Monday, August 14, 2017

Yes, Air Quality Can Make a Difference!
Increased BRD Among Group-Housed Calves

Seventeen dairy farms in southern Ontario, Canada, using automatic feeders for preweaned calves were visited 4 times over a year.

Sharing air with cattle 5 to 8 months of age was a significant risk factor for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) (p<.01) 

The range of BRD among the 17 farms was from 0 to 28 percent (median 17%). 

Air quality can make a difference for group-housed calves on automatic feeders. Once weaned, the calves belong in another barn - not mucking up the air for the younger ones. 

The authors also found that frequently cleaning of the feeder and pen helped reduce both scours and BRD.

Reference: Medrano-Galarza, C. and Others, "Association of Management practices and calf health on dairy farms using automatic milk feeders in southern Ontario." Journal of Dairy Science 100:340 July 2017

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