Building resistance against diseases for cattle

Cattle farming can be divided into two subcategories; dairy farms and meat producing farms. Dairy farmers and raise cows to produce milk. Dairy cows’ diets are specialized to promote milk production, and they spend most of their time in stables. Beef farmers raise their cows to maximize muscle and fat growth. Beef cows have more generic diets and require more extensive grazing.

Dairy farms

Mastitis is one of the most common diseases on dairy farms. Mastitis is the name of any kind of inflammation of the udder. Extreme cases can cause high cost and failure. Each farm has a unique population of bacterial pathogens. E. Coli is a very common cause of mastitis, knowing which bacteria causes mastitis on your farm, goes a long way to controlling the disease.

On average, mastitis cost €280 per case depending on the somatic cell score. We know that the cost of a mastitis is mainly determined by the loss of milk production. Studies show an average cost of 280 euros per case. About 66% of these costs are determined by less milk production. An increased chance of drainage determines 23% of the costs.

Beef cattle

Young calves are particularly vulnerable to a variety of diseases, however careful management can prevent unnecessary losses in performance and death.

  • Hypomagnesaemia or “Grass tetany”: A sudden drop in blood levels of magnesium is one of the most common causes of sudden death in adult beef cattle. It usually occurs in lactating animals in spring and autumn and is associated with decreased availability of magnesium from the diet. Stress factors such as inclement weather conditions are contributing factors.
  • Bloat: Gas is produced during the normal digestive processes in the fore-stomachs and cattle will belch frequently to discharge this gas and relieve pressure.
  • White Muscle Disease: Calves may show signs of muscle stiffness before death or are often found dead particularly at the start of an entire farm problem.
  • Foot Rot: Foot rot is an immediate and highly infectious disease of cattle characterized by swelling and lameness. This extremely painful condition can become chronic if treatment is not provided, allowing additional foot structures to become affected.

Prevention and curing

Hygiene is the key to preventing diseases. To have a strict control plan and apply hygiene management across a farm will decrease the possibility for a disease to spread.

Applying the right disinfectant and cleaning products can prevent and cure unwanted diseases and thus failure.

At Vossen The New Farming we use different methods to prevent diseases naturally. We offer a wide range of products infused with acids to control bacteria and the spread of diseases. Besides using disinfectants, we highly recommend to use food supplements and complimentary feeds to optimize feed utilization, digestion and the overall condition. Our complimentary feeds are certified: GMP+, Secure Feed and Control Union. A combination of the two will significantly reduce the risks of your farm.