Reducing Risk Of SARA Among Dairy Cows
CANADA - An associate professor with the University of Manitoba says strategies designed to reduce the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows has the potential to improve the heath of the cow and the quality of the milk and reduce the impact of dairy production on the environment, writes Bruce Cochrane.
20 January 2010
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Feeding Strategies for Healthy Cows will be the topic later this week as part of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Seminar Series.
Subacute ruminal acidosis is a condition where high acid levels in the rumen inhibit the ability of microbes to break down feed.
Dr Kees Plaizier, an associate professor in dairy nutrition and management, says subacute ruminal acidosis is a common but relatively unknown disease.
Clip-Dr Kees PlaizierUniversity of Manitoba:
It's not that obvious that cows look maybe like they're not really sick.
It's just that the problem is subacute so it's not obvious, so it's not difficult to diagnose but many farmers are not really aware of the problem that they have.
By making farmers more aware and making those that serve the dairy industry like veterinarians and feed consultants more aware of the problem I think we have a major contribution to make to the health of the cow, to the profitability of dairy farms, to reduce the environmental impact of dairy farms.
Potentially also through pathogen shedding in the manure there is a risk that by changing or upsetting a bit the digestion of the cow we could also see more excretion of unfavourable bacteria in the manure of the cow.
The impact is quite large but not really sufficiently recognised at this point in time.
Dr Plaizier says, once the risk of the disease has been identified, farmers or their feed consultants will be able to modify their diets to reduce the risk.
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