasicMaintenance.Cattlearerelativelyeasytotakecareof,andsanitaryhousing,good quality pasture, nutritious food, and plenty of sunshine will greatly reducehealth problems. Having somewhere to scratch is important. We pull around a‘mobiletree’inthepasturetogivethemshade,holdthesaltlicksandgiveussomewheretotiethecowswhenwemilk.

Keeping your cattle’s feet properly trimmed and checking for cracks and otherproblems is imperative to theiroverallwell-being;examineyourcattle’shooves todetermineiftheyneedtrimmingoranyothercareeverysixmonths.Hooftrimmingshouldalwaysbedonebyaprofessional toavoid injury to thecattleandyourself,but also so that thehooves are trimmedproperly.Hoof trimming shouldbedoneannually, or bi-annually if your cattle are prone to hoof problems. Maintenancetrimmingmay be needed in between these scheduled times. If you intend to domaintenance trimming yourself, get advice and instruction from a professionalbeforehand.Vaccines. Cattlemay need to be vaccinated for contagious diseases. Consult yourveterinarianforadvice.Duringyourdailycontactwithyourcattle,alwaysbeonthelookoutforanyphysicalorbehavioralchanges.Symptomsindicatingillnessincludelistlessness,palecoloring,limping,lossofappetite,teethgrinding,coughing,andabnormaltemperature.Ifanyofthesesymptomsoccur,consultyourveterinarianimmediately.CommonHealthProblemsBloat. This is a serious condition commonly causedby particularly lush pasture orovereatinggrain.Whenintroducingcattletonewpasture,acclimatethemslowlybybringing themsomeof thepasture fora fewdays.Then, turn themout foronlyafew hours at a time for the first week. The first obvious symptoms of bloat aredistension of the rumen (the area beside the hip bone on the left side), laboredbreathing,andsignsofdiscomfortsuchaskicking,grindingteeth,groaning,bawling,andprofusesalivation.Anyevidenceofbloatshouldbedeemedanemergency,andyourvetshouldbecontactedimmediately.Wetendtosupplementhayforaweekascowscomeoutinspring,andthenewgrowthisnotparticularlylush.Aswithanychangeindiet,slowlychangingovertimeisbest.Mastitis.Mastitis is an inflammation of themammary glands caused by bacteria.Acutemastitissymptomsincludeanelevatedtemperatureandahot,hard,swollenudder that isverysore.Mastitismostoftenaffectscowswhohavebeen lactating,butevencowswhoarenot lactatingaresusceptible.Seekveterinaryadvice ifyounoticeanyoftheabovesymptomsbecausetreatmentwithantibioticsiscrucial.Parasites. Although good sanitation will greatly reduce parasite problems, youshould still have your cattle checked regularly. Fecal tests should be carried outeverysixmonthsandcattletreatedaccordingtotheresults.FootRot.Foot rot isabacterial infectionof thehoof.Oneormorehoovescanbeinfectedatanytime.Typically,thefirstsymptomoffootrotislameness.Checkthehoofforsignsofswelling,odor,orpus/discharge,andconsultyourveterinarianfor

treatment. The risk of foot rot is greatly minimised by proper hoof care andmaintenance of living areas. Keep cattle off excessivelymuddy pasture and roughwalkingsurfaces,whichcancauseinjurytothehoof.Respiratory Problems. Coughing, nasal discharge,watery eyes, sneezing, lethargy,and loss of appetite are all symptoms of respiratory infection. Consult yourveterinarianifyounoticeanyofthesesymptoms.Johne’sDisease.Johne’sdiseaseisachronicbacterialinfectionthatprimarilyaffectsthe lower small intestine of ruminants (e.g., cattle, goats, sheep) Clinical signsincludeweight loss and diarrheawith a normal appetite. Johne’s disease typicallydoesnotpresentuntiltwotosixyearsafterinitialinfection,whichusuallyoccursatbirth. Conventional medicine offers no treatment for Johne’s disease. Somehomeopathic treatments or herbal supplements may help keep your cattlecomfortableandmayextend life,althoughthis isnotoftenthecase.Keep inmindthat even cattle coping well with Johne’s disease may still be shedding bacteria,whichcanpersistintheenvironmentformonths.Eye Infections and eye cancer. Check your cattle daily for signs of eye infections.Symptoms include discolored or cloudy eyes, unusual discharge, and swelling.Pinkeye is a very serious condition in cattle and can lead to blindness if notdiscoveredandtreatedearly.Contactyourveterinarianimmediatelyifyoufindsignsofaneyeinfection.Pinkeyevaccinesarealsoavailableandshouldbeusedifpinkeyeiscommon intheareawhereyou live.Cattle,especially the lighter-skinnedbreedssuch as Hereford, are very prone to eye cancers. If detected early, these can betreated. Left untreated, however, these cancers spread rapidly, becoming quitecostlytotreat,orevenfatal.