25 May 2015

Advising on calf rearing – value of paraprofessionals in practice

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Louise Silk

Job Title



Advising on calf rearing – value of paraprofessionals in practice

Plenty of clean, fresh bedding is important for good welfare, as well as disease prevention.

In the past few years there has been a considerable shift in the way farm animal veterinary practices conduct their business – particularly in the employment of paraprofessional staff.

Plenty of clean, fresh bedding is important for good welfare, as well as disease prevention.
Plenty of clean, fresh bedding is important for good welfare, as well as disease prevention.

While a small number of practices have long been employing non-veterinary staff to assist the vet – for example, during surgical procedures – the emergence of the veterinary technician or paraprofessional in a farm animal team is more recent.

The role of these staff can be extremely varied and tasks may include mobility scoring, foot trimming, worming, vaccinating, blood testing, data collection, cattle handling, technical dairy support and – in the case of SQPs – dispensing POM-VPS products.

The contribution of the paraprofessional is to provide additional income for the practice and skilled assistance for the vet, as well as an additional service for the client (Moore, 1996).

When used in an appropriate manner and as part of a team, these technicians or paraprofessionals provide considerable opportunity for expanding the modern farm animal veterinary business (Reader, 2012).

Once on board, making the most of these team members is central to ensuring profitability in what can be a competitive market. If there is a service a farmer requires, veterinary businesses should be in a position to provide a suitably trained person to carry it out. If they do not embrace this, farmers will look elsewhere for the service (Reader, 2012). This could be anything from a specific task, such as foot trimming, or more general advice on areas such as calf rearing.

Where to start?

As a general rule, farmers tend to spend most time on their own farm and, as a result, they may have limited experience when it comes to assessing merits of different management practices. As a vet, you will make regular visits to numerous farms and are, therefore, in a good position to make an objective assessment regarding calf rearing practices.

The same can be said for paraprofessional staff, perhaps even more so as they are likely to spend considerable periods of time on an individual farm, while carrying out other tasks.

It has also been suggested some paraprofessionals may have a better working relationship or greater impact on changing farmer behaviour than the vet (highlighted in the Lowe report cited in Reader, 2012).

Farm animal practices should make use of these strong relationships and encourage paraprofessionals to start a dialogue with the farmer about aspects of calf health and management and identify where improvements could be made. This will pave the way for further discussions with the farm’s vet, to the mutual benefit of the farm client and veterinary practice.

Communication is key

When integrating a paraprofessional into a farm animal veterinary team, the key is good communication not only between team members, but also with clients and other practice staff. This will ensure clients receive a high-quality service with good continuity of care from both vets and paraprofessional staff.

Effective communication in a veterinary practice involves listening, questioning and giving information (Stewart, 1999). This can be applied to situations where the vet or paraprofessional is dealing directly with the client, but also when colleagues are dealing with each other. In the author’s experience, few things impress a client less than colleagues who have clearly failed to communicate with each other.

Body language that expresses attentive behaviour such as being relaxed, composed, confident and caring, with an open posture, will make the subject feel he or she is being listened to. Open questions will often result in the most information being gained (Stewart, 1999) and thus enable services to be directed to where they are most needed. When giving information it is important to adjust the level given to the understanding and experience of the listener (Stewart, 1999).

Relaying information to colleagues will involve a different approach to that taken when giving information to a client. Using handouts or written reports will ensure no details are lost when transferring information. For example, a foot trimming session carried out by a paraprofessional should be followed up with a written report detailing the work done and any specific problems identified with individual animals that may require follow up or additional treatment should be noted.

This information should be given to the farmer and a copy supplied to the farm’s vet without delay. Equally, the paraprofessional should only offer advice on topics such as calf rearing after discussion with the farm’s vet to ensure services are targeted appropriately and repetition is avoided. Regular team meetings and internal email can also be used to relay important information between colleagues.

Good communication not only saves time by preventing misunderstandings, but also results in the paraprofessional building a rapport with clients that develops with time and results in bonded clients (Stewart, 1999). Clients may or may not be able to assess the skills of the paraprofessional, but they know when they feel they have been understood and they and their animals are valued (Stewart, 1999).

The same principle applies when considering communication between paraprofessional and vets. It is essential the paraprofessional feels like a valued member of the team and that his or her opinions are listened to. Equally, the vet needs to know the paraprofessional will take on board any advice given to ensure he or she upholds the standards of the practice and delivers appropriate services in a professional manner.

Key performance indicators

When training paraprofessionals to identify possible areas for improvement in calf rearing on farms, it is essential to ensure they compare like with like. A small, family-run dairy herd may well manage its calf rearing differently to a large scale dairy unit, single suckle beef herd or specialist calf rearer, but all may be achieving success.

The most effective way of assessing the success of any individual system is to look at key performance indicators (KPIs). The following key areas can and should be monitored by the farmer, with targets set and regular assessment made.

  • Welfare of the calves – this is the single most important factor when looking at calf rearing and more specific details on best practice can be found in the further reading at the end of this article.
  • Growth rates.
  • Presence or absence of disease.
  • Mortality rates.
Panel 1. Example targets

Target growth rate – dairy heifers – 0.7kg/day (DairyCo).

Target growth rate – growing beef calves – 0.8kg/day to 1.3kg/day (Eblex).

Assessing these KPIs through accurate record keeping will give the farmer an idea as to how well he or she is doing and allow benchmarking with other units. Example targets are given in Panel 1.

The average mortality rate for UK dairy heifers between birth and weaning is 15% (Cooke, 2011). While mortality rates can be a useful indicator, the figures usually represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of financial losses on a farm.

Animals that have reduced daily live weight gains, for example, will have a poorer feed conversion efficiency, which results in an extended rearing period and all the associated costs. In the beef sector this translates into animals with a lower sale value and that are often older when slaughtered. In dairy animals this is seen as a reduced potential lifetime milk yield (Ohnstad, 2015).

Growth rates are a KPI that should be measured regularly by every producer rearing calves, but are often neglected until very late in the rearing stage. A check in growth rates within a batch of calves can be an early indicator of a disease outbreak or poor management strategy.

Identifying and addressing problems early will be hugely beneficial in terms of animal health and welfare, as well as herd profitability. Paraprofessionals can be used to help, not only with the practical task of regularly weighing calves, but also to provide an independent perspective on rearing and management strategies. To be able to do this, however, they must have a good grasp of the basics of calf rearing.

This article considers the most important basic aspects of calf rearing and provides a framework for paraprofessionals to use when assessing and offering advice to farmers out in the field. It is essential farmers are encouraged to work alongside their advisors and vets to achieve success, and paraprofessionals are well placed to do this.

Many aspects of calf rearing require specialist advice from the farmer’s vet. These include disease management strategies, such as vaccination protocols, as well as treatment options and preventive strategies where problems with diseases such as calf pneumonia or diarrhoea have been identified. In these cases, paraprofessionals should be recommending the farmer obtains an accurate diagnosis and subsequent advice from his or her vet.

When it comes to basic calf management the key areas to focus on are housing, nutrition and other aspects of husbandry. Getting these right will improve the health and welfare of the calves, dramatically reducing the risk of disease.

Housing

The environment the calf lives in will have an enormous effect on its health and welfare. Incorrect housing provision can result in poor welfare, and predisposes to disease outbreaks among calves.

In an outdoor, single-suckle system it is important adequate shelter from inclement weather is provided for the calf. Calves are able to tolerate far less variation in temperature compared to adult cattle.

They are, however, able to adapt to some degree of temperature variation by using energy from feed, and this needs to be taken into account if a calf is being kept in an environment where the temperature is either significantly above or below the ambient temperature for that animal. The maternal bond is crucial to a calf’s survival and maintaining fence lines to ensure it cannot become separated from its mother is essential.

Good building design is essential for prevention of respiratory disease.
Good building design is essential for prevention of respiratory disease.

Within an indoor rearing system, ensuring adequate space for the calf to move around in and express normal behaviours is vital for good welfare. There should be sufficient lighting to allow the stockman to regularly inspect the calves. Draughts should be prevented, but good ventilation and drainage within the building are important to reduce the risks of respiratory disease. Having well designed and well maintained buildings, as well as the correct stocking density, will go a long way to protecting the health of the calves.

Calves should not share air spaces with older animals as this dramatically increases the risk of respiratory disease. Floors and other surfaces should be designed to avoid injuries and there should be adequate provision for emergency situations, such as fire or power cuts.

The exact details of the intricacies of good building design are outside the scope of this article, but a basic assessment of the adequacy of calf housing can be made by a paraprofessional by considering the following points:

  • Is the calf shed attached to other buildings rather than being free-standing? This can create dead spots in the centre of the building where fresh air does not circulate.
  • Are calves coughing, breathing fast, looking dull or depressed, or having nasal discharge? These symptoms could indicate presence of respiratory disease.
  • Are there large numbers of cobwebs in the shed or is there condensation running from the roof? This could indicate poor air circulation and therefore inadequate ventilation.
  • Does the building smell or have wet underfoot conditions? This could indicate poor drainage in the building.
  • Are there various age groups of animals housed in one shed or shared air space?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes then there is likely to be scope for improvements.

Nutrition

Good nutrition from birth is vital for calf health and survival, and should be a top priority for the stockman.

Ensuring a calf receives adequate colostrum must be the dedicated job of the individual helping with calving. In a dairy system where calves are removed from their mothers often within hours of birth, it is essential a calf receives colostrum – ideally from its own mother and four litres within the first six hours of life – before being transferred to the rearing unit. Colostrum provides not only key nutrients to the newborn calf, but, more importantly, provides immunity in the form of antibodies against many of the diseases the calf may encounter in the first few weeks of life.

In a more extensive beef system the delivery of colostrum to the calf may be more difficult to manage, but good husbandry and an eagle-eyed stockman should identify those calves at increased risk of not receiving their colostrum at birth so intervention at an early stage can be initiated.

In the case of the calf rearer, the stockman is unlikely to have any control and little knowledge of the colostrum management practices on the farm of origin. Sourcing calves from a known source, with good management practices if possible, will help to reduce the risks.

Milk can be delivered to calves in a number of ways, direct from the mother in the case of a suckled calf, or at least twice daily from a teat or bucket in an artificial rearing system.

With suckler animals, it is important the mother is in the correct body condition score at calving and continues to receive good quality nutrition during lactation to maintain a good milk supply for the calf. A good stockman will identify problems such as teat damage or mastitis at an early stage to ensure rapid, effective treatment is administered and a calf does not suffer as a consequence.

In an artificial rearing system, milk is likely to be reconstituted powdered milk. Powdered milk should be made up according to the manufacturer’s instructions and delivered fresh to calves. Teat systems and buckets should be regularly cleaned and disinfected to prevent bacterial contamination. Good husbandry will ensure all calves can feed and receive adequate quantities of milk for their stage of development.

In whatever system they are raised, all calves should have ad lib access to good-quality forage. This is essential for good rumen development, which will have a significant impact on their ability to process nutrients as an adult.

Many calves receive creep feed alongside their milk and forage. This not only provides important nutrients, but also aids rumen development. This feed should be age appropriate and will contain vital sources of macro and micro nutrients specific to the rearing system. Bucket-reared indoor dairy calves, for example, will have different requirements to single suckle beef calves reared extensively outdoors.

The process of weaning should be carried out in the least stressful manner possible, but in a way that is practical for the system in place. Weaning is a critical period of time in a calf’s life and nutritional intake must be maintained to avoid growth setbacks (Cooke, 2011). Fresh drinking water should be provided to calves at all times, in whatever system they are reared.

Other aspects

Panel 2. Defra welfare guidelines on castration and disbudding

Castration

  • Rubber rings can only be used within the first week of life.
  • Any other form of castration should be carried out by a vet.
  • Anaesthetic must be used for any method of castration in calves older than two weeks of age.
  • Bloodless castration (Burdizzo) can only be used in calves less than two months old.

Disbudding

  • Carried out using a heated iron.
  • Ideally carried out prior to two months of age.
  • Anaesthetic should always be used.
  • Chemical cauterisation is not recommended.

Aspects of management that may be relevant in a calf rearing system include tasks such as ear tagging, castration and disbudding. These should be carried out according to welfare guidelines (Panel 2) with emphasis placed on minimising the stress caused to the calf.

Vaccinations should be used only on the advice of a vet and as part of a planned herd health strategy, but it pays for all advisors to stress some general points.

  • Always store and use according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Follow veterinary advice exactly in terms of dosage and timing of vaccinations.
  • Use clean dosing equipment that has been calibrated.
  • Only administer more than one vaccination at any one time under veterinary advice.

Movement of calves can be extremely stressful and this stress, alongside mixing different groups of calves and introduction to new environments, can precipitate a disease outbreak. The following basic recommendations can help reduce the risk of disease.

  • Ideally, do not mix different groups of calves from different sources.
  • Adopt an all in, all out system for calf housing, with adequate cleaning and disinfection between batches.
  • Maintain a high level of farm biosecurity at all times to prevent new diseases entering the farm.
  • Isolate all new batches of calves from calves already on the farm.
  • Monitor isolated calves closely for signs of disease (reduced feed intakes, lethargy, increased respiratory rate, coughing, diarrhoea).
An all in, all out policy with cleaning and disinfection between batches of calves will reduce the risk of disease spread.
An all in, all out policy with cleaning and disinfection between batches of calves will reduce the risk of disease spread.

Parasite control – external and internal – is another key area where advice is often required. While these problems tend to be seen more in growing cattle, establishing a parasite control plan early, prior to the first grazing season to prevent disease, is central to the idea of herd health planning.

Herds will vary enormously in their requirements for parasite control and there can never be a one-size-fits-all blueprint recommendation. Calves reared by a calf rearer may be permanently housed and, therefore, have no exposure to gastrointestinal nematodes, whereas extensively reared beef calves may spend their entire lives at pasture and be at significant risk of disease at certain times of year. More details on parasite control can be found in the Control of Worms Sustainably document.

Summary

Cleaning and disinfecting milk feeders is important to prevent bacterial contamination.
Cleaning and disinfecting milk feeders is important to prevent bacterial contamination.

In many systems, calf rearing is the start of the entire life cycle on a farm and getting it right is vital to future productivity and profitability.

In the dairy sector, heifer rearing must be a priority as heifers are the milking herd of the future. In many other sectors, the calf is the end product of the business and good calf rearing is essential to achieving a profit at the point of sale.

Paraprofessionals need to be an integral part of the farm animal team. Good communication with the farm’s vet is essential to ensure quality assurance, as is the ability to refer where appropriate (Reader, 2012). In many cases, paraprofessionals will open doors to future services and work for the practice that did not exist before (Reader, 2012).