A mysterious disease that pops up suddenly, spreads quickly and strikes with devastating consequences is pretty much every dairy farmer’s worst nightmare. For one ill-fated central Alberta dairy, this nightmare became a grim reality.

It has now been more than a year since Canada’s new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle was published. With only a few exceptions, the requirements of the new code came into effect on April 1, 2024. How can our industry live up to the new standards it has set for itself in this code?

Studies show the decrease in fertility can be strongly associated with transition cow health. Utilizing a Double Ovsynch program could increase fertility even in cows with health events during transition.

Cases began to appear more frequently from 2021 onward, as Chilliwack, British Columbia-based veterinarian John Dick began witnessing more cattle infected with S. Dublin in his clients’ herds, noticing that clinical signs varied markedly from the clinical signs typically present in other salmonella serotypes.

Looking at return over feed numbers is an excellent way to get a quick snapshot of how a dairy farm is performing from a production and cost standpoint, however it doesn’t account for and is not impacted by duration of cows in the herd.

Through diligent testing and careful herd management, including new cow herd introduction and willingness to cull, Johne's can be reduced herd by herd.