Today began with leading out calves for the first time and also moving cows to new fields where the grass was better.
I then helped the farmer to deal with a cow that had had the outer cleat on its right hind leg cut off as it had become infected. The farmer had originally gone to clip the nail which was very long and found that it was hollow and an infection had spread up to the joint. First it was necessary to get the cow into a position where we would be able to treat the injury without the cow being able to kick. For this she was placed in a cage like device that help her head, whilst a strap was fitted under her stomach and winched up to prevent her from sitting down, as otherwise it would be very difficult to get her back up again. A pulley was attached to her leg which was carrying the injury and this was also winched up to prevent the cow from kicking. At this point the old bandage and dressing could be removed. It was clear that the wound was beginning to heal nicely and was clean as well as not smelling. Warm water was applied to the area where the cleat had been removed to clean away any dirt that could have become lodged under the bandage. The next step was to add a syringe of Excenel (a Antibiotic) to a wad of cotton wool, this was then applied to the area and a soft sponge like material was then applied over this to cushion the area from any bumps. On top of this sticky surgical tape was then added holding everything in position until the dressing could be removed in the next few days. Before the cow was released I applied a syringe of Excenel to the jugular as well, to ensure that the risk of infection again is kept as low as possible.
I was told that this can be a fairly common problem in dairy cows, particularly old cows or those with very large udders as they will tend to walk around them, thereby placing the majority of their back weight on the outer cleats leaving them open to problems associated with this. One way that a cow that has had a cleat removed can be treated is to strap a wooden block to the area that the cleat was in simply to give more support for the cow, however in this instance the cow was walking fine on the leg and so this action was not necessary.
The extra care and treatment cost for this cow was important and economically viable as this particular cow was one of the highest yielders of the herd and so it was important that she was in a fit state to continue to produce milk.
Cleaning of equipment is a important daily job in the dairy industry, and indeed any farm environment, as a visit from the health and safety inspectors can occur at any time. Therefore late morning and early afternoon was spent cleaning the milking shed equipment ready for afternoon milking.
I then fed the cows that were heavily in calf with a mix which is high in calcium. They were given 1kg each and this high level of calcium in theory helps to prevent Milk Fever which is effectively a calcium deficiency which can have serious consequences for the calves. When leading these cows to their shed, one was leaking milk, and I was told that this is a sign that the cow is about to calve (in fact she did in the evening).
Next job was to wash down the shed where the cows which had been milked will go to feed. The shed has yokes on each side, high yielding cows on one side of the shed and low yielding cows on the other. This is due to the different food mixes that the cows receive due to their milk productivity. Once the shed had been cleaned out the milking shed was prepared for the milking. Initially the shed is sprayed by a robot before we led the cows in to the holding area. After this the shed is sprayed with a fly killer that literally had the flys falling out of the sky within seconds.
The shed is set up with 16 positions on either side but only 16 can be milked at any one time. The cows are let through a gate at one end, which is automated, closing after 16 have passed through. When the cows are in position each cow has its teats wiped with wet disinfectant cloths. It is important to start with the front teats and then the back to ensure that any muck is not spread to the other teats therefore wasting time. Any cows that have teats that are particularly mucky have a frothy, soapy liquid added, which softens the muck and makes it easier to come off and make the teat clean . Once the teats are clean it is important to remember to draw each teat. This involves using the thumb and index finger to gently pull the teat and ensure that each one is producing milk before the milking bits are applied. By making this process feel like the suckling of a calf it makes it easier to produce the milk, as naturally this is how the milk would be taken. Once this has been done, the milking aid can be added. A button is pressed which starts the vacuum and each individual bit is added to each teat. A pumping action is used, which sucks and then releases, sucks and releases and so on. This helps to prevent the teat becoming sore from a continuous pressure being felt.
Once all the milk from each cow has been removed the milking aid falls off. This can then be added to a cow on the opposite side who is ready to milk, i.e teats cleaned and drawn. When the milking aid is off, a disinfectant is sprayed onto each teat to prevent any infection spreading as the period after milking when the teat channels are open is when the cow is most likely to catch a infection. This is also why the cows are fed in yokes immediately after milking as it prevents the cow from sitting down for the time it is eating, ensuring that it has least possible chance of catching an infection before the teat channels close off slightly. The cows then leave the milking shed, allowing the next 16 to enter on each side. In this way I helped milk a total of 176 cows.
Afterwards it is essential to clean every surface for the morning milking. This involves the use of a power hose and brushes to clean the walls whilst water is used to clean each milking aid before they are used again the following day.
The milk is pumped off to a large holding tank and the filter is cleaned, again ready for the morning milking and to prevent a build up of unwanted products such as any muck or dirt that was missed with the teat cleaning.
With the cleaning over the day was finished. I really enjoyed my first day and can't wait to go back tomorrow. With each cow producing a average of about 30 litres of milk a day it is a hectic process and industry, but a experience that I am truly enjoying.
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