Any livestock producer knows herd health doesn’t begin or end with the germs and bacteria causing illnesses. It is about creating an environment that manages your animal’s overall well-being. Just like humans, stressors can affect an animal’s health, and minimizing those stressors can go a long way to keep your animal able to fight off everyday illness.
With the recent crossover of HPAI from birds to dairy cattle, we have become more vigilant for disease prevention, especially in dairy herds. Dr. Curt Vlietstra is a professional services veterinarian with Boehringer-Ingelheim. He talks about the importance of stress management in our dairy calves.
So, what are some stressors that Dr. Vlietstra is talking about?
Dr. Vlietstra says one way to reduce those stresses is to not rush through the stages calves go through.
Early identification is still key to quick management.
Dr. Vlietstra says record-keeping after treatments is still essential.
