Australian Downer cow expert and practicing veterinarian, Dr Phil Poulton, advised farmers at a series of animal health sessions run by DairyTas in Tasmania last month, how to get the best results from nursing a downer cow.
Poulton has spent many years researching which practices provide the best outcomes for downer cows.
“Nursing a downer cow is quite labour intensive and time consuming, however good nursing practices dramatically increase the chance of your downer cow returning to the milking herd,” he said.
Poulton who has just completed his PhD on downer cow management, said best management practice for a downer cow involves a multi-pronged approach with good sheltered housing for the cow, the use of 4 in 1 and anti-inflammatory drugs, as appropriate and a lot of TLC (tender loving care).
Poulton has learnt over the years that once cows are down for any reason they are very susceptible to secondary damage, which is often the reason that they don’t recover.
Excellent nursing care is vital to increase the chance of recovering from the primary cause and reduce the chance of secondary damage occurring.
Downer cows are an important animal welfare issue from the individual cow perspective but also for the industry as a whole so it is vital that all stakeholders manage them utilising ‘best practice’.
