Healthy, curious cows and more milk: how De Bruijn Dairy keeps their herd healthy in summer
What do you do when bluetongue breaks out? Or when heat stress strikes? For dairy farmer De Bruijn, the answer is clear: provide targeted support before the problems become apparent. They do this by using the AHV Longevity Herd Health Plan.
Less trouble with bluetongue thanks to targeted approach
“As soon as we heard that bluetongue was active, we immediately started proactively administering a maintenance dose of AHV Booster Powder via the feed mixer: 10 grams per cow for two weeks,” explains Corrie. “We then switched to two to three times a week for as long as the virus was circulating.”
Cows showing symptoms, such as a change in gait or a dip in production, were treated individually with a Booster and an Aspi Tablet. “You could see that they felt better and quickly returned to their normal level. The recovery was remarkably fast.”
Milk production remained stable
In addition, it was noticeable that milk production hardly declined. “We heard from other farmers that production remained low after bluetongue. At our farm, the cows that we treated individually simply returned to their previous level. We lost almost no liters. And their coats and alertness also remained good, which tells me a lot about their resistance.”
Support during heat stress
Even during extreme heat, attention is paid to the herd’s resistance. “We give 250 grams of sodium bicarbonate per cow and continue to use Booster Powder. This helps keep the cell count low and ensures that the cows continue to feel comfortable. You can see that in everything.”
More liters and fewer antibiotics
The company has been working with the AHV Longevity Program for five years now. “We started with cows that had high cell counts. But when we switched to a new barn, we started applying the entire program.
“We calculated it with the accountant. The cows that received the program produced an average of 1 to 2 liters more per day. And you use fewer antibiotics. Per lactation, that simply yields more than it costs.”
AHV fits in with our own vision
“Our cows need to be healthy and able to be themselves. Cows are curious by nature, and we want to see that behavior. We want them to come up to you in the barn. You see that curiosity when a cow feels good.”
Stress-free drying off with StopLac
AHV StopLac has also recently been introduced for drying off. “We tested it and saw immediate results. You can dry off a cow abruptly without any extra stress. Milk once, administer the boluses, and you’re done.”
Even a chronically high cell count was tackled. “We had a cow with a cell count that was too high throughout her entire lactation. With StopLac, it came down to a low level. The climate in the udder changes in such a way that bacteria don’t stand a chance. That’s what you want, of course!”
About the farm
Name: D.J. De Bruijn | Run the business together with parents | Size: 60 dairy cows | Average production last milk recording: 36L | Protein: 3.30 | Fat 4.00 | Geo Cell count: 110 | Cell count: 140 | Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
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