Management of the downer cow

Authors: Poulton P
Publication: Proceedings of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Annual Conferences, Volume 2014 AVA Annual Conference, Perth, Issue Cattle, May 2014
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

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Abstract: Dairy Australia recently funded research by the author into the nursing of downer cows, which are cows still down one or more days after they became recumbent. The study was conducted under field conditions typically seen in southern Australian dairying areas in the winter. The results are currently unpublished and will form part of his PhD but they showed that the secondary damage that occurred after the cows became recumbent was more important in determining their eventual fate than the original cause of their recumbency. There was a high occurrence of secondary damage and it was strongly associated with the quality of the nursing given to the downer cows. Nursing quality was a key factor in their survival chances. This paper will discuss the best way to respond to down cows, the common types of secondary damage and the role of nursing.

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