Dairy production is one of the livestock businesses which produce high profit margins. However, it is affected by the diseases during the production.
Major diseases which affect the sector include mastitis, black quarter, foot and mouth disease, hemorrhagic septicemia, brucellosis, milk fever and others. Treating animals with competent veterinary officer prevents the amount of infection on the farm.
Animal diseases
As mastitis is caused by incomplete milking, bacteria pathogens invade the udder and teats causing loss to commercial milking animals and the symptoms include slendering of udder, high fever, clotted milk and blood from udder and udder muscle may turn black and start rotting if not treated on time. Treat mastitis by keeping shed clean and dry and practice complete milking.
Foot and mouth disease is also a viral disease affecting the hoofed animals as the symptoms include high fever, drop in milk, animal put out saliva after 2 days, vesicles appear in mouth, wounds appear in hoofs and reproduction drops up to 30-50%. The disease is spread through saliva, discharged liquids, milk and moist air. However, there is no treatment except from asymptomatic ones which include spreading 2% solution of cooking soda to wounds, applying honey to mouth wounds and neem oil wounds of hoofs to avoid maggots and finally vaccinate healthy animals twice a year.
Additionally Haemorraghic septicemia is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria spread by through polluted food and water and affected animals stop taking food, water, has laboured breathing, high fever, animal put out saliva and may die in severe cases. Treat affected animals immediately and vaccinate all animals once in a year.
Black quarter attacks over grown animals as pathogens enter through polluted food and wounds and symptoms are high fever, loss of appetite, limping and swelling of muscles. Treat the animal immediately and vaccinate animals as well.
Furthermore, brucellosis is another disease caused by bacteria affecting both animals and human beings and symptoms are still birth and abortion in animals. Treat by separating affected from healthy animals, bary dead animals in deep pits and vaccinate animals once in a year.
Milk fever is another physiological disorder affecting animals in 72 hours of calving which is caused by depletion of calcium in milk. Symptoms are putting out tongue, losing body balance, kicking back leg and loss oc consciousness. Call doctor immediately for treatment, feed animal on balanced ration, dont milk completely and give calcium powder just after calving and once more in 12 hours.
