Limited Intakes, Low Milk and Lost Income

Investigating the Low-production Dairy Herd

Abstract

Dairy practitioners can solve problems of low milk production in dairy herds by following a systematic approach to diagnose the underlying herd problems. Important steps in this evaluation are determining the herd signalment, objectively characterizing herd milk production and carefully evaluating herd nutritional management. Cows within the herd can then be observed for body condition score, cud chewing activity, manure characteristics, locomotion and evaluated for sickness. Important additional diagnostic information can be gleaned from herd turnover records and measures of cow comfort. Herd based testing for ketosis (BHBA and NEFA), subacute ruminal acidosis and urea nitrogen may be indicated depending on findings up to this point in the investigation. Fresh cow health problems (usually triggered by fatty liver and ketosis) or lameness (usually caused by a combination of cow environmental problems in combination with subacute ruminal acidosis) are the two most common mechanisms for low herd production. Expect to find multiple causes for low herd milk production, and put the most confidence in diagnostic conclusions that are supported by more than one measure of herd performance.